The Local

Author: Joey Hartston

Publisher: Doubleday

Release Date: June 14, 2022

Best legal thriller of the year!  Felt like it was right in my own backyard!

Marshall, Texas, set about 150 miles east of Dallas, is the hottest spot in the world to file patent lawsuits.  The Eastern District Court of Texas (EDTX) has been situated to handle patent cases like no other with speedy trials and large plaintiff payouts.  But large corporations have realized that the local jurors just don’t connect with big city lawyers, which is why they team up with a local legal counsel to help sell the case.  One of these locals is James Euchre.

As Euchre wraps up another patent case and scores a cool three quarter million into his account, he finds that this next client is Amir Zawar, CEO of a new rideshare app that uses technology that will drive out his competitors.  During the preliminary hearing, things don’t go Zawar’s way and his makes threats while still in the courtroom.  Later that night, the district Judge is murdered and all evidence points to Zawar.  The last think that Eucre wants to do is defend Zawar in a criminal case, especially since the judge was one of his friends.  Plus, Euchre doesn’t specialize in criminal law.  But Zawar will have it no other way.  Now Euchre must rely on a team he has only just met to pull off the case of his life.

I love a good legal thriller and Hartstone definitely delivered a fantastic story.  As a fellow Texan, I have friends who are patent lawyers in Marshall, so it was fun to pick their brain while I read this story to get an idea of what goes on.  The book centers more on the criminal case of the murdered judge instead of patent law, which probably makes the book move faster and get readers more engaged.  Hartstone did a great job of setting up the scene quickly and bringing characters in to connect with readers.  You can tell that Hartstone does screenplays as well because the book read just like a movie.  I even began to pick out actors to play the different roles.  Legal thriller fans will love this book and hope to see it on the big screen soon!

There is some strong language throughout the book as well as alcohol and cigarette use that makes it more suitable for mature readers.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.