Shoot the Lawyer Twice: A Rep and Melissa Pennyworth Mystery

Michael A. Bowen
Poisoned Pen Press (2008)
ISBN 9781590585290
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (6/08)


Melissa and Rep Pennyworth are a successful married couple.  Melissa is an English professor at a university.  Rep is a respected attorney.  When their careers cross paths through several overlapping occurrences, they must work together to discover the truth.  Rep’s office partner is handling what has been termed the “sex or swim” case, in which a woman leapt from a boat because she felt threatened she would be raped.  This woman happens to be a relative of a company owner for whom one of Melissa’s coworkers is writing a book.  Other strange things begin happening at the university including sabotaged presentations, office break-ins and a rare document going missing.  As they search for answers, they are stunned by what information they uncover.

Michael Bowen obviously put a lot of thought into how he wanted this book to progress.  The author expertly intertwined several storylines which added greatly to the intrigue.  He also came up with a clever way to refute one of the character’s alibis that most readers will probably not catch.  “Shoot the Lawyer Twice” is filled with suspense because there were many possibilities as to who the villain would turn out to be.  However, I thought there were a few too many minor characters as I sometimes had to look back to see where they fit into the overall picture.  This may have been done to keep the reader guessing as to which direction the plot would turn, but I found it was a little distracting.

“Shoot the Lawyer Twice” contains many elements that readers will appreciate.  Legal aspects, such as theft, murder, and a rape trial play a prominent role in this story.  However, personal dilemmas such as deception and questions about religious beliefs are also featured.  By providing a variety of topics on which the reader can deliberate, the author helped keep the story interesting.

This work of fiction will appeal to a broad adult audience.  Mystery lovers will enjoy trying to unravel the clues to figure out what really happened in “Shoot the Lawyer Twice.”  However, it is important to pay close attention to the details so as not to overlook subtle hints that are provided.

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