Heather’s Bookshelf: Bending the Arc
Author: Nicholas Gretener
Released: 10/18/24
Genre: Legal Thriller
“Shane sympathized with BJ. What scared Shane was that in the last fifteen minutes, the complexion of the lawsuit had changed dramatically. A fact not lost on BJ, who clearly sensed the turning tide.”
“Bending the Arc” introduces Steve Shane, a hardworking, young lawyer who’s started his own practice.
Jaded by the sheer amount and award of civil suits in the US, Shane is intrigued when young Attorney General Hendrix approaches him with an opportunity. Hendrix has started LawForce, a government-supported legal team of experts that can be utilized in cases where inequality of representation or jury threatens to result in biased or unsupported verdicts.
Already committed to a case Green Action Coalition (GAC) v. Wildcat Oil & Gas, Shane agrees to join LawForce and utilize their ample resources in a case that is seemingly plagued by a bout of bad luck.
Wildcat is an oil and gas company based in Texas, owned and run by the outspoken and lawyer-joke-obsessed, BJ. Though they claim to be environmentally forward, GAC is claiming otherwise. First, there’s a single environmental accident…and then another…and then a crisis. Could all of this be a coincidence or has someone else set out to destroy Wildcat? Will Shane and his team find the truth before it’s too late?
Trigger Warning: violence, murder, death, drowning, traumatic amputation, adult language, sexual situations (reference), environmental crisis, animal death (environmental), reference to cancer-related death
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The book is told through multiple POVs, but mostly through Shane’s. He’s a good protagonist with his own motivations, goals, and emotional connections while also providing a solid and steady voice for his company and clients. There’s also a few other well-written ancillary characters including Cutter and BJ. Even the opposing lawyer, Tillington, had a clear voice and provided an interesting counterpoint to Shane’s trial voice. This was one of the most vividly written books I’ve read all year. While there are portions of the story in the courtroom, there’s also a lot of onsite events at the locations of environmental accidents. For a legal thriller, this book has a lot of action! It was surprisingly enthralling and emotion-filled with surprising tragedy sprinkled throughout. However, the thread that keeps the whole story together is the mystery of what is leading to these environmental disasters. By the end of the tale everything gets wrapped up and the story reveals a couple of secrets too. It feels like a complete story while also leaving enough at the end for future cases if the author desires.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A legal thriller that is surprisingly action and emotion-filled with memorable characters and a fulfilling ending.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Nicholas Gretener
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
