Genre: Legal
Thriller
Description:
“A judge. A murder. A family divided.
Judge Ferdinand Pitt never expected to see his estranged father in his
courtroom—especially not in handcuffs, accused of murder. But when the victim
turns out to be his son’s volatile boss, the case takes a devastating turn. As
evidence shifts suspicion from father to son, Ferd is forced to investigate the
crime himself, risking his career and violating every ethical boundary he’s
sworn to uphold.
With his rival attorney circling, his marriage unraveling, and his
mother’s health failing, Ferd must navigate a maze of lies, secrets, and buried
resentments to uncover the truth. But in a family fractured by abandonment and
silence, justice may come at the cost of everything he has left.
Beneath the Gavel is a gripping mystery about loyalty, legacy, and the
impossible choices we make when the law hits home.”
Author:
A native of Boston, Stephen M. Murphy is the author of some legal
thrillers as well as being a judge in the San Francisco Superior Court.
For more, check out his website.
Appraisal:
Judge Ferdinand Pitt, or Ferd, the nickname we get to know him as, is
the protagonist of the book. He’s obviously had some success in life, in spite
of a history that required him to beat the odds to get to where he has in life.
Then things spiral a bit out of control when his dad who he hasn’t seen since
he abandoned the family when Ferd was a kid is charged with murder and as he
tries to find out if his dad is guilty things start hitting even closer to
home. Trying to juggle his judicial ethics, while also protecting his family,
turns into a juggling act. In the meantime, as a reader, trying to figure out
who did what along with the judge kept me very engaged. A good read.
Buy now
from: Amazon US Amazon UK
FYI:
Some adult language.
Format/Typo
Issues:
Very few issues except for a handful of times using the word waive
instead of wave.
Rating: ****
Four Stars
Reviewed
by: BigAl
Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words
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