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Losing Faith
From the acclaimed author Publishers Weekly called “a gifted writer” comes this nail-biting legal thriller in the bestselling tradition of John Grisham and Scott Turow.
Aaron Littmann, the chairman of one of the country’s most prestigious law firms, has just been contacted by a high-profile defense attorney, whose client is Nikolai Garkov, a Russian businessman arraigned on terrorism charges for pulling the financial strings behind recent treasonous acts. The attorney informs Aaron that Garkov is looking to switch representation and will pay one hundred thousand dollars just to take the meeting. But Aaron doesn’t have any choice, as Garkov is ready to go public with the damning evidence that Aaron and the judge in the high-profile case—Faith Nichols—had a torrid affair during another recent case.
Filled with suspense, twists, and turns, Losing Faith will captivate legal thriller fans everywhere.
Aaron Littmann, the chairman of one of the country’s most prestigious law firms, has just been contacted by a high-profile defense attorney, whose client is Nikolai Garkov, a Russian businessman arraigned on terrorism charges for pulling the financial strings behind recent treasonous acts. The attorney informs Aaron that Garkov is looking to switch representation and will pay one hundred thousand dollars just to take the meeting. But Aaron doesn’t have any choice, as Garkov is ready to go public with the damning evidence that Aaron and the judge in the high-profile case—Faith Nichols—had a torrid affair during another recent case.
Filled with suspense, twists, and turns, Losing Faith will captivate legal thriller fans everywhere.
368 pages, ebook
First published April 14, 2015
159 people are currently reading
1260 people want to read
About the author
Adam Mitzner
16 books533 followersI grew up in East Brunswick, New Jersey, which is about an hour outside of New York City. I graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. and M.A. in politics, and from there went directly on to law school at the University of Virginia.
After law school, I joined the litigation department of a large New York City law firm, and after a few more stops, am currently the head of the litigation department of Pavia & Harcourt LLP, which is located in midtown Manhattan. Pavia & Harcourt.
I have written 8 novels -- A Conflict of Interest (2011); A Case of Redemption (2013); Losing Faith (2015); The Girl From Home (2016); Dead Certain (2017); Never Goodbye (2018); A Matter of Will (2019); and The Best Friend (2020).
Nothing pleases me more than hearing from readers, so please email me at adam@adammitzner.com
After law school, I joined the litigation department of a large New York City law firm, and after a few more stops, am currently the head of the litigation department of Pavia & Harcourt LLP, which is located in midtown Manhattan. Pavia & Harcourt.
I have written 8 novels -- A Conflict of Interest (2011); A Case of Redemption (2013); Losing Faith (2015); The Girl From Home (2016); Dead Certain (2017); Never Goodbye (2018); A Matter of Will (2019); and The Best Friend (2020).
Nothing pleases me more than hearing from readers, so please email me at adam@adammitzner.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
September 9, 2016
A good legal thriller about a Russian Terrorist who manipulates people and the justice system. Murder and adultery with a twist that always ruins too many lives.
February 23, 2016
A special thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Top Books of 2015. "Best Legal Thriller meets psychological game of power."
Talented writer and attorney, Adam Mitzner returns after award-winning A Conflict of Interest and A Case of Redemption with another scandalous, and suspenseful powerhouse legal thriller— LOSING FAITH,putting him in the same class as John Grisham, and the best-of-the- best. Mitzner has been added to my favorite author list, and One of the Four Thriller Authors To Watch in 2015.
Aaron Littmann, is married to a beautiful wife, Cynthia, a physician with twins, and a successful law career as the chairman of one of the most prestigious Manhattan law firms, Cromwell Altman Rosenthal and White in New York, overlooking Central Park.
He is on top and has it all. He has been contacted by a high-profile defense attorney whose client Nikolai Garkov, a Russian businessman and gangster, with ties to many illegal activities and terrorist bombing (everyone would like to see him put away). He suspects Garkov is looking to switch representation and he is willing to pay a hundred thousand dollars for the initial meeting. So, curious, he goes to the meeting.
However, Aaron's past hidden deeds (at the Ritz Carlton) come back to haunt him as Garkov wants something. What will his prestigious law firm think of him if he takes this case? This is not the type of client they represent. Aaron had a past affair with judge, Faith Nichols, and Garkov knows about it. Their affair has ended; however, now he is being blackmailed to make sure Faith gets him off all charges, or both their careers will be ruined.
Both Faith and Aaron are married, and they just happened to be on another recent case together (which is a no, no), which will destroy their careers and their lives, unless he influences Faith. However, Faith is not speaking to him, since the last disaster case.
In the meantime, Aaron looks to his best friend and law partner, the older Sam Rosenthal, his mentor and a father figure who took him under his wing years ago. To further complicate matters, there is Rachel, the sexy, single law partner who is in love with Aaron (obsessed), and an unstable past. How does she fit into the mix?
Presently, Honorable Faith Nichols is being considered for a supreme judge candidacy, her life’s dream. However, she has been sent a message, she will not be considered unless she puts Garkov behind bars. Yum, what a web of scandalous deceit and lies. Little does she know, she is supposed to be getting him off, not putting him away. When an unexpected murder occurs, the fingers are pointed at Aaron.
If you love legal page-turner thrillers, LOSING FAITH is the book to read. So many twists and turns you do not see coming, with emotions high, and a wealthy criminal pulling all the strings. A big fan of legal thrillers and John Grisham, I am always on the lookout for newfound authors. When I listened to Mitzner’s audiobooks: Conflict of Interest and A Case of Redemption, I was blown away with his writing (both 5 stars +).
