Pardon the Ravens    by Alan Hruska Order:  USA  Can Prospect Park, 2015 (2015) Hardcover      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Lawyer Alec Brno (pronounced Burno) is handed the career opportunity of a lifetime – asked to be first chair on a huge fraud case that is making headlines in the largest newspapers all over the world! One little hitch. Of course, there's a hitch. He has fallen for a junkie who just happens to be the abused wife of a sadistic Mafia don. To complicate matters more, said don is the mastermind behind Alec's case. This Mafioso solves his problems with anyone by ordering the misbehaving person fitted for a pair of cement shoes and dropped from a boat into the sea! The story takes place a few years back (1961) when we weren't blessed with all the electronic gadgets that exist today. Interesting to be reminded that it wasn’t that long ago that all our phones had cords. As readers, we travel from the fast-paced life of Wall Street to a Maine fishing village where life isn't so intense but can be just as deadly. We follow Brno as he tries to do his job while plotting to save his love's life. She lives a life of rehab or, while at home, being severely beaten. She doesn't run because she refuses to leave her small daughter to her husband's tyrannical control. Brno is determined to save her and hides her out in Maine. Pardon the Ravens by Alan Hruska is a legal thriller that keeps the reader guessing as to who will prevail. Brno is a great character, one you would want on your side at all times. And you've got to admire his girl friend. She's got guts. Hruska, a graduate of Yale Law School and a former trial lawyer, is no stranger to writing or directing. Pardon the Ravens is his third novel. He rivals any of the other authors of legal thrillers. 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