Summary
Frank Strong is a lawyer and one-man team who runs his own firm. He performs all duties necessary for what he likes to refer to as a “boutique” litigation firm, serving the San Francisco Bay area and elsewhere. His run-of-the-mill life gets a challenging turn when he takes over an ongoing lawsuit. The defendant Harwinder Singh is an honest and kind owner of a small grocery store, while the plaintiff claiming as a victim is an ex-convict named Lewis Greene. Frank is new to the defense in the case of Greene vs Singh, but he is keen in proving that Lewis is an extortionist who is falsely claiming that he has worked for Mr. Greene for three years without proper compensation. Greene’s deceitful testimonies and evidences to support his accusations are supported by J. Arthur Conlan, the opposing counsel a.k.a “Fifteen Hundred,” and Luis Olivera a.k.a “The Lock.” Frank needs to save his client from financial ruin and maintain the legal system as the great protector of American civil rights.
Review
The Trials of Frank Strong, Attorney at Law
by J.T. Hartman is a court drama that displays the abuse of the legal system and how strenuous it can be for law-abiding citizens and moral lawyers to deal with mendacious accusations. The book serves as an eye-opener that any attempt to manipulate the law has consequences.
What I love the most about this book is its characterization. J.T Hartman created distinguishable personalities and Frank Strong’s very upright character is one that will be loved by many. He’s also a shy guy beneath the cool litigator persona when he’s around Cynthia, a character outside Frank’s stressful hours in the trial court. The supposedly annoying characters of “Fifteen Hundred” and “The Lock” contribute moments of amusing situations in the court. Joe, Martha, Muriel, Sarah, and just about every resident of the “Quiet Corner Senior Apartments” add joyous moments to the life of Frank Strong, making the trial between Singh and Greene less excruciating.
I highly recommend this to readers who love court dramas with a touch of humor. If you’re the type who prefers action and suspense, this isn’t the book for you.
Overall, I am giving this book 3 out of 4 stars. It was well-written with no dull moments and I read it like a crazy woman giggling in a public transportation. Even though I couldn’t recommend this book to some readers, it wouldn’t make sense to give it a rating of 2 because it was flawlessly edited, and there is certainly nothing at all that I dislike about it. I didn’t give it a perfect score either because there is nothing extravagant in the story; it was very light to read. There could’ve been something more, perhaps a big twist or life-threatening situation though I am completely fine without them because I enjoyed every minute of reading it.