Publication Date November 5, 2024
A new standalone thriller from Philip Margolin? Yes, Please! Since 1993, when my sister recommended a book by Philip Margolin, I became a fan and since then have enjoyed nearly all of his 20+ books. Legal thrillers are among my favorite genres, and he is often referred to as “the master of the courtroom thriller,” so I was pleased to receive a copy of An Insignificant Case from St. Martin’s/Minotaur and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
This standalone legal drama introduces a new attorney: Charlie Webb, who is described in the publisher’s blurb as “a third rate lawyer who graduated from a third rate law-school and, because he couldn’t get hired by any of the major law firms, has opened his own law firm, where he gets by handling cases for dubious associates from
his youth and some court appointed cases.” Charlie finds himself appointed to be the attorney for a wacko who claims he is an artist named Guido Sabatini (born Lawrence Weiss). Sabatini is a talented artist for sure, but after selling a painting to the owner of an Italian restaurant, he is horrified that she has it in her office rather than on display for the world to see. So he steals it – along with a flash drive he finds in the safe hidden behind the painting. He was able to do that because, in addition to his artistic talent, when he is Lawrtence Weiss, he is a successful burglar as well as a card shark (so good he is banned by the casinos).
Charlie negotiates for the return of the painting and “other items” taken at the time. In exchange, the restaurant agreed to drop all charges against Sabatini. But the restaurant owner and her driver, who have been under investigation for sex crimes against minors, and the flash drive has tons of incriminating evidence, including a video. So suddenly Charlie Webb, long time an insignificant lawyer assigned to insignificant cases, becomes the attorney in a sensational double murder.
Charlie is one of several likable and interesting characters in this well-written, enjoyable novel. There are lots of nuggets of wisdom imparted by the various characters (“Sometimes a person does something that’s against the law that you can’t help feeling is justified.”) I found myself less enthusiastic about Margolin’s books in the past few years, but that might have been my pandemic-induced negativity taking over. In any case, he is back in form and I loved this book. Five stars.