Since 1994 I have been a loyal fan of Thomas Perry. This first series about Jane Whitefield (Vanishing Act 1994 – The Left Handed Twin 2021),who helped people discover a new identity and then disappear involved the classic Run-and-Hide mystery. Very detailed plot lines about how to disappear. In those days it was actually possible to disappear with fake IDs using dead people’s information. Now with our modern technology, of course, that is unthinkable. Since Jane Whitefield, Thomas Perry has gone on to write 17 stand-alone novels – one of which is The Old Man, made into a hit television series. And truthfully, I can say that all of Perry’s books are of the same quality as those first ones in the Whitefield series. The latest, Pro Bono, is another heavy on detail and plot and light on character and setting. But sometimes an intricate Plot is worth it.
In this story Perry gives us the detail about how to stop a financial scam from the point of view of a LA lawyer, Charles Warren. Warren’s skills in recovering stolen and hidden assets propel the novel through the plot line – Warren is helping a beautiful widow find the money embezzled from her late husband’s accounts. Of course, the criminals do what they can to stop Warren and continue their conspiracy. The story unfolds rapidly and concisely in the Perry style of factual movements with little or no concern with the character build up. However, you do develop your own vision of the characters as the quite intricate detail emerges in the story. Sometimes a story that involves JUST THE FACTS, MA’AM, is a fun read in the mystery genre. Especially when those facts are clever and encompassing.
My rating: 4 of 5
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Pro Bono will be published on Jan. 14, 2025.

This is another winning thriller by Thomas Perry. I enjoyed this multi layered intense thriller. The characters are richly drawn to the plot, the chase and thrills non stop and the breathless ending was fun. I highly recommend all of the authors work as he never disappoints. The author has a talent for drawing the reader into the thriller until the exciting conclusion. This story has a common theme today of men stealing finances from unsuspecting widows and its very well represented. The degree the criminals go to is detailed here and shocking to the reader. The side of good wins here with a revenge aspect that is a satisfying end to the reader. Very well done mystery.

Thank you to the author, to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportnity. My review opinions are my own.,

I'm a fan of Thomas Perry's Jane Whitefield series, but this was a disappointment. It's overall just flat, with flat characters and virtually no character development. There are three separate threads to this story and they don't come together well. A pair of ex-cons had some potential for comic relief, but they disappeared early on and just showed up at the end. There are other threads that don't intersect leaving almost the feeling of three separate stories. This feels very much like a first draft or a debut novel. I hope this is just a rare clunker. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pro Bono has a touch of everything - mystery, crime, betrayal, patience, romance, loyalty… This is a captivating read that moves quickly and unexpectedly through the drama of a long-ago love scam and resulting revenge murder which builds into a bigger crime spree decades later.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I was issued this book by NetGalley for my unbiased review.

Very good book. Really there are about 4 stories within this one adventure. I will look forward to reading more books by Thomas Perry.

Review from ff:


Charles Warren, Los Angeles attorney, has dedicated his career to aiding people in financial straits. He is particularly skilled at the art of recovering assets that have been embezzled or hidden. In his newest case, helping a beautiful young widow find the money missing from her late husband’s investment accounts, Charlie recognizes a familiar scheme—one that echoes the con job that targeted his own widowed mother many years before, and that led him, as a teenager, to commit a crime of retribution that still weighs on his conscience.

Charlie can’t get the present case out of his mind, but within hours of starting his investigation, he is followed, shot at, and has his briefcase stolen. It’s clear that someone doesn’t want him following the trail of the missing money but, as Charlie continues to pursue answers, he quickly becomes too entangled in the web of fraud, betrayal, and career criminals surrounding the theft to escape its deadly snare.

A nail-biting tale of conspiracy and pursuit from Thomas Perry, “a dominating force in the world of contemporary suspense thrillers” (Publishers Weekly), Pro Bono will have readers looking over their shoulders as constantly as they keep turning pages.

One of my favorite mystery writers, his books are page turners.

The book opens with a con man stealing the savings of his wife, a woman he married to get access to her accounts. He dies and the trail of her lost money is lost. There are two mysteries in this book. Both are filled with suspense and danger. I loved the story and the characters, you will too. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

While I love all Thomas Perry books, this was good, just not my favorite one. It is a little slower pace than his usual style. The plot follows two stories basically, with the main character being the lawyer linking the two together. Great characters and premise, just not as action packed as I like.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Slow and steady

I did enjoy this book, but it didn't have any of the heart-thumping moments that I enjoyed in other books by this author.

The plot has two parts, with a lawyer as the connecting point and both parts involving purloined funds. His mother's con man (second) husband stole a lot of money from her, then. died. Years later the son tries to get her money back. He also helps a woman whose investment advisors stole money from her accounts. Although there are some scenes where lives are in danger, it is all and all a pretty calm book. I won't re-read this every few years like I have Butcher's Boy or Metzger's Dog, but it was a solid, if uneventful, read.

So I love Thomas Perry. I'll read anything he writes, or has written.

This was not my favorite.

It has the effortless prose I've come to expect, the interesting angles on a crime story that are his trademark, and the fun details and internal strategies he delivers like no one else.

