The beginning of the book was terrific.. but the deeper I got into it, the more implausible some of the coincidences seemed to be. I still enjoyed it, but ... 3.5 stars not 5 ( )

This is the second legal thriller by Appellate and Supreme Court lawyer Anthony Franze. He puts his professional insights into, and experience with, the Supreme Court into his thrillers, of which there have been three so far. I read the third one, The Outsider, first, and enjoyed it enough that I wanted to go back to his other books.

In this story, Sean Serrat, formerly of the Office of Solicitor General, is on the shortlist to be the next Supreme Court nominee. But Sean’s life is upended when his daughter Abby, a law school student, is found dead in the Supreme Court library, having been brutally murdered. Her boyfriend, Malik Montgomery, is arrested. Malik is a clerk at the Supreme Court and happens to be black (Abby is white), adding racial complications to the case. Although a number of circumstances point to Malik’s guilt, there are just as many that imply Malik was set up. But by whom, and why Abby? Sean can’t escape the feeling that somehow, it has to do with him.

Meanwhile, Sean’s teenaged son Ryan thinks he caused Abby’s death, since Abby was trying to help him get out of a sticky and dangerous situation he wanted to keep his parents from knowing about.

Sean tries to investigate what happened on his own, inadvertently putting the whole family at risk.

Discussion: Franze contributes some of the history of the Supreme Court and of famous cases into his narrative, adding a lot of interest. He also explains a lot about the vetting process for selecting new justices, which is quite fascinating. But some of the villains seem cardboard-ish. The family dynamics, on the other hand, showing how Sean, his wife, and his remaining two children cope with the death of Abby, are quite well done, and there is a good build-up of suspense in the story. ( )

In The Advocate's Daughter, author Anthony Franze utilizes his legal knowledge and position as a Washington D.C. attorney with Appellate and Supreme Court experience, to weave a riveting legal thriller that takes the reader behind the scenes into the inner workings of the United States Supreme Court, and the high power political world of Washington D.C., that will keep them guessing and turning the pages.

From its gritty dark beginning to climatic ending, The Advocate's Daughter is an action packed and fast paced gripping tale that follows Washington D.C. attorney and potential Supreme Court nominee Sean Serrat, as he investigates the murder of his daughter Abby, a law school student, who was found dead in the Supreme Court's library. But the investigation gets complicated when a haunting dark secret from Sean's past resurfaces, and the intense media frenzy reveals hidden family and powerful political secrets, and add into the mix people who don't want him to solve the murder of his daughter, can Sean overcome the danger and expose the truth?

As a fan of legal thrillers, especially when they revolve around a political and judicial theme, I was eager to read The Advocate's Daughter, and I wasn't left disappointed! Author Anthony Franze weaves a gripping dark tale that has enough drama, mystery, suspense, intrigue, and surprising twists and turns that easily engages the reader to follow Sean as he investigates the murder of his daughter. I really enjoyed how the author utilized his legal knowledge and experience to transport the reader into the fascinating inner workings of the political and judicial world that is Washington D.C. When you add in the mystery of the murder, the hidden secrets and dark pasts, and the suspense and danger of the investigation, you get an explosive story that takes you on one hell of a thrill ride, and a book that you won't be able to put down!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.

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