The 7th Canon

Author: Robert Dugoni

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: September 27, 2016

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

An exciting new legal thriller from one of the best! Robert Dugoni has written another that you can’t miss!

Father Thomas Martin has grand ambitions for his shelter for boys in the Tenderloin district in San Francisco. He wants to help those in need, but when a teenage street hustler is found murdered in the shelter, the bright hopes he has start to dim, especially when he is accused of the murder.  He stands by his innocence of not only the murder but also more heinous crimes against the young boys he has vowed to help and protect.  Then steps in his attorney, Peter Donley.  Peter has only been practicing law for three years working in his uncle’s small firm and learning from his uncle that it’s not about the money, it’s about the people they are able to help.  Father Thomas becomes one of those people right at the time Peter is getting ready to leave and go to work for a more lucrative firm.  Peter doubts if he has the skills to work this case but is determined to give it his all, especially when he is up against a ruthless DA on a headhunting mission in order to get headlines as well as a deranged homicide cop on his own agenda.  Donley finds he is going to do more than he ever planned when going into law school in order to save his client and get to the truth once and for all.

Robert Dugoni has become one of my favorite authors and I will not miss a single novel that the publishes. He got me hooked with My Sister’s Grave and I have immediately devoured anything since.  I was curious to see how The 7^th Canon would be since it wasn’t a continuation of this Tracy Crosswhite series.  The problem that I have is that Dugoni completely outdid himself with My Sister’s Grave and it is hard for anything to hold up to that standard. It has become one of my favorite books, I have probably read it at least five times.

Even so, while The 7^th Canon isn’t on the same level as his Crosswhite series, it is still an excellent read.  I thought Dugoni did an excellent job with the combination of legal parts and thriller parts.  It can be hard to get a good ratio when combining those but Dugoni is a master.  His writing has gotten better with each book and this is no exception.  The story flowed effectively and the characters were just right for each situation they found themselves in.  Peter was thrust into some very interesting spots and was able to work through them in a believable and interesting way each time.  Not much was a shocker, I would have liked a few more surprises, especially towards the end, but that is getting very picky to find something to complain about.  This book does need to have at least a PG-13 rating for mature language and scenes.  An excellent read that fans of Dugoni won’t want to miss.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest and thorough review. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.