In 1993, I read a book by Philip Margolin, recommended by my sister, 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 The Darkest Place from St. Martin’s/Minotaur and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Margolin has several series with female protagonists (the “plucky heroine”), including the Amanda Jaffe series and the Dana Cutler series. I was looking forward to reading another in the Robin Lockwood series, and this one sounded particularly interesting: Robin is a former MMA fighter, Yale graduate, and increasingly prominent criminal defense attorney in Portland, Oregon. In a reeecent book, Robin agreed to do a favor for a judge and take on a pro bono defense of a horrible man charged with truly reprehensible crimes.
That case brought on a number of life-altering experiences, leading Robin to take a leave from her job and go home to the small Midwestern town of Elk Grove. Another woman from Oregon, a police officer named Marjorie Loman, has also recently come to Elk Grove after her husband was murdered. She takes on the “job” of surrogate, carrying a baby for a childless couple, then changes her mind, kidnaps the baby from them, and assaults the adoptive mother in the process. Yes, she clearly did these acts, but is she guilty of the crimes? That’s Robin’s challenge. Things are complicated when Robin learns that the woman she is defending is hiding in Elk Grove under a fake identity and is actually wanted for her husband’s murder back in Oregon.
I appreciate the way Margolin has created several strong female protagonists who meet both everyday life events and extraordinary challenges with strength and some humor (without being over the top like some recent Nelson deMille books). Margolin’s many years of legal experience shine once again, as he makes the investigation, courtroom, and legal wrangling both interesting and entertaining. Four stars.