Review: Most Dangerous Place by James Grippando

Title: Most Dangerous Place by James Grippando
Jack Swyteck Series Book Thirteen
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Defending a woman accused of murdering the man who sexually assaulted her, Miami lawyer Jack Swyteck must uncover where the truth lies between innocence, vengeance, and justice in this spellbinding tale of suspense—based on shocking true-life events—from the New York Times bestselling author of Gone Again.

According to the FBI, the most dangerous place for a woman between the ages of twenty and thirty is in a relationship with a man. Those statistics become all too personal when Jack Swyteck takes on a new client tied to his past.

It begins at the airport, where Jack is waiting to meet his old high school buddy, Keith Ingraham, a high-powered banker based in Hong Kong, coming to Miami for his young daughter’s surgery. But their long-awaited reunion is abruptly derailed when the police arrest Keith’s wife, Isabelle, in the terminal, accusing her of conspiring to kill the man who raped her in college. Jack quickly agrees to represent Isa, but soon discovers that to see justice done, he must separate truth from lies—an undertaking that proves more complicated than the seasoned attorney expects.

Inspired by an actual case involving a victim of sexual assault sent to prison for the death of her attacker, James Grippando’s twisty thriller brilliantly explores the fine line between victim and perpetrator, innocence and guilt, and cold-blooded revenge and rightful retribution.

Review:

Most Dangerous Place by James Grippando is a gripping legal mystery about a woman arrested for murdering the man who sexually assaulted her.  This latest release is the thirteenth installment in the Jack Swyteck series, but it can easily be read as a standalone.

Jack Swyteck is waiting at the Miami airport to pick up his old high school friend Keith Ingraham, his wife Isabelle “Isa” Bornelli and their 5 year old daughter, Melany, when their reunion ends before it even begins.  No one is more stunned than Isa when the Miami Dade police immediately arrest her for the twelve year old murder of Gabriel Sosa, the man who raped her when she was a college student. Her ex-boyfriend, David Kaval, has scored himself a sweetheart deal that essentially lets him off the hook for the murder since he is willing to testify that Isa convinced him and his friend to kill Gabriel for her. Isa’s long estranged father, former Venezuelan counsel officer Felipe Bornelli, immediately tries to intimidate Jack into giving up his daughter’s case.  When Jack refuses to co-operate with Felipe, slippery lawyer Manuel Espinosa somehow ends up working on Isa’s case as Jack’s co-counsel.  He and Manuel have very different ideas about Isa’s defense but Jack’s greatest concern is whether or not Isa’s being entirely truthful with him about what happened twelve years ago.

Despite Jack’s reservations, he is fully committed to preparing Isa the best defense possible.  David is obviously not the most trustworthy source of information since he has a vested interest in testifying against Isa, so Jack enlists his good friend, Theo Knight, to help him with his investigation. At the same time, Jack and Manuel are still arguing over defense strategy and Jack is quite unhappy when he discovers Isa is still not telling him everything. When the prosecutor makes a shocking arrest, Keith and Isa’s marriage becomes strained.  It is not until Isa’s case goes to trial that Jack uncovers the information he needs to prove her innocence, but will he convince a new witness to testify on Isa’s behalf?

Most Dangerous Place by James Grippando is an absolutely spellbinding mystery that readers of legal thrillers do not want to miss.  The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns that make it impossible to predict whether or not Jack will find the evidence he needs to exonerate his client. The novel comes to an pulse-pounding conclusion and the final revelations are quite shocking.  A fast-paced and compelling addition to the Jack Swyteck series that old and new fans are going to love.