EPIC! Totally captivating - three winners in a row. With his background as a practicing defense attorney in New York City– reflective throughout the pages with his vast knowledge as both writer and attorney.
Loved the quote:
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
–COLDPLAY “Viva La Vida”
JDC Must Read Books
Check out The Girl from Home, Coming April 5, 2016. (Explosive! )
Top Books of 2015. "Best Legal Thriller meets psychological game of power."
Talented writer and attorney, Adam Mitzner returns after award-winning A Conflict of Interest and A Case of Redemption with another scandalous, and suspenseful powerhouse legal thriller— LOSING FAITH,putting him in the same class as John Grisham, and the best-of-the- best. Mitzner has been added to my favorite author list, and One of the Four Thriller Authors To Watch in 2015.
Aaron Littmann, is married to a beautiful wife, Cynthia, a physician with twins, and a successful law career as the chairman of one of the most prestigious Manhattan law firms, Cromwell Altman Rosenthal and White in New York, overlooking Central Park.
He is on top and has it all. He has been contacted by a high-profile defense attorney whose client Nikolai Garkov, a Russian businessman and gangster, with ties to many illegal activities and terrorist bombing (everyone would like to see him put away). He suspects Garkov is looking to switch representation and he is willing to pay a hundred thousand dollars for the initial meeting. So, curious, he goes to the meeting.
However, Aaron's past hidden deeds (at the Ritz Carlton) come back to haunt him as Garkov wants something. What will his prestigious law firm think of him if he takes this case? This is not the type of client they represent. Aaron had a past affair with judge, Faith Nichols, and Garkov knows about it. Their affair has ended; however, now he is being blackmailed to make sure Faith gets him off all charges, or both their careers will be ruined.
Both Faith and Aaron are married, and they just happened to be on another recent case together (which is a no, no), which will destroy their careers and their lives, unless he influences Faith. However, Faith is not speaking to him, since the last disaster case.
In the meantime, Aaron looks to his best friend and law partner, the older Sam Rosenthal, his mentor and a father figure who took him under his wing years ago. To further complicate matters, there is Rachel, the sexy, single law partner who is in love with Aaron (obsessed), and an unstable past. How does she fit into the mix?
Presently, Honorable Faith Nichols is being considered for a supreme judge candidacy, her life’s dream. However, she has been sent a message, she will not be considered unless she puts Garkov behind bars. Yum, what a web of scandalous deceit and lies. Little does she know, she is supposed to be getting him off, not putting him away. When an unexpected murder occurs, the fingers are pointed at Aaron.
If you love legal page-turner thrillers, LOSING FAITH is the book to read. So many twists and turns you do not see coming, with emotions high, and a wealthy criminal pulling all the strings. A big fan of legal thrillers and John Grisham, I am always on the lookout for newfound authors. When I listened to Mitzner’s audiobooks: Conflict of Interest and A Case of Redemption, I was blown away with his writing (both 5 stars +).
EPIC! Totally captivating - three winners in a row. With his background as a practicing defense attorney in New York City– reflective throughout the pages with his vast knowledge as both writer and attorney.
Loved the quote:
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
–COLDPLAY “Viva La Vida”
JDC Must Read Books
Check out The Girl from Home, Coming April 5, 2016. (Explosive! )
June 3, 2015
Legal thrillers are not a genre of fiction I read a lot of simply because good ones are so thin on the ground. I do remember picking up Scott Turow’s great thriller Presumed Innocent and being rapt. To this day it sets a standard against which other writers are judged. I should also state for the record that I am no legal scholar. The morass of legal considerations which might keep a confessed criminal from punishment make me anxious.
Adam Mitzner’s third novel is a curious thing. There seemed to be a large hole in the logic of the case he brought to our attention, which I realized later was supposed to create suspicion in the reader’s mind about the facts laid out by the author. Unfortunately, I was instead confused as to how we got here in the first place: it seemed Judge Nichols was well and truly screwed no matter what she did…and then she was murdered.
The successful head of a large New York law firm, Aaron Littman, involves himself sexually with a married federal court judge, Faith Nichols, who happens to be on the short list for the Supreme Court. Six months after they begin their liaison, she is the presiding judge over a case Aaron is arguing. Neither party recuses themselves. Aaron loses the case & his client goes to jail. The relationship ends.
When Faith is murdered, evidence of the relationship comes to light and Aaron is in the frame for the deed. The bulk of the novel revolves around Aaron’s trial.
Mitzner seems to present correctly the technical bits about objections and evidence but I wasn't sure he got the motivations of the characters right. One could argue that a legal thriller is really a psychological drama and the thoughts and motivations of the characters are at least as important as physical evidence, which as we all know, can be ambiguous, tampered with, lost, or destroyed.
I think by now all of us can imagine a powerful man, say the head of a large New York law firm, with a zipper problem. It is harder to imagine the flip side of that: a Supreme Court nominee willing to risk her career and her future for a relationship that could go nowhere. And Aaron’s associate Rachel did not have enough motivation to perjure herself under oath, to my mind. Love, sure. Gratitude, maybe. Promise? Hope? Nah. Maybe a man could do it, like Aaron’s mentor Rosenthal, for instance.
