The Truthful Witness

This is the first Sam Johnstone book that I have read, so I was a little lost in the beginning. I thought the main character was going to be Grant Lee, that unlikeable guy. I enjoy legal thrillers and very much enjoyed this one. It dragged a bit in parts with too much detail but overall it kept moving. The ending kept me looking for another page, but it sounds like that may be the writing style of this series. I will definitely go back and read the previous books.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This legal thriller by James Chandler is exactly that! The characters snarl and connive, misbehave and subvert, and then turn up in a surprise ending of deserved justice. The Truthful Witness takes on a jaw-dropping meaning by the time this fast-moving book drops you off its cliff.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn River Publishing for the opportunity to read this compelling ARC.

This is a good legal series of which I’ve read several, it can be read as a standalone. The primary character is Sam Johnstone and it’s set in a small Wyoming town. This installment is filled with politics in the DA’s office, prosecutors, lawyers and multiple criminal defendants. Sam is a defense attorney with his friend, a respected retired judge, as a client. Preston Daniels has already admitted to killing his terminally ill wife. Question is, was it murder? Cathy is another attorney in the area, recently opening her own practice after resigning from the County office. Her client presented equally difficult obstacles to overcome. There are many alcoholics and addicts in the plot.
The judge could no longer care for his ailing wife alone. A home health aide is hired to assist in the wife’s care. The aide, Julie, was a former addict with felonies on her record. A mistake in the dosage of a controlled narcotic ends in death. It will be a difficult case for Sam to present to a jury. Putting the defendant on the witness stand is inherently risky, however Sam is limited in providing other testimony or witnesses. I thoroughly enjoyed the legal exploration of the ‘truthful witness’ theory for this case. The ending was completely out of the blue and unexpected. I look forward to more in the series.
I did take issue with one small part of the plot. Spending the majority of my career in the healthcare field I’m familiar with both federal and state regulations. Even though this is a fictional story, it would be highly improbable that anyone with drug convictions could be employed as a home health aide. In most states her felonious record would prevent employment in any healthcare setting, regardless of drug access restrictions in place.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “The Truthful Witness” Sam Johnstone #5, by James Chandler, Severn River Publishing. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Sam, a lawyer is enjoying small town life but when a friend is charged with murder he must defend him, How can he win when his friend has already confessed? And what a struggle he will have with a prosecutor who is impossible to work with. Did his friend actually commit the crime? This is a great courtroom story with a great ending!