This book has EVERYTHING you could want in a legal thriller. It’s set in a small town in Alabama. It’s got a court case that will hit all kinds of hot topic buttons. It has a judge set to retire. It has a lawyer protagonist, Elvis Henderson, who lives in his campervan. Elvis has come back to his hometown to be the defense attorney. Elvis has secrets from when he lived in town before which makes him unpopular with the current sheriff and the pastor of the town’s mega church.

In this read, there is a perfect mix of the courtroom drama, legal procedures, and out of court action.

The State of Alabama vs Destiny Grace Harper is ready for you.

“The courtroom scenes sizzle and plot twists abound in Robert Rotstein’s The Out-of-Town Lawyer, a smart and stylish legal thriller with sparkling dialogue and a fresh take on the conflict between government and personal autonomy. Is a young woman who refused a surgical procedure on religious grounds guilty of the murder of her unborn twins when the surgery could have saved their lives? The local populace of a small Alabama clamors for the death penalty. Then trial lawyer Elvis Henderson, with shoulder-length hair and a transexual paralegal, rolls into the burg in his camper van ready for battle. The closing courtroom sequences sparkle with fireworks reminiscent of Anatomy of a Murder and The Verdict, which is to say, electrifying, compelling, and authentic. Henderson is a unique new character in the world of legal thrillers, and I hope we’ll see more of him toting his briefcase into courtrooms from coast-to-coast.”
- Paul Levine, author of the "Jake Lassiter" series

This was a pleasant surprise as I hadn't come across this author before. It is a well written and well plotted legal thriller with excellently drawn characters and plenty of court room drama.

There is a good sense of time and place and the book feels authentic on terms of the locale in the deep south of the US.

The main character is a maverick with a fascinating backstory which is gently teased out as the story develops.

I really enjoyed this engrossing read.

WOW! This one will start a conversation! After reading only about 50%, I was so interested on where it was going and how it would end.
A good chunk of the book takes place in the courtroom. I feel like it was so well done. We got both sides of the argument and even within the legal jargon and bible references, there were explanations that were easy to follow and kept the scene moving. I loved getting E’s backstory and troubled past - seeing how it all correlated with his current self. I do think this could be an interesting read for a bookclub. I also wouldn’t mind seeing E and his crew again for another book 😁

📚Courtroom Battle
📚Colorful and Complex Characters
📚Suspense & Legal Thriller
📚Thought-Provoking

I’ve read a fair number of legal thrillers throughout my many years. The good ones add a twist or two to an interesting story. The best are so riveting that I can’t put them down. And then there's Robert Rotstein’s The Out-of-Town Lawyer. It’s simply the best of the best. Hands down the best legal thriller I’ve read. The book combines a compelling story, filled with many twists, turns, and unexpected complications, unforgettable characters, and a host of themes, both age-old and contemporary. After young, unmarried, religious Destiny Grace fails to allow a seemingly simple surgical intervention to save the lives of her unborn twins and their resulting failure to live, she is arrested and charged with murder. Her lead attorney Elvis (E), a hometown product who abruptly left town more than twenty years before, and her preacher, who refuses to support her, are old-time football teammates. To say more would only provide spoilers.. The story is riveting and the characters are unforgettable. If you’re thinking about reading just one legal thriller this year, make it The Out-of-Town Lawyer. Library patrons should be eager to read it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a fantastic legal thriller full of suspense and drama!!! I could not put this down and found myself riveted by the story! Move over Grisham, there is a new legal thriller author on my shelf! How have I missed this author?

Elvis is a traveling lawyer who is tired of big law and travels around the country in his van and takes his assignments from his very prolific boss. This assignment is ripped from the headlines and from Elvi's past. He swore he would not return to his home town in Alabama but that is where he is headed.

Destiny Grace is a member of the Church of the Lord's Rapture and is accused of murdering her twin daughters. The identical babies had twin to twin transfusion syndrome and on the basis of religious grounds, Destiny Grace refused life saving medical care. Both babies died and the state of Alabama wants to send Destiny Grace to the death chamber for murder.

The characters in this story are richly developed, and the story is both intriguing and well written.
At its core, the argument for the case is an interesting question, and the story explores it in an intelligent and comprehensively satisfying way. That alone should grab the interest of readers...such a great legal thriller!

Highly Recommend!!!