Anyway, it is an interesting set of circumstances that Mitzner provides and it is a good book to take to the beach. It is involving enough to keep you guessing and working out what the characters (and the author) could have done differently.
Adam Mitzner’s third novel is a curious thing. There seemed to be a large hole in the logic of the case he brought to our attention, which I realized later was supposed to create suspicion in the reader’s mind about the facts laid out by the author. Unfortunately, I was instead confused as to how we got here in the first place: it seemed Judge Nichols was well and truly screwed no matter what she did…and then she was murdered.
The successful head of a large New York law firm, Aaron Littman, involves himself sexually with a married federal court judge, Faith Nichols, who happens to be on the short list for the Supreme Court. Six months after they begin their liaison, she is the presiding judge over a case Aaron is arguing. Neither party recuses themselves. Aaron loses the case & his client goes to jail. The relationship ends.
When Faith is murdered, evidence of the relationship comes to light and Aaron is in the frame for the deed. The bulk of the novel revolves around Aaron’s trial.
Mitzner seems to present correctly the technical bits about objections and evidence but I wasn't sure he got the motivations of the characters right. One could argue that a legal thriller is really a psychological drama and the thoughts and motivations of the characters are at least as important as physical evidence, which as we all know, can be ambiguous, tampered with, lost, or destroyed.
I think by now all of us can imagine a powerful man, say the head of a large New York law firm, with a zipper problem. It is harder to imagine the flip side of that: a Supreme Court nominee willing to risk her career and her future for a relationship that could go nowhere. And Aaron’s associate Rachel did not have enough motivation to perjure herself under oath, to my mind. Love, sure. Gratitude, maybe. Promise? Hope? Nah. Maybe a man could do it, like Aaron’s mentor Rosenthal, for instance.
Anyway, it is an interesting set of circumstances that Mitzner provides and it is a good book to take to the beach. It is involving enough to keep you guessing and working out what the characters (and the author) could have done differently.
April 3, 2015
You know that phrase, “Didn’t see that one coming!”, well that pretty much sums up the grand finale to Adam Mitzner’s Losing Faith. Is justice always served or can it be purchased, skewed and raped to satisfy the both the legal system’s ego and the power players of crime.
Wealthy and powerful defense attorney, Aaron Littman has lived the rewards of his own hubris and now it is time to pay the price or ruin the lives of those he loves. Blackmailed into representing one of the mega-wealthy, deadly and powerful criminal kingpins, his world is coming crashing down around him. When his former lover, a judge is found bludgeoned, all clues, circumstantial or not lead to Aaron. Confident that the truth would set him free, he soon realizes that, like him, the representatives of the legal world have their own agendas and are just as capable of twisting a tale into a list of “what-ifs” that Aaron cannot rise above. His marriage is crumbling, his legal corporation is circling the wagons, excluding him and his best friend and mentor seems to be taking his defense a little too lightly.
Will Aaron pay the price for a deed he never committed? Is this Karma at its best for his role in defending vile and guilty criminals? Will an eleventh hour ploy from unlikely, allied sources save his bacon or will the jury see through the smokescreen and reach their own verdict?
Adam Mitzner can write raw drama, suspense and has no fear of showing the underbelly of the legal system machinations behind the scenes. His characters come to life, flawed, unfaithful, deceitful, and bruised by life. Even evil shows their soft spots, not enough to be more than powerfully overbearing, but enough to bring them to life. Like an intriguing tale filled with drama, twists and heavy with tension? Enjoy seeing questionable characters smear their mistakes across the pages, as you wonder how will he get out of that predicament? Adam Mitzner’s Losing Faith should be on your reading docket!
I received an ARC edition from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: April 14, 2015
Publisher: Gallery Books
ISBN: 9781476764245
Genre: Adult Suspense
Print Length: 368 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Wealthy and powerful defense attorney, Aaron Littman has lived the rewards of his own hubris and now it is time to pay the price or ruin the lives of those he loves. Blackmailed into representing one of the mega-wealthy, deadly and powerful criminal kingpins, his world is coming crashing down around him. When his former lover, a judge is found bludgeoned, all clues, circumstantial or not lead to Aaron. Confident that the truth would set him free, he soon realizes that, like him, the representatives of the legal world have their own agendas and are just as capable of twisting a tale into a list of “what-ifs” that Aaron cannot rise above. His marriage is crumbling, his legal corporation is circling the wagons, excluding him and his best friend and mentor seems to be taking his defense a little too lightly.
Will Aaron pay the price for a deed he never committed? Is this Karma at its best for his role in defending vile and guilty criminals? Will an eleventh hour ploy from unlikely, allied sources save his bacon or will the jury see through the smokescreen and reach their own verdict?
Adam Mitzner can write raw drama, suspense and has no fear of showing the underbelly of the legal system machinations behind the scenes. His characters come to life, flawed, unfaithful, deceitful, and bruised by life. Even evil shows their soft spots, not enough to be more than powerfully overbearing, but enough to bring them to life. Like an intriguing tale filled with drama, twists and heavy with tension? Enjoy seeing questionable characters smear their mistakes across the pages, as you wonder how will he get out of that predicament? Adam Mitzner’s Losing Faith should be on your reading docket!
I received an ARC edition from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: April 14, 2015
Publisher: Gallery Books
ISBN: 9781476764245
Genre: Adult Suspense
Print Length: 368 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
August 29, 2017
Losing Faith is the third legal thriller by Adam Mitzner. Having enjoyed the previous two, I was intrigued to see what he had come up with next. The fact that Mitzner knows his legal-lingo is quickly evident, and his main character, as in the other novels, is a lawyer, so he gets to show off his inside know-how to a great degree. However, in this case, it may have been a bit much, as I felt the story was much slower moving than the other two, and the protagonist less interesting to me.
