The President’s Lawyer

Attorney Robbins debuts with a taut legal thriller that recalls the work of Scott Turow and John Grisham. Criminal defense attorney Rob Jacobson is offered the “case of the century” when his former mistress, White House lawyer Amanda Harper, is murdered, and President Jack Sherman Cutler—Rob’s lifelong friend—is charged with the crime. Though Rob has spent a lifetime in Jack’s shadow, including as the victim of his teenage cruelty, he fervently believes in Jack’s innocence. Other suspects abound, including Rob’s schizophrenic son, Amanda’s drug dealer, and former first lady Jessica Friedland (another of Rob’s old flames). Initially, Rob exploits those possibilities to sow reasonable doubt, but when the jury hears about Cutler’s depraved sexual kinks and his closest ally testifies against him, the case against the president starts to look like a slam dunk. Robbins falls victim to some clumsy pacing and a smattering of legal thriller clichés, but his courtroom scenes crackle with authenticity, and the climactic reveal is sensational. Despite a few missteps, the verdict comes down decisively in Robbins’s favor. Agent: Lane Zachary and Max Moorhead, McQuilkin Massie. (Oct.)