Begin with a greedy pharmaceutical company. Add a sympathetic victim, her father-lawyer, a small town, a corrupt bureaucrat, a bombing, a murder, a kidnapping, some courtroom theatrics – and middle aged guys on Harley-Davidsons – and that’s what you have in The Trial. Overall, a well-paced, attention maintaining, (modest) thriller, this novel is combination family drama (father and daughter somewhat estranged rediscover how much they respect and love each other) and David and Goliath (big pharma pushes very profitable antibiotic despite clear evidence of its danger and small town lawyer takes them on). Good and justice prevail.

A little more editing, especially in some of the dialogue, would improve the flow, but overall, it works fine.

A John Grisham page-turner this is not, but it is entertaining and engrossing. Clear from the get-go what the end result has to be, it keeps the reader engaged with a few twists and turns and more detail on the litigation process than customary.

Thanks to the author, and Library Thing Member Giveaway for the chance to read and review this book. ( )

I recieved this through the member giveaways. I enjoyed the premise and the style of writing, but being British, I did struggle with some of the more American terminology that was used in places. Although the brief and numerous chapters helped keep things moving I feel that the book was lacking something; a second read through has not helped clarify what though. I'm going to sit on the fence with this one and don't think I'll be recommending it to anyone else. ( )

At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of this book and I don’t regularly read stories about lawyers and trials, but this one was good. This book was similar to a Grisham novel. I enjoyed the characters and the plot was quite good. It went right down to the wire as to which way the outcome was going to go. It was a compelling, fast-moving story that I got emotionally involved in without realizing it. It could have involved more romance or sex, but it wasn't necessary; it could have involved more action and physical drama, but that wasn't necessary either.

Mr. Thompson is an author I will keep my eye open for in the future. ( )

Luke Vaughan gave up his fast track, ulcer causing career as a trial lawyer to start a small practice in his home town of San Marcos, Texas. When his teenage daughter, Samantha rebels at the lifestyle changes, Luke finds he has traded an ulcer for a major headache. Years of alienation follow until Samantha starts college. In order to make a few dollars, Sam signs up for a clinical drug trial of a major new medication being administered through a rather shady local doctor"s office. The drug is touted to be a promising rival to the current crop of antibiotics on the market. In a matter of weeks, Sam starts exhibiting signs of illness indicative of liver failure. As the symptoms rapidly worsen, Luke convinces Sam that they should sue the doctor and the drug company to recover enough money to pay for a liver transplant. What they don't know is that the drug company fronted by Dr. Kingsbury, is risking billions of dollars on this new drug and will stop at nothing, including bribing an official in the Food and Drug Administration, to see it succeed. Lies, bribery, threats, violence and perhaps worse are all options in his quest for success. The trial that ensues will test the limits of friendship and family for Luke and Samantha. I found the scenario interesting, even compelling. The small town lawyer fights the multinational drug company in order to get his dying daughter enough money to pay for a liver transplant. I thought the relationships as expressed through the dialog were weak at times. I didn't find any singular twists or surprises that would raise the story above an average courtroom suspense drama. The story was solid, but I just didn't feel it had the spark to make it exceptional. The book was provided for review by the author. ( )

The stress of being a Houston trial lawyer is getting to Luke Vaughn, so he decides a lifestyle change is in order. He and his teenage daughter, Samantha, move to his hometown of San Marcos, Texas. There, he works in an office at home, mainly on wills and contracts. He develops a romantic interest with a girl from his school days, and his relationship with his daughter improves dramatically. Small-town life seems to agree with the pair until Samantha gets sick. She's diagnosed with hepatitis as a result of a clinical trial she participated in for money. When Luke gets the news that she needs a new liver, he decides to sue the pharmaceutical company for enough money to pay for Samantha's care. With each passing day, Luke and his team (which includes his girlfriend and an eccentric history professor, Whizmo)uncover more and more dark secrets about Ceventa, the pharmaceutical giant that produced the drug. The plot includes murder-for-hire, kidnapping, payoffs to the FDA, and other twists and turns that will keep you reading late into the night.

It's hard to read this book and not compare it to John Grisham. The small-town trial lawyer who goes up against a big-city firm is a common theme. What makes this book so outstanding are (1)the characters, and (2)the suspense. Larry Thompson has gathered an interesting group of characters who are so real, it's hard not to become absorbed in their story. Whizmo is unforgettable, and the kind of history professor I wish I'd had. As Samantha's condition deteriorates, it is described in such detail (particularly the scene where the doctor has to remove fluid from her abdomen) that as a reader, you now have a vested interest in the trial's outcome.

The conclusion (for both the trial and the novel) comes as no surprise, but all the same it is satisfying. I fell in love with these characters and would gladly read another story about a father-daughter practice involving these same characters (hint hint, Mr. Thompson?). ( )