The story centers around a high profile murder, no surprises there, and guess who becomes the prime suspect? Yup, so the story unfolds...slowly
I won't give away much in terms of the plot, but I did feel that there was something distinctly lacking in the way the case was examined. I felt the ending was very rushed, and I was not entirely satisfied with the explanation. Now if the character, Aaron, had been particularly engaging or likeable, I could easily forgive flaws in the plot, but unfortunately, he was kind of forgettable.
All that being said, it was not a bad book at all. The plot, though not entirely satisfying for me, did not have any logical flaws I could detect, and in that was similar to Mitzer's other novels.
I would recommend you start with them. I thought they were very intelligent, well-written legal thriller, which stand among the sea of Grishams.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
The story centers around a high profile murder, no surprises there, and guess who becomes the prime suspect? Yup, so the story unfolds...slowly
I won't give away much in terms of the plot, but I did feel that there was something distinctly lacking in the way the case was examined. I felt the ending was very rushed, and I was not entirely satisfied with the explanation. Now if the character, Aaron, had been particularly engaging or likeable, I could easily forgive flaws in the plot, but unfortunately, he was kind of forgettable.
All that being said, it was not a bad book at all. The plot, though not entirely satisfying for me, did not have any logical flaws I could detect, and in that was similar to Mitzer's other novels.
I would recommend you start with them. I thought they were very intelligent, well-written legal thriller, which stand among the sea of Grishams.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
December 14, 2014
Losing Faith is a page-turner all the way through. The plot hooks you from the beginning and there are many twists and turns in this legal thriller.
Aaron Littman has it all. He is an A-list lawyer and head of one of the top legal firms in New York. He has a beautiful wife and two children. However, he has a secret, an affair he had with a lawyer named Faith. Despite it having ended some time ago, this affair is used as blackmail by a gangster named Garkov who is on trial for multiple crimes and who is a terrorist suspect. He blackmails Aaron into taking his case despite the fact that his firm would generally never represent the likes of Garkov
Aaron is very close to two of his associates. One is Sam Rosenthal, who is his mentor and like a father to him. It is Sam who has brought Aaron up through the ranks of the legal firm. In turn, Aaron is mentoring a rather unstable woman named Rachel who he sees as partner potential. Rachel is in love with Aaron and has a history of falling for unavailable older men.
There are rumors that Faith Nichols is being considered for a supreme judge candidacy. The last case that Aaron tried, Judge Nichols ruled against him and never spoke to him again. In essence, that sealed the fate of their affair. Now with Garkov, Faith is to be the judge that oversees the trial. Can Aaron influence her? That is what Garkov hopes but Aaron thinks he will have no influence.
Despite the page-turning reading, some of the content is implausible and the ending is a deus ex machina, a stretch out of the blue that does not do justice to the rest of the book. I did enjoy it, however, and it made for a fun read while I was on a cruise.
Aaron Littman has it all. He is an A-list lawyer and head of one of the top legal firms in New York. He has a beautiful wife and two children. However, he has a secret, an affair he had with a lawyer named Faith. Despite it having ended some time ago, this affair is used as blackmail by a gangster named Garkov who is on trial for multiple crimes and who is a terrorist suspect. He blackmails Aaron into taking his case despite the fact that his firm would generally never represent the likes of Garkov
Aaron is very close to two of his associates. One is Sam Rosenthal, who is his mentor and like a father to him. It is Sam who has brought Aaron up through the ranks of the legal firm. In turn, Aaron is mentoring a rather unstable woman named Rachel who he sees as partner potential. Rachel is in love with Aaron and has a history of falling for unavailable older men.
There are rumors that Faith Nichols is being considered for a supreme judge candidacy. The last case that Aaron tried, Judge Nichols ruled against him and never spoke to him again. In essence, that sealed the fate of their affair. Now with Garkov, Faith is to be the judge that oversees the trial. Can Aaron influence her? That is what Garkov hopes but Aaron thinks he will have no influence.
Despite the page-turning reading, some of the content is implausible and the ending is a deus ex machina, a stretch out of the blue that does not do justice to the rest of the book. I did enjoy it, however, and it made for a fun read while I was on a cruise.
April 28, 2015
This may not be readily apparent given the books that are typically on my reading list, but I love legal thrillers. Love them. They are the logic puzzles of the literary world, and the legal system provides a set of rules by which everyone must abide. I love trying to figure out how the characters are going to pull off their case within the confines of the law.
And then there’s Losing Faith. Law shmaw.
Losing Faith started out really great. It’s been a while since I’ve read a good legal thriller so I was fully invested in the book. There was a lot of detail given on legal procedure, which I happen to enjoy. Your mileage may vary. There was also an unexpected twist that really set up the plot and took the book in a great direction.
This is where I get spoilerish on why I hate this book.
I was enjoying the proceedings up until the defense decided to base their entire case on perjury. Perjury from the wife, perjury from friends, perjury from the defendant. I think my blood actually began to boil. It’s lazy, illogical, and just plain anti-what-legal-thrillers-are-all-about.
Losing Faith was a complete disaster after that point.
