Supreme Justice: A Novel of Suspense

From Publishers Weekly In this entertaining if predictable sequel to Executive Privilege (2008) from Margolin, policewoman Sarah Woodruff, who's on death row in Oregon, has been tried twice for murdering her lover, John Finley. Sarah's life depends on an appeal to the Supreme Court, but her appeal, if heard, could expose a criminal plot within the CIA. An unexpected vacancy in the court provides one opportunity to quash Woodruff's attempted appeal. For the man at the center of the plot, however, this isn't enough, and a Supreme Court justice becomes a target for assassination. Once again PI Dana Cutler and law clerk Brad Miller find themselves investigating dastardly doings in Washington, D.C., involving a host of conventional characters, from scheming Beltway sachems to a ghetto-raised African-American justice. Thriller fans who like to see the villains receive their just rewards and the good guys come to no harm will find this a comforting read. (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Margolin is usually a sure thing, but this sequel to Executive Privilege (2008) is surprisingly weak. Brad Miller, the lawyer who played a key role in bringing down the U.S. president, is now a clerk for a Supreme Court justice. When seemingly unprovoked attacks on two justices appear to be connected to a pending death-row appeal, Brad and several other characters from the preceding novel race against time to get to the truth. For a debut novelist, this would be an adequate first effort. For a genre veteran like Margolin, it reads like a rough draft: thin characters, dialogue that is frequently stilted, and major structural problems (including a flashback sequence, located in the middle of the book, that amounts to a full third of the novel’s length). Devoted fans will look past the novel’s many flaws to enjoy the intricate story, but this is a far cry from Margolin’s excellent early novels, including Gone, but Not Forgotten (1993) and After Dark (1995). --David Pitt “Entertaining. . . . Thriller fans who like to see the villains receive their just rewards and the good guys come to no harm will find this a comforting read.” — Publishers Weekly “[An] intriguing glimpse into the inner workings of the court. As always with Margolin, roller-coaster plot propels the action along, with plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting.” — The Portland Oregonian “Margolin’s latest is a fast-paced yarn connecting a Supreme Court vacancy, a death row inmate, an ex-CIA chief and an attack on another Justice.” — New York Post, Required Reading “Get ready for a page-turning thriller. . . . [It] will keep you guessing until the last page.” — National Examiner “A good old fashioned political thriller. . . . Supreme Justice is a simple pleasure. . . . An exciting and enjoyable mystery.” — Huffington Post “Margolin creates a tangled plot. . . . The ending was deliciously devious.” — Bellingham Herald “A wry twist ending . . . puts a legal cherry on top of this satisfying gulp of Supreme Justice .” — Clarion Ledger “Margolin has come up with a winning recipe for success: by combining his legal expertise and experience with attention-grabbing characters and surprising storylines, he’s assured himself a secure spot in a genre known for keeping people guessing.” — Cascadia Weekly “Action speeds along through 65 fast-paced chapters with more bodies along the way. . . . But don’t think you can solve this one on your own. Just when you think it’s wrapping up, there is another surprise.” — The Oklahoman New York Times bestselling author Phillip Margolin returns to the corridors of power in Washington, D.C., with an exciting thriller about a ghost ship and the President's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. Sarah Woodruff, on death row in Oregon for murdering her lover, John Finley, has appealed her case to the Supreme Court just when a prominent justice resigns, leaving a vacancy. Then, for no apparent reason, another justice is mysteriously attacked. Dana Cutler—one of the heroes from Margolin's bestselling Executive Privilege —is quietly called in to investigate. She looks for links between the Woodruff appeal and the ominous incidents in the justices' chambers, which eventually lead her to a shoot-out that took place years ago on a small freighter docked upriver in Shelby, Oregon, containing a dead crew and illegal drugs. The only survivor on board? John Finley . With the help of Brad Miller and Keith Evans, Dana uncovers a plot by a rogue element in the American intelligence community involving the president's nominee to the Supreme Court, and soon the trio is thrown back into the grips of a deadly, executive danger. With nonstop action, Supreme Justice picks up where Executive Privilege left off, putting readers right back where they were—on the edge of their seats. Phillip Margolin has written nineteen novels, many of them New York Times bestsellers, including his latest novels Woman with a Gun, Worthy Brown’s Daughter, Sleight of Hand , and the Washington trilogy. Each displays a unique, compelling insider’s view of criminal behavior, which comes from his long background as a criminal defense attorney who has handled thirty murder cases. Winner of the Distinguished Northwest Writer Award, he lives in Portland, Oregon. Read more