later discovered physical evidence on the victim’s body implicating Cutler, they arrested the ex-president. He then asked Jacobson to defend him.

Although Jacobson has been friends with Cutler since their school days, the relationship between the two men is complicated. Jacobson had dated both Cutler’s wife and the victim before Cutler became involved with both women. Jacobson also knows his friend has an ego and a temper, both of which might make him capable of murder. However, Jacobson takes the case after Cutler passes a lie detector test.

The President’s Lawyer starts out slowly, with the first third of the book dedicated to Jacobson describing his own upbringing and the similarities and differences between his working-class youth and Cutler’s more privileged lifestyle. Some of this material is relatively slow going since the author isn’t a natural fiction writer. The effect is like reading a Perry Mason novel in which Erle Stanley Gardner spends the first few chapters discussing Mason’s school days. Although this part of the book was slow-moving, the author eventually tied some of these events to what happened during the trial.

Once the ex-president’s trial begins, The President’s Lawyer becomes a superior example of the genre. Because Jacobson serves as the book’s narrator, the author can give readers a blow-by-blow account of trial tactics and strategy. Readers see how a seasoned attorney decides what questions to ask and not to ask witnesses and what witnesses to call. The author discusses the tactics and strategies behind opening and closing statements. During the trial, Jacobson adopts the “somebody else did it” strategy by suggesting other possible suspects the police never pursued because they were convinced they had their man. He even hires a private investigator who discovers that Harper was likely a drug user who might have been killed by her dealer. (The author gives in to one staple of the literary thriller by reducing a trial that would take well over a month in real life to less than two weeks total.)

Readers also learn about modern-day forensics, including the existence of two types of DNA analysis, only one of which the prosecution used to tie Cutler to samples found on Harper’s body. This material was new for me and, I suspect, most readers as well. I also learned about the cutting-edge version of a lie detector test, which is conducted similarly to an MRI. The author does an excellent job of providing enough explanation about these subjects to satisfy readers without bogging them down with confusing technical details.

In today’s politicized Washington climate, it’s difficult to write a novel about an ex-president on trial for murder without getting into the political aspects of the situation. The author doesn’t ignore politics, and the agendas of both Cutler and his immediate predecessor are discussed briefly. Possible jury bias also comes into play at one critical moment of the trial. However, I found the author avoided turning this book into an examination of the real-world political ramifications of a trial like this one. The author mentions the frenzy surrounding the trial but doesn’t dwell on it. And, although the author’s political views are easily discernable, he doesn’t turn the book into a partisan diatribe. For the most part, I found the description of this trial pretty much the same as it would have been for any high-profile defendant charged with a similar crime.

Many readers will note the similarity between The President’s Lawyer and David Baldacci’s novel, Absolute Power (later made into a Clint Eastwood movie). In Baldacci’s book, the sitting president is complicit in the murder of his mistress. Although the central theme of both books is the same, there are enough differences so readers can enjoy The President’s Lawyer despite their familiarity with Baldacci’s book. (Here, the ex-president’s guilt or innocence is the book’s ultimate mystery.) Baldacci’s book is not the only literary or cinematic influence on The President’s Lawyer. However, I can’t reveal others without giving away key plot points. Let’s just say these (sometimes specific) references to other works will be enjoyable Easter eggs for readers familiar with those earlier works.

The President’s Lawyer has a huge twist ending that will probably surprise most readers. I guessed the ending, but that didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book. The author plays entirely fair with readers, and I enjoyed recognizing the clues the author left as the book progressed.

Lawrence Robbins has taken his vast legal knowledge and acquaintance with the genre’s tropes and conventions and crafted an entertaining thriller that will fool many people and delight many more. He exhibits some flaws of an inexperienced novelist with some awkward phrasings and transitions. Also, the book’s opening chapters could be more compelling. However, once the trial starts, readers will be transfixed until the ultimate twist is revealed on the book’s last page. The President’s Lawyer passes the bar for literary thrillers with high honors.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.