Bum Deal: A Jake Lassiter Mystery

Edgar-finalist Levine’s superior 13th entry in his Jake Lassiter series (after 2015’s Bum Luck) finds 50-year-old Jake, a former football player turned lawyer, suffering from the early symptoms of CTE, a neurodegenerative disease found in people who have had multiple head injuries. Coming to terms with his own mortality doesn’t stop Jake from agreeing to help the Florida DA gather evidence against Clark Calvert, an orthopedic surgeon suspected of murdering his missing wife. When the case goes to trial, Lassiter’s adversaries turn out to be his good friends Victoria Lord, who was once Clark’s girlfriend, and Steve Solomon (the stars of Solomon vs. Lord and three other mysteries). It’s fun to watch Jake build his case in the courtroom, even as Victoria knocks down his carefully constructed arguments. Fascinating, fully developed characters and smart, well-paced dialogue keep the pages turning. Levine manipulates the expectations of the reader as skillfully as Jake manipulates the expectations of the jury. [em](June) [/em]