Jake Lassiter faces an ethical dilemma in the outstanding legal thriller Flesh & Bones. “How far would I go for a woman who mattered? Is there anything I wouldn’t do to win?”
Flesh & Bones follows Lassiter as he fights his emotions in the case of Chrissy Bernhardt, a beautiful young model who’s in the dock for the murder of her father. Dozens of people saw her gun him down – but she claims it was because she’d just recovered repressed childhood memories of sexual abuse at his hands. Though Jake suspects that she’s fabricated the memories, or had them planted by a shady psychiatrist, he’s fallen for her – and it clouds his judgment.
Is Chrissy an anguished victim or a cold-blooded killer? Jake’s search for answers leads him into a quagmire of dirty deals, big money and family corruption, all the while having no idea whether he’s being played by his own client.
Jake Lassiter: “A good lawyer is part con man, part priest”
Flesh & Bones sees Lassiter’s ethics pushed to their limits as he battles with the dilemma of how far he’s prepared to go to set Chrissy free. Jake’s emotional side takes center stage in this gripping thriller, culminating in an explosive courtroom finale that will keep even seasoned thriller fans up late into the night.
Praise
“Enough courtroom shenanigans to please even the most stalwart John Grisham fan.” – Lansing (MI) State Journal
“Flesh & Bones is proof that the John D. MacDonald award [for author Paul Levine] was well deserved.” – Detroit Free Press
“The author keeps the suspense high with innovative twists…and touches of humor that spice up the courtroom scenes.” – Chicago Tribune
“Another winner.” – Publishers Weekly
“Lassiter is coming on fast as one of the most entertaining series characters in contemporary crime fiction.” – Booklist
“Levine’s prose gets leaner, meaner, better with every book…And Jake Lassiter has a lot more charisma than Perry Mason ever did.” – The Miami Herald
“A nonstop tale of greed, incest and emotional vulnerability set against the backdrop of the international model scene…Above all, Levine turns out another enjoyable, breathless thriller.” – South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“Filled with smart writing and smart remarks…Jake is well on his way to becoming a star in the field of detective fiction.” – Dallas Morning News
“A well-focused plot that stresses in-depth characterization and action that is more psychological than macho…The author keeps the suspense high with innovative twists.” – Atlanta Journal Constitution
“I have always enjoyed the Jake Lassiter adventures and envied his James Bond ability to choose cases which involve prompt amours with gorgeous women, plus a Bond-like ability to survive fire, flood, beatings and being shot at….The best Lassiter story to date.” – Greenwich (CT) Time
“The genuine article…the most dangerous detective liaison since Sam Spade and Brigid O’Shaughnessy tangoed in The Maltese Falcon.” – Charlotte News & Observer