Review: The Tenth Case by Joseph Teller

In October last year, I read many reviews of The Tenth Case by Joseph Teller. Carey, at The Tome Traveller, Traci, at Traci's Book Bag, Amy at The Friendly Book Nook, and Jennifer at The Literate Housewife Review all raved about the book. They convinced me to add it to my tbr list. However the library in Indiana didn't have it at the time so I was excited to see the library here in Ohio had it. It's a good one!

Summary: Criminal defense attorney Harrison J. Walker, better known as Jaywalker, has just been suspended for using "creative" tactics and receiving "gratitude" in the courtroom stairwell from a client charged with prostitution. Convincing the judge that his other clients are counting on him, Jaywalker is allowed to complete ten cases. But it's the last case that truly tests his abilities — and his acquittal record.

Samara Moss — young, petite and sexy as hell — stabbed her husband in the heart. Or so everyone believes. Having married the elderly billionaire when she was an eighteen-year-old former prostitute, Samara appears to be the cliched gold digger. But Jaywalker knows all too well that appearances can be deceiving. Who else could have killed the billionaire? Has Samara been framed? Or is Jaywalker just driven by his need to win his clients' cases — and this particular client's undying gratitude?

This is Joseph Teller's first book. You can tell he is a lawyer and yet is able to weave a great story. It's a very simple whodunit - did she or didn't she. All the evidence is found early and it's just a matter of figuring out what could have happened. What makes it so interesting are the main characters Jaywalker and Sam. They have a unique relationship as well as being very strong, defined characters. Why is Jaywalker drawn to her? Is this a winnable case? Did she or didn't she? Why would someone frame her? These questions and many more are what drive the page turning.

As a veteran reader of crime dramas and mysteries, there were some parts of the book that slowed and, in my opinion, were unnecessary. He puts in some transcript-like parts of the trial - but sometimes the flow doesn't work well, or I would have rather had a different part as a transcript and summarize some of the parts he used great detail on.

But I enjoyed the book overall and am looking forward to the next Jaywalker book, Bronx Justice, that just came out in April. I recommend reading the other reviews and checking out The Tenth Case for yourself!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars