theft, mystery-fiction, local-law-enforcement, lawyers, due-diligence, California, abduction, suspense, surprises, surveillance, felons****

The motivated attorney vs. the scumbags who embezzle from vulnerable women.
Expect the unexpected in this convoluted tale of 'Guess who's the lawbreaker'. There's a lot going on and some of it goes back almost twenty years. I think it was well done and the characters are mostly believable. Lots of sidetracks and double twists. Very interesting.
Voice actor L. J. Ganser has the script well in hand and I believe that he adds a lot to the story.
*I requested and received a free temporary audio proof from HighBridge Audio via NetGalley. Thank you!
#Pro Bono by Thomas Perry Narrated by L.J. Ganser
@goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial #Mystery @barnesandnoble **** Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org #Suspense @bookshop_org_uk

The PROs and CONs of PRO BONO:

PROs:
1) GIFTED AUTHOR:
Thomas Perry is a true master of the ‘hunt and the hunted" suspense thrillers.

2) INTRIGUING PREMISE:
Can a Los Angeles attorney help a beautiful young widow find the money missing from her late husband's investment accounts?

3) ACTION-PACKED:
Within hours of starting his investigation, the protagonist is followed, shot at, and had his briefcase stolen.

CONS:
1) TOO MANY CHARACTERS.
I prefer fewer characters with more in-depth characterizations.

2) NOT THE AUTHOR'S BEST BOOK.
Although the book was good, it was not in the same league as Thomas Perry's earlier releases.

It lacked the sizzling element of suspense and attention to detail I was expecting and seeking from this talented author.

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I listened to the audiobook read by L.J. Ganser. Although L.J. Ganser's narration was good, it was not great.

Narrator Michael Kramer narrated all of my favorite Thomas Perry books and perhaps I would have enjoyed this audiobook more with a Michael Kramer narration.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A teenaged boy discovers the new man in his widowed mother’s life is stealing money from her. Fast forward 15 years, and he is an attorney and forensic accountant helping others in similar situations. Vesper is referred to him and he decides to take her case pro bono - for the public good - ie at no charge. While his motivation is not entirely clear, he proceeds to uncover wrongdoing and sets the wheels in motion. And the bureaucratic wheels turn slowly as the complex schemes are unraveled. Lives are threatened. Justice (or a form of it) is served. Then, just when I thought the book was wrapping up, a new set of issues arise. The state bureaucratic wheels turn slowly as complex claims are evaluated. Lives are threatened. Justice (or a form of it) is served. I feel as though I’ve been schooled in recovering lost property too. The “good” characters are likeable enough and it’s hard to feel sorry for the “bad” ones, though some are worse than others.
In sum, it’s interesting. Much like the legal profession, uneven. Sometimes it’s action-packed and other times it’s a lot of paperwork. I listened to the audiobook and feel as though I missed a statement here or there that might have more clearly pointed to a motivation or plot turn, especially when it came to the pair of former detectives that were assisting on the case. 3.5 rounded up. Narration is fine, but many of the voices seemed the same and I’m not sure if that was a reflection of the writing or narration.
If you didn’t already have reasons to be wary of new people you meet, you might after reading this book.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HighBridgeAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #ProBono for review purposes. Publication date: January 14, 2025.

I listened to the audiobook of this one and I thought the narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life, especially the main character Charles Warren. I haven’t read anything by Thomas Perry, but I thought it was over all a well written novel. I thought there was an interesting mix of well written mystery and a couple of overly obvious subplots that could have been left out. Charles is an attorney and CPA who specializes in finding stolen money and getting it back for his clients. It is clear what drove him down this path, when he was a teenager his mother married a man who tried to steal everything from her. Charles get a new a client who is sure money has been going missing from some of the investment accounts her husband left her when she died. There is a lot of action in this one and it was interesting. I will read more by this author. I gave it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because it was well written.

I enjoyed Pro Bono by Thomas Perry. This book is about an attorney in LA who focuses on helping people recovery stollen assets. Charlie takes a case that becomes all consuming and impacts his personal life. The pacing is good and the story kept my interest.

I like Thomas Perry’s writing style and will read future books by him. L.J. Ganser did an excellent job with the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley & HighBridge Audio for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.