This was a quick and easy read about a patent lawyer suddenly called upon to defend his unsympathetic client on a murder charge - the murder in fact of the judge on the patent law case. I found this a page turner with a likeable narrator in patent lawyer James Euchre, ably assisted by former DA Layla and his investigator Lisa (aka 'the Leg'). There was an excellent small town Texas setting and the narration was humorous. It read like the first in a series: I hope there will be more. ( )

I could see this as a TV series. I loved all the twists and turns, character development and setting. I hope to see more from this author. ( )

Rating:4.5 ⭐ (rounded up because of the fabulous audio narration)

The Book: 4/5
The Audiobook: 5/5

Patent lawyer, James Euchre, is retained to serve as local counsel, as part of the legal defense team for Amir Zawar, a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur who was being sued for patent infringement in the Federal Court in Marshall, Texas. In a shocking turn of events Euchre, an intellectual property rights lawyer, ends up representing his client in the first criminal defense case of his career when Zawar is accused of murdering a Federal Court judge. The murdered judge in question is Judge Gerald Gardner, a mentor and friend to Euchre, who had refused to dismiss Zawar's case in the preliminary hearing which led to a heated altercation in the courtroom. Despite Euchre’s lack of experience in criminal law and against the advice of his Chicago-based lawyers, Zawar insists on Euchre representing him in the murder trial.

Who killed Judge Gardner and Why? All circumstantial evidence points to Zawar being guilty, often raising doubts in the minds of his own defense team. Working with Euchre are former AUSA Layla Stills from the Chicago-based law firm who had retained his services for Zawar and Lisa “the Leg” Morgan a resourceful private investigator. Local law enforcement shows no initiative in further investigation, confident of Zawar's guilt. It is up to Euchre and his team to find out the truth behind what happened on the night of Judge Gardner’s murder. In the course of their investigation, they come across several probable suspects who stood to gain from the Judge’s demise. In a small town where there are few secrets, Euchre’s efforts ruffle more than a few feathers, putting his reputation, goodwill and the future of his legal career at risk.

With its sharp and concise writing, minimal melodrama, and fast-paced and intriguing plot, Joey Hartstone’s The Local is a gripping legal thriller that kept me guessing till the very end! The characterizations were superbly done and the courtroom scenes were so well-written that I could practically visualize the scenes as they played out. An impressive debut, to say the least! I hope that this book is the first in a new series. I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

I combined my reading with Robert Petkoff's fantastic audio narration which made for an amazing immersion reading experience!

Many thanks to my GR friend JanB who put this book on my radar! ( )

Excellent legal thriller which starts out as a patent case and ends up as a murder mystery. Relatable characters and lots of twists and turns make this an enjoyable read. ( )

Wow! Add this to the top 10 books I have read this year.
Who knew there were so many patent lawsuits in Texas. Look it up. Yea the book is fiction but there was a lot of fact in it.
The author writes TV shows, and it is evident because the reader is sucked in immediately, and it never is boring!
The attorney is the local attorney who must be present if the big corporate lawyers haven’t passed the bar in Texas. But they also hire local attorneys because those attorneys live there and understand the people who will make up the jury.
In this case a new patent client ends up accused of murder and his local attorney is hired to be his
Lawyer.
Very entertaining book! ( )