I see the potential in Adam Mitzner’s writing so I plan to pick up another one of his books. As for Losing Faith, it was totally not my thing.
And then there’s Losing Faith. Law shmaw.
Losing Faith started out really great. It’s been a while since I’ve read a good legal thriller so I was fully invested in the book. There was a lot of detail given on legal procedure, which I happen to enjoy. Your mileage may vary. There was also an unexpected twist that really set up the plot and took the book in a great direction.
This is where I get spoilerish on why I hate this book.
I was enjoying the proceedings up until the defense decided to base their entire case on perjury. Perjury from the wife, perjury from friends, perjury from the defendant. I think my blood actually began to boil. It’s lazy, illogical, and just plain anti-what-legal-thrillers-are-all-about.
Losing Faith was a complete disaster after that point.
I see the potential in Adam Mitzner’s writing so I plan to pick up another one of his books. As for Losing Faith, it was totally not my thing.
April 26, 2015
This is a new author and narrator for me. The book has a twist I have not encountered in a legal whodunit before. Mitzner has the high powered defense attorney become the accused instead of the defender.
The author has a criminal accused of aiding terrorist use blackmail to gain his release. Defense attorney Aaron Littman is in the middle of it all. He had an affair with a Judge while he tried a case before her, and the Judge is murdered. Littman’s affair has cost him his wife, family, his law license, his law firm, and now his freedom. Mitzner leads us down a winding path; through various ideas such as was this all a manipulation by the real killer. We wander through various suspects who seem to have cause.
The book is well-written. It is a tight story with lots of suspense that keeps you looking for clues. The plot is complicated and the ending is a surprise. I enjoyed reading this book; it was a fast easy read that kept me trying to determine who did it. Needless to say, the person I thought was the killer was not. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Andy Caploe narrates the book. The narrator was not up to the usual Audible standards.
The author has a criminal accused of aiding terrorist use blackmail to gain his release. Defense attorney Aaron Littman is in the middle of it all. He had an affair with a Judge while he tried a case before her, and the Judge is murdered. Littman’s affair has cost him his wife, family, his law license, his law firm, and now his freedom. Mitzner leads us down a winding path; through various ideas such as was this all a manipulation by the real killer. We wander through various suspects who seem to have cause.
The book is well-written. It is a tight story with lots of suspense that keeps you looking for clues. The plot is complicated and the ending is a surprise. I enjoyed reading this book; it was a fast easy read that kept me trying to determine who did it. Needless to say, the person I thought was the killer was not. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Andy Caploe narrates the book. The narrator was not up to the usual Audible standards.
February 12, 2015
This is one of those books that draws you quickly in by excellent portrayal of its fictional characters and the physical world they live in. Trouble is you might end up somewhat disillusioned in that, lawyers encourage their clients to lie in court and lawyers create fictional scenarios for themselves before swearing to their veracity under oath! But the very fact the reader ends up empathising, to some extent, with these shenanigans, reflects credit on the writing skill of Adam Mitzner. Readers may well each find different heroes in this fast moving tale but, one thing is for sure, no character emerges smelling of roses - yet still we end up liking many of them. Clever writing!. A word of warning. If you're due in court soon suggest you leave off reading this until after your trial!
April 26, 2015
I am a fan of Mr. Mitzner. His first book, A Conflict of Interest was a good showing and I was drawn to Adam and his relationship with Faith. So with Losing Faith I was interested to see how Adam and Faith were doing. If anything in this book Adam has grown with his wealth of knowledge and is a force to be recognized with. Although I did like Adam, this was not enough to fully captivate me into fully embracing this story. It was not in your face with the intensity but it was still an enjoyable read. There was a twist that I did not see coming until it was revealed. The way that Adam solved it all was what did keep my interest peaked. This book is a quick read that ended on a good note.
April 20, 2015
Aaron Littmann is the chairman of one of the country's most prestigious law firms. He was contacted by a Russian businessman who is connected to terrorism. He hires Littman to represent him and gives him "big bucks" for meeting with him ... then tells him that he will tell all about the affair that Aaron had with the judge, Faith Nichols during a prior case. Wow ... now the twists and turns start... I thought it was a good read.
September 16, 2016
I read to page 140 and gave up on this one. I liked the premise of the book, but. There were too many characters to keep up wIth and I felt confused. I'll try another Mitzner novel as I like legal thrillers.
February 18, 2018
Really 3.5 Stars. I liked his book but I figured it out pretty early so I was just waiting to see how they wrapped it up.
January 21, 2021
Lets start by just putting this out there...ADAM MITZNER IS THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND when it comes to writing legal thrillers! I swear I don't think I have rated any book of his below 5 stars and Losing Faith was no different. I have either read all of his books, or am only missing one or two, and when I finish one, I am almost desperate for another!
I like the way that when Mitzner is writing his story, he tries to explain the judicial system and how being a lawyer and being in Court works, because if you don't have experience in that area, you could otherwise be lost in the legal jargon. However, he makes it easy to understand and fits it in the story seamlessly!
I couldn't help but like Aaron's character! Maybe I shouldn't have, but I did! There was an excellent cast of other characters as well!
The ending totally took me by surprise, and I would have never guessed it in a million years. That's just the kind of story I LOVE!
David Marantz was the narrator for Losing Faith and I think he did a great job! I don't think I've ever heard him narrate prior to this, however, I wouldn't hesitate to listen to another book he is reading!
Overall, just like every other book Mitzner has ever written, he killed it with Losing Faith and you shouldn't hesitate to get out there and get it read already!!
