The Hamptons Lawyer

The Hamptons Lawyer: A Jane Smith Thriller, James Patterson, Mike Lupica, authors, Eva Kaminsky, narrator
Jane “Effing” Smith is a snarky, sarcastic, former cop. Now she is an accomplished defense attorney in the upscale world of the Hamptons. She is very well known for she has never lost a case. She is also suffering from terminal cancer which is a major emphasis in the book, so beware. Jane works with another former cop, Jimmy Cunniff who has an equal reputation as a tough guy. He is also known for his principles. He owns and operates a “good cop” bar. Jimmy and Jane are very close. He is completely devoted to her and to her dog, Rip. She depends on him for support and friendship. Jane is a no-nonsense tough cookie who makes show more what she thinks are very witty remarks. She has an answer for everything.
Jane’s current client is not a nice guy. This man, accused of murdering three people, including a child, does not seem to have any redeeming features. Rob Jacobson’s reputation is far from stellar. There are few lawyers who would willingly defend him. Jane, however, has successfully defended him before. Her sister Brigid met him at Duke University. Rob Jacobson, preys on young girls, and although married, he also has mistresses galore, one of whom is Jane’s sister Brigid. For some reason, if you can believe this, he is so likeable and has such a charismatic personality, that he attracts people like bees to honey. To believe that, however, the reader will have to suspend disbelief. I disliked him intensely, as I did most of the characters.
Between the court case defending Rob Jacobson for his murder charge, and Jane’s cancer treatment, there is one bright spot on the horizon. Doctor Ben Kalinsky, a brilliant veterinarian, is wildly in love with her and hopes to marry her, even with her illness. Married once before to Martin Elian, an irresponsible, unrequited gambler, she can’t believe that this kind man worships her, and she won’t say yes. Unbeknownst to her, her ex-husband is in grave danger because of his gambling debts.
So, now you know the whole idea of the book. Bad men, bad behavior, lots of threats of violence followed by real violence. There are lots of cold-hearted, evil characters in this book, but many receive their just rewards, although seemingly just because they had to be removed to give this novel a purpose, no matter how nebulous.
The novel is billed as a thriller, but it dwelt too much on the main character’s life-threatening illness, which seemed to be genetic. It also afflicted her mom and her sister Brigid. Cancer survival is a major emphasis of the novel. Perhaps the author wanted to show that there is always hope and that life is to be lived for as long as we are able, but instead, since so many of the characters were suffering from catastrophic diseases, it was often depressing. Occasionally, I thought it was going to veer into science fiction at some point, or become a novel about another pandemic, this time one far worse if that can be imagined.
There was definitely an over use of trite phrases in this novel. Also, I think this novel could be billed as a romance novel about the odds of beating cancer as an alternative to a novel that is a thriller about cold-blooded killers who exact retribution for gambling debts owed. The thriller theme seemed almost like an afterthought. I usually await Patterson novels with baited breath, but this one, although it was a quick read, seemed to fall short of the mark. The humor fell flat, the dialogue was a bit hackneyed with canned retorts, and the story rambled on a bit. Although most of the loose ends were tied together at the end, there were still some questions remaining, perhaps the next book in the Jane Smith series.
This novel is a classic example of chick lit and would be fine on a beach or perhaps a plane ride. It is a quick read and is certainly not rocket science. show less

Fast and entertaining legal thriller.

This is the third in the series featuring criminal defense lawyer, Jane (Effing) Smith, who is, at least in her own mind, the best of the best but definitely so in this part of Long Island. This is the only one I’ve read, but I’m definitely hooked and look forward to checking the others out.

In this book, Jane and her investigative partner, both ex NYPD cops, are defending a local real estate creep named Rob Jacobson. He’s been accused of murder, the triple homicide of a man, wife and teen daughter. The evidence against him is overwhelming, but Jane and Jimmy Cunniff have a plan. Unfortunately, the case has ties to a local bunch of bad guys who are into loan sharking, racketeering, and show more bookmaking.

Meanwhile, Jane is dealing with a personal health crisis of her own that means she has to win this case if it is the last thing she does.

Lots of action and bad guys doing what they do. The characters were interesting and I’d probably know them better if I had read the first two books. This was fine as a stand alone. The medical aspect was a bit, ok wildly, unbelievable but I just ignored that and went with it. This is the type of book you can just lose yourself in for a couple of hours and just have fun with it.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along with the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Eva Kaminsky, did a great job of voicing the characters and they were easy to differentiate. Her dramatic flair added a nice touch and made the immersive experience more pleasurable. show less

This is my first Jane Smith book, and I think, especially since there are only 3, I'll go back and read one and two. That said, I was able to pick this book up and jump right into the action, but I am curious about her introduction and development.
This is another good, solid, fast-paced read by James Patterson and Mike Lupica. Living near the Hamptons on Long Island, Jane Smith knows and represents many wealthy people. Her current client is one of those, he's been her client before, she really doesn't like him, but she's representing him and doesn't actually thing he committed the crime. As she and her partner/investigator Jimmy, unravel the crime and clues, someone is determined to stop them, and the action ramps up. Lots of good show more action. A quick read. show less

The Hamptons on Long Island is known for its beautiful beaches, its luxury lifestyle--and its exclusive legal advice. When Jane Smith takes on a famous celebrity client, she's armed and ready: with brilliant arguments, hard evidence--and two Glocks.

Patterson & Lupica continue to develop the characters Jane Smith and her investigator Jimmy Cunniff. Jane is once again defending Ron Jacobson of another triple homicide. Jane's relationship with Veterinarian Dr. Ben Kalinsky moves forward to a more serious relationship as during all this, Jane continues to battle her cancer. As usual with a Patterson, there is plenty of action and surprises that kept me turning the pages. A good edition the the Jane Smith series.