"The Barrister and the Letter of Mark" by Todd M Johnson

As a barrister in 1819 London, William Snopes is a strong advocate who chooses to defend the poorer classes against the powerful. That changes the day a struggling heiress, Lady Malissa Jameson, arrives at his door. In a last-ditch effort to save her faltering estate, Lady Jameson invested in the acquisition of a merchant brig, the Padget, allowed by a letter of marque from the king's regent to legally capture cargo from French traders operating illegally in the Indian Sea. Yet when the ship returns to the London harbor, it's met by constables and soldiers ready to seize its goods, accusing the sailors of piracy. And the letter proving their legality has disappeared. Moved by the lady's distress, intrigued by the claimed letter, and goaded by an opposing solicitor, William Snopes cautiously takes the case. But as he gets deeper into the mystery and prepares for trial, he learns that the forces arrayed against Lady Jameson, and now himself, are even more powerful than he'd imagined. 

I've read a fair number of Regency novels, and I think this is the first one that isn't a romance, barring Naomi Novik's fantasy series Temeraire (which is focused on the use of dragons in the Napoleonic Wars and less on the general drama of the period). Sure, some novels have been romances with a heavy dose of suspense (generally involving French spies), but at their heart, they are romances. This book does have a small dash of romance, but it is a bit of icing on what is most definitely a conspiracy and courtroom drama. This book definitely features a darker side of some historic figures that are often only represented in a fond, indulgent way, offering a layer of depth we rarely see. 

The piracy scam seems simple on paper, but as Snopes is trying to figure it out, it reveals just how complex it is, with many moving pieces. Even though the reader is shown glimpses of the villains' movements to give us a better idea of what's going on than Snopes, it doesn't come all together until the end, when Snopes pieces the mystery together. I enjoyed being right about the significance of certain characters, but had my share of surprises in the story too--particularly how they work everything out in the end. It was an enjoyable historical mystery.

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Todd Johnson's "Fatal Trust" and "The Deposit Slip" - two great legal suspense stories

I've gotten into the habit of reviewing books so much that I almost feel guilty if I don't write at least a little blurb on my impressions. So here are my quick thoughts on a couple legal suspenses I just read--both taking place in Minnesota, for a change.

Fatal Trust by Todd Johnson ~ about a young attorney asked to distribute a several million dollar trust that grows more suspicious by the day, and might somehow be tied to Minnesota's greatest--and unsolved--art heist.

I enjoyed this legal suspense set in the Twin Cities--it was fun that I recognized a number of the places and neighborhoods mentioned, and even better, it offers one possible answer to Minnesota's greatest art heist. The author does a good job sucking the reader in, and just like Ian, we don't know just what we're getting into . . . until we're in too deep to stop. I'll have to read some of this author's earlier novels!

As a note, while there is a hint of romance, it is far more focused on the mystery and suspense; I wouldn't call it a romantic suspense, so if that's what you're looking for, be forewarned.


The Deposit Slip by Todd Johnson ~ about an old deposit slip found for over 10 million dollars that the bank claims to have no record of, yet there are just enough inconsistencies to suspect there's something to the claim.

This is the third legal suspense I've read in about a month, and I'm getting a much better picture of how lawsuits work. I'd hope I'd never get involved in a case like this one, though--how do you prove something exists when the proof was wiped out years ago? Of course, any time people are involved, no cover-up can be completely guaranteed.

I enjoyed watching Jared and his crew do the impossible, and while I knew it had to work out in the end, it looked oh-so-grim for a while. It certainly kept me on the edge of my seat! A great legal suspense!