I like the way that when Mitzner is writing his story, he tries to explain the judicial system and how being a lawyer and being in Court works, because if you don't have experience in that area, you could otherwise be lost in the legal jargon. However, he makes it easy to understand and fits it in the story seamlessly!
I couldn't help but like Aaron's character! Maybe I shouldn't have, but I did! There was an excellent cast of other characters as well!
The ending totally took me by surprise, and I would have never guessed it in a million years. That's just the kind of story I LOVE!
David Marantz was the narrator for Losing Faith and I think he did a great job! I don't think I've ever heard him narrate prior to this, however, I wouldn't hesitate to listen to another book he is reading!
Overall, just like every other book Mitzner has ever written, he killed it with Losing Faith and you shouldn't hesitate to get out there and get it read already!!
June 11, 2020
Quick and enjoyable read. Not a fan of the ending.
July 9, 2015
Losing Faith
By: Adam Mitzner
Published By: Gallery Books Pages. 368
Copy Courtesy of The Reading Room
Advanced Reading
Reviewed By: tk
It is absolute chaos when Aaron is accused of murder!
Aaron Littman attorney, meets Nicolai Garkov who is accused of many crimes. Even though Garkov admits his guilt in laundering funds for the Russian Mafia, and killing many people he has no fear of punishment. Aaron has no intention of representing Garkov… until he receives an offer he could not refuse.
Honorable Faith Nichols will be handling Garkov’s trial. Should she sentence Garkov, he will expose both Aaron and Faith’s secrets to the public. Their personal and professional lives will be in ruins. Will they be exposed, or will a known and feared criminal be set free?
Twist and turns at break neck speed. A stellar plot and amazing characters will show you just how dirty a criminal and attorney can manipulate all the players. Nothing is secret. There is always a way to find any and all information on someone at any given time. So if you think your safe…think again.
A captivating read. Adam Mitzner is an absolute wonder. I found myself breathless at times, and so astonished at his insight into the world of the elite. I now realize that no matter how well you protect yourself…it is an illusion. No where is safe.
4/5
By: Adam Mitzner
Published By: Gallery Books Pages. 368
Copy Courtesy of The Reading Room
Advanced Reading
Reviewed By: tk
It is absolute chaos when Aaron is accused of murder!
Aaron Littman attorney, meets Nicolai Garkov who is accused of many crimes. Even though Garkov admits his guilt in laundering funds for the Russian Mafia, and killing many people he has no fear of punishment. Aaron has no intention of representing Garkov… until he receives an offer he could not refuse.
Honorable Faith Nichols will be handling Garkov’s trial. Should she sentence Garkov, he will expose both Aaron and Faith’s secrets to the public. Their personal and professional lives will be in ruins. Will they be exposed, or will a known and feared criminal be set free?
Twist and turns at break neck speed. A stellar plot and amazing characters will show you just how dirty a criminal and attorney can manipulate all the players. Nothing is secret. There is always a way to find any and all information on someone at any given time. So if you think your safe…think again.
A captivating read. Adam Mitzner is an absolute wonder. I found myself breathless at times, and so astonished at his insight into the world of the elite. I now realize that no matter how well you protect yourself…it is an illusion. No where is safe.
4/5
May 2, 2015
Thank you to NetGalley and Galley Books for this free copy. In exchange I am providing an honest review.
Adam Mitzner has been likened to John Grisham. I can see that a few years down the road and a few more titles under his name.
Aaron Littman is a top notch lawyer at one of the largest law firms in the country. Taking a case under duress, he becomes the main target and suspect in a Federal Judge's murder. All he knows for sure is he didn't do it and it's very unclear as to who actually did do it. His longtime mentor represents him and works all the angles for acquittal. Mitzner never gives any hints toward "whodunit" but when it is revealed there is a gasp of shock and surprise. Or is there?
This title is getting good reviews but it felt very anticlimactic to me the whole way through. Something about the storyline and characters felt stunted. The reason I kept turning the pages and reading is because I was expecting a big moment, in my opinion it never came. It read as if Mitzner was leading up to a really big break/reveal/moment and when he came to that moment I was let down, it wasn't the big moment it seemed Mitzner was leading up to. The characters were not developed enough for me to be convinced by their roles. The title wasn't a bad read but it felt very 'elementary' in its development overall.
Adam Mitzner has been likened to John Grisham. I can see that a few years down the road and a few more titles under his name.
Aaron Littman is a top notch lawyer at one of the largest law firms in the country. Taking a case under duress, he becomes the main target and suspect in a Federal Judge's murder. All he knows for sure is he didn't do it and it's very unclear as to who actually did do it. His longtime mentor represents him and works all the angles for acquittal. Mitzner never gives any hints toward "whodunit" but when it is revealed there is a gasp of shock and surprise. Or is there?
This title is getting good reviews but it felt very anticlimactic to me the whole way through. Something about the storyline and characters felt stunted. The reason I kept turning the pages and reading is because I was expecting a big moment, in my opinion it never came. It read as if Mitzner was leading up to a really big break/reveal/moment and when he came to that moment I was let down, it wasn't the big moment it seemed Mitzner was leading up to. The characters were not developed enough for me to be convinced by their roles. The title wasn't a bad read but it felt very 'elementary' in its development overall.
