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Bum Luck    by Paul Levine Amazon.com order for
Bum Luck
by Paul Levine
Order:  USA  Can
Thomas & Mercer, 2017 (2017)
Softcover, CD, e-Book
* *   Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth

'Thirty seconds after the jury announced its verdict, I decided to kill my client.' These words are in the first paragraph on the first page of Bum Luck, by prize-winning author Paul Levine. The ensuing novel is just as startling as the first sentence.

Trial lawyer Jake Lassiter has just won a Not Guilty verdict for his client (a famous sports star), who admits to shooting his wife to death. Lassiter is sure the man, who is arrogant, insulting, and beloved by his fans, deliberately shot her to prevent her from sharing some of the millions he is now worth in a divorce settlement. Jake had hoped the jury would find him guilty. But he had to defend the man to the best of his ability. He believes in the law and never does anything but his best for his clients. Now he wishes he had not done his usual fine courtroom work.

Between the trial depiction and the banter between Jake and his friends, Bum Luck is a delightful novel – the eleventh of the Jake Lassiter series. Jake is a nice guy who usually ends up with the wrong end of the stick. It's all fun, if you discount blood, the concussions from Jake's time in pro-football, and the occasional dead body. The author takes this opportunity to delve into the effect of concussions and possible treatment - a very interesting and concerning topic.

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