In Philip Margolin’s latest legal thriller, Robin Lockwood, a former MMA fighter and Yale Law graduate (who appeared in Margolin’s recent books The Third Victim and The perfect alibi) joined a hotshot law firm shortly before attorney Regina Barrister (a recurring character in Margolin books) started deteriorating mentally due to Alzheimer’s. One of Regina’s former clients, a magician named Robert Chesterfield, shows up at the law firm seeking help from his old attorney in acquiring patent protection for a major new trick/illusion. Although this is out of the scope of the law firm’s normal areas of expertise, Robin looks into his previous relationship with the firm and finds that twenty years ago, he was arrested for two murders and one attempted murder, and was involved in the suspicious death of his very wealthy wife. Regina defended him, he resumed his career as a magician in Las Vegas, and now he’s back.

When he debuts his new trick, he disappears at the end, and the story revolves around whether his disappearance is related to one of the many people who have a reason to hate him, where his body is, and even whether he might possibly have faked his own disappearance and is alive somewhere.

TBH, I’ve been a Margolin fan for many years, but the past couple of books have been sort of meh for me. This one was kind of plodding and seemed to go in several directions while doing a  lot of skipping around in time. The ending was predictable (and I’m someone who almost NEVER solves the mystery ahead of time). I do like Robin and have long enjoyed Margolin, otherwise it would be fewer than three stars, but…that’s all I can go on this one.