February 21, 2015
Aaron Littman had it all. As the chairman of one of the most exclusive law firms in New York City, he had a secret that could bring it all down if it was discovered. This was a legal thriller in the tradition of the best of Grisham and kept me reading from page one.
You root for Aaron Littman. He's definitely one of the good guys no matter what mistake he has made along the way. His legal assistant is a stereotype of all the hard working young lawyers putting in hours to make partner and she is loyal to Littman's best interest at every turn. You hate the other lawyers, the adversaries, the gangsters, and the detectives who are doing their best to ruin Littman's life.
Law firm politics, family relationships and what people do to protect themselves and those around them make the people in the novel matter. I honestly was shocked at the end when I found out whodoneit. Well played, Adam Mitzner, well played. (advanced reader copy from netgalley)
You root for Aaron Littman. He's definitely one of the good guys no matter what mistake he has made along the way. His legal assistant is a stereotype of all the hard working young lawyers putting in hours to make partner and she is loyal to Littman's best interest at every turn. You hate the other lawyers, the adversaries, the gangsters, and the detectives who are doing their best to ruin Littman's life.
Law firm politics, family relationships and what people do to protect themselves and those around them make the people in the novel matter. I honestly was shocked at the end when I found out whodoneit. Well played, Adam Mitzner, well played. (advanced reader copy from netgalley)
July 20, 2017
Having read and enjoyed A Conflict of Interest and Dead Certain I was looking forward to the next great read from Adam Mitzner. This was not it. Aaron Littman is the chairman of his high powered law firm, who makes the mistake of having an affair with a federal judge, getting squeezed in a bribery scheme, and eventually being charged in a criminal case. The legalese in the story was powerful and the writing was captivating, but the characters were ALL losers. Adam wants his cake and the ability to eat it too. Faith wants to be a Supreme Court Judge at all costs. Nikolai Garkov is a Russian terrorist criminal, and Rachel London is an insecure young woman with a problematic history. Where are the good guys?
October 28, 2017
Again another okay kind of novel. For a ‘legal’ thriller, this one didn’t feel super believable/deep. The cliches of characters or perhaps their over exaggerated characteristics (ie the patriarch mentor who loved the main protagonist like a son, etc) got a bit much.
January 31, 2016
I've come to really like legal thrillers and this is a good one. Grittier than Grisham, though not high literature by any stretch. A lot of fun
December 21, 2024
Spoilers ahead. My second Adam Mitzner book and it felt the same: the writing was easy to read and follow, I liked the characters, the author did a great job of the setting and feel but the story wasn't great.
Adam Littman is a high powered lawyer at a Wall Street firm. He's hired by a Russian gangster (Garkov) to defend him. Littman initially refuses because it's securities fraud and he doesn't want to taint his firm's reputation. But the Garkov says I know your secret. And the secret is that Adam had an adulterous affair with a federal judge (Faith). And what was worse was that their affair occurred during a trial. A no-no magnified by that.
Anyway, Garkov tells Adam he will reveal all if he doesn't take the case and get a acquittal. The affair is over but Adam forces a meeting with Faith in Central Park. Shortly after Adam leaves Faith is murdered.
The Feds quickly finger Adam as a suspect and after a little investigation arrests him. The author makes it seem like Garkov orchestrated the murder behind bars as Faith makes it known that she's going to bring the hammer down on him.
The rest of the book is taken up by the trial. The trial is a simplified and fast tracked affair for the reader. The biggest issue I have is that the defense didn't try to point the finger at Garkov or Faith's husband at all. And the Feds didn't seem to really investigate the crime or any other suspects.
Because of all this, the ending and the path of the plot is pretty predictable, i.e. a path that points to a twist. But overall it was a good read because it was so easy to read.
Adam Littman is a high powered lawyer at a Wall Street firm. He's hired by a Russian gangster (Garkov) to defend him. Littman initially refuses because it's securities fraud and he doesn't want to taint his firm's reputation. But the Garkov says I know your secret. And the secret is that Adam had an adulterous affair with a federal judge (Faith). And what was worse was that their affair occurred during a trial. A no-no magnified by that.
Anyway, Garkov tells Adam he will reveal all if he doesn't take the case and get a acquittal. The affair is over but Adam forces a meeting with Faith in Central Park. Shortly after Adam leaves Faith is murdered.
The Feds quickly finger Adam as a suspect and after a little investigation arrests him. The author makes it seem like Garkov orchestrated the murder behind bars as Faith makes it known that she's going to bring the hammer down on him.
The rest of the book is taken up by the trial. The trial is a simplified and fast tracked affair for the reader. The biggest issue I have is that the defense didn't try to point the finger at Garkov or Faith's husband at all. And the Feds didn't seem to really investigate the crime or any other suspects.
Because of all this, the ending and the path of the plot is pretty predictable, i.e. a path that points to a twist. But overall it was a good read because it was so easy to read.
August 31, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Here is my review:
This is a hard book to categorize. It IS a legal thriller, and a murder mystery, but somehow neither really explains it.
Aaron Littman is a successful attorney, in fact, the managing partner in a prestigious New York law firm. He is married, with twin teenaged daughters. But he still finds it necessary to have an affair with Faith Nichols, a federal district court judge in Manhattan. THEN they both compound the sin by continuing the relationship as Aaron represents a client in Faith's courtroom.
But nobody knows, right? WRONG. Nicolai Garkov, a Russian mobster charged with securities fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice, suddenly lands on Faith's docket. And now, he wants Aaron to represent him. AND he will tell the world about the affair if Aaron doesn't not only represent him, but persuade Faith to acquit him.
