Michele Campbell

I'm not generally one for legal thrillers but this one was surprisingly well done! Told from two alternating perspectives, The Intern follows Madison, a young Harvard law student, and Judge Kathryn Conroy. When Madison's younger brother is locked up for a serious crime he did not commit their mother begs her to try to find out more about his case with her connections. Conveniently, the judge who sentenced her brother is also an adjunct professor at Harvard and Madison applies for an show more internship with her. What she uncovers leads her to believe her brother wasn't lying and that he really was framed. Judge Conroy isn't as squeaky clean as everyone believes. She's got some big secrets to hide and wonders if Madison will be the key to getting out of the mess she's in. Fast paced and thrilling, this legal thriller has mob action, murder, and more. The ending is also very satisfying! show less

An ambitious Harvard Law School student, Madison Rivera, has been a fan of Judge Kathryn Conroy since Conroy spoke at her school years earlier. When Conroy offers her an internship, Madison is excited. However, her brother Danny has just been arrested on drug charges, and Madison fears that telling the judge this will ruin her chances. Madison lies by omission, and fails to tell the judge this info. Then, Madison hears that the judge is working with a dirty cop, and he is being framed. Her show more mother begs her to help free Danny.
Madison agrees to help, but the judge surprises her by asking Madison to pet sit her cat. Madison doesn't realize it, but she is being pulled into a messy and dangerous situation.
Who can she trust?
I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller, although I did think it was a bit far-fetched that the judge would so easily warm to Madison. But, as the story evolved, and you knew more background, it is not so much a stretch to understand how far people will go to protect themselves and their loved ones.
A complex story. I always enjoy Michele Campbell's books and this didn't disappoint! show less

This uneven novel suffers from a lack of focus. It can’t seem to decide whether it’s about toxic friendships, obsessive behavior, or whodunit and how.

Three young women, assigned as roommates at a small private college in New Hampshire, develop a complex interdependency that still exists decades later when one of them stands on a crumbling bridge in the middle of the night, being urged to jump. Campbell attempts to hide the identity of the potential suicide (or murder victim?), but most show more readers will figure out early on who is the most likely candidate. She does a better job of keeping the enabler/accomplice (killer?) under wraps.

This is where things go off the rails, as a big-town cop turned small-town police chief hijacks the tale for about 100 pages, wanting to pull out all the stops in his investigation, while townspeople (specifically the mayor) want the whole thing to be simply swept under the rug, for a variety of reasons. There’s apparently an off-page confrontation, since passing reference is made to the police chief having been replaced by a more malleable character; the investigation loses momentum and is eventually abandoned as a plot thread. The Ultimate Revelation of exactly what happened on that bridge and who was involved is saved for a two-years-later epilogue, by which point most readers no longer care.

Because frankly, none of these three women is particularly likeable. Kate is the poor-little-rich-girl, who wants to buy affection via her money, sex appeal, and access to drugs and alcohol, but who routinely dismisses her friends’ preferences and needs; Aubrey is the poor-little-poor girl on scholarship, crushing on the glamorous Kate and willing to accept whatever crumbs fall her way; Jenna is the blue-collar striver who turns out to be just as ruthless and manipulative as Kate, but in a more subtle and devious way. Jenna starts out being the most sympathetic of the three, but eventually allows her drive for power to set own moral compass spinning.

None of this adds up to anything more than a mediocre read with Aubrey, in particular, given an inconsistent, unbelievable character arc. The reader looking for something non-taxing to fill a couple of afternoons can find many more satisfying selections without much effort. show less

This is a powerful look at a female prosecutor who has some serious issues of being controlled. People expect some degree of control in life but how much is too much? And, how many undocumented extraordinary gifts can be taken without influencing the judicial system?

Kathy Conroy had a troubling childhood with her single mother who wasn’t the best. Things got bad when her mother was hospitalized and she was sent to live with her abusive father. However, her mother’s friend and employer, show more Ray Logue, an attorney, rescued her a few years later. He made it possible for her to attend good schools and also paid for her tuition at Harvard Law School.

When Kathy became a federal judge, Ray made it clear that it was time for her to pay back her debt noting that his organized-crime clients contributed to her education. “You belong to them now.” She thought her position was a result of her hard work and didn’t realize that these invisible mobsters had made connections easier for her. Ray said they could also help her in the future to get higher positions as Governor, Senator and a Supreme Court Justice. At this point, she knew she was being watched.

She also taught a class at Harvard. One of her bright students, Madeline Rivera, was encouraged to apply for an internship in her office. Madeline was thrilled but also nervous as her brother was caught in a heroin bust and wrongly sent to prison as he was innocent. She knew if she revealed this information, it would blow her chances of being hired. Kathy wanted to be free from the mob and needed someone like Madeline to help her. This would be complicated with two people that had secret agendas. Would it work?

While the book is fiction, it made me think of how federal positions can be manipulated in exchange for funding or other benefits. I especially liked how the author used two strong women to try to beat the system. I never felt like I was on the edge of my seat with suspense, but I found the story to be well written. The timing was good along with the visualization of characters. It would make an excellent topic for discussion.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy with an expected release date of October 3, 2023. show less