Al Macy

The author, Al Macy, tends to give his book characters a humorous nature. I enjoy his writing style and have read most of the books he’s written in his Beckman series. Conclusive Evidence is the first of his books that I listened to as an audiobook. I have to admit that a narrator does add to the enjoyment of this story.

In the past, I envisioned eBook story scenes and spoken character accents in my head. It would be a mere coincidence if these mental interpretations matched what the show more author had in his head when he wrote the character dialogs. A book narrator, who has the opportunity to speak with the author about the accents, can get them sounding as they were intended.

The book is about an attorney, Garrett Goodlove, who, fighting severe depression caused by the loss of his wife and toddler niece in close succession, is called on to defend his deft twin sister. She is accused of a murder she did not commit. Despite putting together a good list of expert witnesses, he handicaps himself by having delusions that the attractive female prosecutor is romantically interested in him. Of course, the romantic interest is a ruse by the prosecutor to knock him off his defensive game.

Further hindering his defense, Goodlove’s private investigator gets physically attacked by gangsters and suffers a heart attack from the trauma. This results in her being in a comma just as trial begins. All the information needed by Goodlove to defend his sister is on the investigator’s password-protected laptop. Goodlove ultimately figures out a way to access the information and proves his sister innocent. There is a Perry Mason moment at the conclusion of the trial that exposes the true culprit.

I listened to Conclusive Evidence during my morning walks. Arriving back home after each walk was disappointing as I had to turn off the audiobook. Waiting until the next morning’s walk to pick the book back up tested my waiting resolve. Conclusive Evidence was a captivating thriller. show less

While a little slow at times, I did enjoy the story. The characters were engaging, especially Peggy. I want more of her story. Eric's daughter is a little too precocious at times, but given her special talents, perhaps understandable. What starts out as a possible cozy with a mind-reading detective soon takes on a supernatural flair. Not too scary, it still retains the cozy sensibility. There is a malevolent force at work here but it does not come into play until the climax. I was not so show more much scared as entertained. The near future setting was a bit of a distraction. It added little to the plot. Perhaps it figures more in other books in the series.

A pleasant Christmas story for those who like a little mystery mixed with a little supernatural. show less

Redwood Point, Northern California. Garrett Goodlove and Jen Shek are law partners. The firm began with Garrett and Jen as criminal defense attorneys. Since a pair of tragic events, Garrett’s ongoing depression changed his life perspective and his cases to family law.

Another change in Garrett’s life was estrangement from Carly, his fraternal twin sister. Estranged until Carly burst into the office and made a startling announcement in American Sign Language (ASL) about her ex, Angelo show more Romero. Garrett will pivot quickly to defend his sister, but can he save her from prison and isolation? Did she murder her ex? Circumstantial or conclusive evidence?

“…it only matters what the jury thinks...”

A lawyer defending a family member is not new, but the twist is the twin sister has been deaf since birth, which brings new elements in evidence and courtroom drama. The story keeps a brisk pace with well-developed characters. I’m always appreciative of legal fiction, with the primary attorney handling more than one case through the storyline. This plot also brought family drama that strengthened the interest and intrigue.

As legal thrillers are one of many favorite genres, I’m delighted to find an author new to me. I won’t hesitate to read more of this series. show less

This book is quite a challenge to me. Not only that the characters have unique characteristics and abilities, which took me a while to follow, but also there are just too many disturbing things to my liking.

Anyway, I quite enjoy of how the story progresses. It kept me guessing and I found it hard to put this book down. The characters are well developed and the world building is very vivid and detailed. Each character has their own distinct voice and uniqueness that make them show more memorable.

However, some mystery stays hidden till the end of the book, Vivian's illness, her desire to find her relative, which is rather unsatisfying.

**I received a free e-copy of this book in accordance with the terms of Librarything Members Giveaway program.** show less