Corrupt Practices: A Parker Stern Novel    by Robert Rotstein Order:  USA  Can Prometheus, 2013 (2013) Softcover      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Parker Stern's legal career was on the fast track until ... his mentor committed suicide! Why? What could send Harmon Cherry so far over the edge? Parker's shock resurrects his stage fright. Any time he enters a courtroom, he is unable to speak. His stage fright is so bad, he has been known to pass out. Not a good trait for a practicing lawyer, whose very words could decide a defendant's fate. He receives a jailhouse call from an estranged ex-colleague telling Parker he has been arrested for embezzling a huge amount of money from the Church of the Sanctified Assembly, which is a phony set-up as far as Parker is concerned. To make matters worse, the colleague promptly commits suicide. Come on! What's going on here? Parker wonders if this latest suicide is, instead, murder. And here we go again. A good friend and occasional lover is killed and Parker decides he will take on the Assembly single-handed, if need be. To do so, Parker must overcome his very real fears as well as his own secrets. Robert Rotstein's Corrupt Practices is a hard book to put down. The fast pace left me breathless. The plot is intricate but easily followed. I loved Parker – a good guy, and very human. All this and it's a first novel. I'm looking forward to Parker's next exploits. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews