Bill Bernhardt is a regular guy - really. He's like many people you know, except he writes really cool legal thrillers. I've followed his books since the first one, corresponded with him via e-mail for years (before the internet even) and have met him. He's just a great guy. And so are his books. Attorney Ben Kincaid with is trusty male secretary, Jones, and his intrepid investigator, Loving, along with friend, Christine appear in all his books including this one which is centered around the world of jazz. This is a great group and you should meet them. Plus, in this book, Bill gives the reader his e-mail address and website among the acknowledgements! willbern@mindspring and http://mindspring.com/~willbern and I love that… ( )

BOTTOM-LINE:
Stronger story-telling than mystery
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PLOT OR PREMISE:
In the seventh in the series, lawyer Ben Kincaid has become disillusioned. So he runs away from the law and takes up jazz music full-time. When a body shows up on stage (literally falling on Ben), Ben has to step up as a lawyer again to save the owner of the club who has been framed for the murder. Working against the owner and against Ben is the fact that the owner served time for the murder of someone else from the old days, a friend of the owner -- and an old friend of the new victim! A few too many links and the police think they have their man. Ben wants to see justice done, but his return to the law is only temporary, supposedly.
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WHAT I LIKED:
The story-telling is first-rate, and the mystery aspects of it become almost secondary. Loving, Jones and Christina are all back on the scene, and you get to see one sub-mystery involving Christina.
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Everyone is impatient with Ben and keeps telling him to wake up and realize who he is (a lawyer, not a jazz music) and the constant angst grates on the nerves. Loving and Jones don't have much to do, and Christina's mystery drops several GIANT clues that Ben doesn't see. The ending reads more like an action / movie ending, and all three of the sub-mysteries are easily figured out by the reader before they are unveiled in the story.
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DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow him on social media. ( )