But it wasn't my favorite.

Maybe it was the thin love story, maybe it was the way it leaned into fraud and inheritance in ways that didn't grab me, or maybe it was the late arrival of not-that-formidable villains. I enjoyed the book, ripped through it in a few days...

... but it wasn't my favorite.

Great book. This is like two stories in one. There plot is entertaining and the characters likeable. I hope there is another book contouring the story

An interesting thriller from an author I have never read. Pro Bono goes so many different directions that once you think you have the book nailed down, it twists a different way. Found this book to be engaging and I kept wanting to go back to it! Overall a fun read and hope this begins a series of Charles Warren books!

I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Mr. Perry's for a while - specifically his Jane Whitefield series - so I was interested when I saw this new stand alone available as an ARC. This book has a bit of a different theme from the previous books that I've read from him.

We meet Charles Warren - first as a young man who helps uncover a scam being played on his widowed mother by an extremely talented con man, and then later as an attorney who seems to find himself in a similar situation with a different woman.

While the premise of the story was interesting, it felt almost like we were just getting the outline of a story and the contents still needed to be filled in. There was a lack of depth regarding certain circumstances, while at the same time it almost felt like we were then lost in the minutia of certain accounting issues. I'm not sure if that makes sense or not. I think that what was lacking the most was the character development that I have come to expect from this author. The characters felt more like cardboard cutouts and it was hard to feel engaged past a certain level.

I liked Charles as a character, but had trouble feeling anything for any of the other characters in the story. There are a couple of characters that are placed directly into the plot of the story - two ex convicts - that I had a hard time making their situation make sense. Then there are the "bad guys" who end up almost being caricatures of themselves.

In the end, it was a quick and easy read and the storyline does have a completed story arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Penzler Publishers | Mysterious Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on January 14, 2025.

I have loved every Thomas Perry book and once again he has written a great one.
I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Charles’s an attorney skilled at recovering money from embezzling etc. … when he was young his mother married a man who stole her money.
A young widow asks for his help as someone is stealing her money. Someone doesn’t want him finding the money as he is followed, shot at, and his briefcase is stolen- but nothing will stop him. This was a nail biter!

I really enjoyed this as a thriller novel, it had that element that I was hoping for and enjoyed about this type of story. The characters worked with the plot and was written in a realistic way that I was invested in. Thomas Perry has a strong writing style and was able to create that conspiracy and tension that I was looking for.

Another good novel from author Thomas Perry. An attorney tries to help a woman who has been conned retrieve her assets. the trials and tribulations that lawyer Charles Warren goes through include putting his own life at risk. I love Thomas Perry novels, but oncede that Pro bono is a bit uneven. Worth the read, though.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Wow. Thank you for the opportunity to preview Pro Bono by my favorite author. This is a book with many aspects. My head was spinning and when I think I know what’s going on I am totally taken by surprise.
It starts with a con man who has just stolen a woman’s life savings. A bunch of prisoners driving a bus from a job on their way back to prison. And last but not least a young man driving a fast car on the highway and he’s on a mission.
Worlds collide and so begins our novel. That’s all I can say for now except this is my favorite book of the year so far. 5 stars!!!!recommend highly.

Pro Bono tells the story of a con man who marries or otherwise seduces women enabling him to manipulate and steal their assets. One of these women engages the services of an attorney in an attempt to find and recover money stolen or embezzled from her investment accounts. There are several interesting twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued. Along the way, the attorney is followed, shot at and undeterred in his attempt to investigate this case on behalf of his pro bono client. The novel is a quick and enjoyable read and I thank NetGalley and Mysterious Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to its publication.

3.75 stars rounded up

Parts of this book took the reader a n a thrill ride. However, this book felt like 3 different stories blended into one and sometimes a little disjointed in the transition.

The story starts with an incredible opening scene. It moves forward from the past time to the present.

I watch the series The Old Man by Thomas Perry and had loved it. Did I love it because of the actors or the writing. Both. I had an expectation of something as high caliber. It’s not to say it didn’t live up to an incredible story but it’s like there’s this scene where two guys are killed and it’s never mentioned by the main characters who they discovered who it was.

The final action scene of the book had me scratching my head. Why would these woman need “more” money that led them to want to kill Charlie’s mom. And we don’t get a scene after the police show up to tell us what happened.

Great action but at times we got step by step of meetings to fire people that seemed excruciatingly long and whole scenes not even mentioned after, for instance, the shoot out at the office.

Love how this author writes but I think there are areas I would edit.

Thanks for the advance copy to review.

First, thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC to this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a welcome return to form for this author as I was thoroughly entertained by this book. A widowed mother gets scammed by a con artist who sweeps her off her feet, and the son who saves her sums in up in a nutshell. The characters were believable and relatable, and I enjoyed how the author weaved together a few different threads into the story and ultimately brought it to a satisfying ending. My one complaint would be that the ending seemed abrupt, but this is a minor detail as in reality I would have to say that the author probably didn't have a lot more places to go and this was certainly better than meandering at the end. Bravo Mr. Perry! I look forward to your next book with eager anticipation. 4-stars!