Then Faith is murdered. You can probably guess the rest, except for a surprising and unexpected ending, which may or may not be believable, but everyone accepts it and lives happily ever after. Except for Faith, of course.
This is a hard book to categorize. It IS a legal thriller, and a murder mystery, but somehow neither really explains it.
Aaron Littman is a successful attorney, in fact, the managing partner in a prestigious New York law firm. He is married, with twin teenaged daughters. But he still finds it necessary to have an affair with Faith Nichols, a federal district court judge in Manhattan. THEN they both compound the sin by continuing the relationship as Aaron represents a client in Faith's courtroom.
But nobody knows, right? WRONG. Nicolai Garkov, a Russian mobster charged with securities fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice, suddenly lands on Faith's docket. And now, he wants Aaron to represent him. AND he will tell the world about the affair if Aaron doesn't not only represent him, but persuade Faith to acquit him.
Then Faith is murdered. You can probably guess the rest, except for a surprising and unexpected ending, which may or may not be believable, but everyone accepts it and lives happily ever after. Except for Faith, of course.
October 31, 2023
There was a description of the plot in many other reviews here, so no need to go into that. As with all the stand-alone novels he wrote this is a page turner until the end and would have deserved a solid 5-star rating had it not been for the ending. I won't disclose it here but it is a let-down and defies any sensible logic. There were many other possible suspects, besides Aaron at least four more, which would have made an equally baffling and even logical ending. But Mitzner chose to pull one out of the hat, which at the very least seemed tacked on. Maybe he got out of breath with his plot and needed to end the novel as per his contract with the publisher or he ran out of ideas. He pulled that stunt in one of other stand-alone novels before, which really doesn't do him justice as an excellent writer. Some of the scenes can also be found in a number of his other novels, but I guess that happens to many writers who put out so many books. Still a worthy read.
February 1, 2017
Not a bad read, Mitzner writes very well, and it is very engaging.
The synopsis is rather weird. Mitzner chooses to revisit a previous construct, the law firm form his first novel. However in this case the "hero" is one of the villains from the first story, made more so by what is now revealed to be his vile hypocrisy.
A central plank of Mitzner's legal thrillers, is to portray a world distinctly at odds with the usual stuff of this genre. A world in which most people are found guilty despite a lack of evidence, and dazzling legal heroics by the defence lawyer seldom occur. His portrayal is perhaps more realistic, however his depiction of the trial in this story, was not credible.
The synopsis is rather weird. Mitzner chooses to revisit a previous construct, the law firm form his first novel. However in this case the "hero" is one of the villains from the first story, made more so by what is now revealed to be his vile hypocrisy.
A central plank of Mitzner's legal thrillers, is to portray a world distinctly at odds with the usual stuff of this genre. A world in which most people are found guilty despite a lack of evidence, and dazzling legal heroics by the defence lawyer seldom occur. His portrayal is perhaps more realistic, however his depiction of the trial in this story, was not credible.
July 31, 2017
I swallowed this hook, line, and sinker. Losing Faith, however, tends to make one even more distrustful of lawyers than he probably already is!
Losing Faith is a legal thriller, and thrilling it is. In my opinion there are few really good novels featuring courtroom battles. Perhaps my favorite one was read when I was a high school student in the 1950's: Inherit The Wind. It would be hard to beat that one. Losing Faith is the story of the murder of a potential Supreme Court nominee and how it affects the lives of some members of one of the top NYC law firms. It is a fast, exciting read, but leaves a lot of questions unanswered, thus confirming the idea of many that being an attorney is one sleazy business.
Losing Faith is a legal thriller, and thrilling it is. In my opinion there are few really good novels featuring courtroom battles. Perhaps my favorite one was read when I was a high school student in the 1950's: Inherit The Wind. It would be hard to beat that one. Losing Faith is the story of the murder of a potential Supreme Court nominee and how it affects the lives of some members of one of the top NYC law firms. It is a fast, exciting read, but leaves a lot of questions unanswered, thus confirming the idea of many that being an attorney is one sleazy business.
March 10, 2021
This books starts of feeling like an episode of Law & Order. The problem comes when you realize this book deals more in the Law and not in the Order parts of the show. One the murder happens in this murder mystery you would think the story would be about solving who committed the crime. Instead the Law portion takes over the rest of the book. The whole thing turns into courtroom drama that only a lawyer would care about. That's where this book fails to hold your attention. In the end everyone loses, while the murder gets wrapped up in such a nonchalant manner that you don't even care about the murder. I know the author is a defense attorney but this really was a book that only a lawyer could like.
October 2, 2019
I really like Mitzner's style and content of his writing style. I plan to read all of his books. I think he handles the legal thriller category better than Grisham and any other legal thriller writer I have read. He includes legal issues, legal settings, drama, thrills, sharp turns, romance and sex, and detailed character sketches. This specific book may have been a little too much legal and not enough drama. The ending was not expected and came about so sudden that it was almost too much. But, the story was very good. I listened to the book with Audible books and the narrator was good also.
January 24, 2022
Aaron is a big time lawyer in NYC who had a brief affair with Faith, a judge that happened to be presiding over a trial where Aaron was the defense attorney. A Russian mobster who knows about the affair hires Aaron to defend him, while Faith presides over the trial, and threatens to expose the affair if Aaron doesn't win.
This was another interesting read. I totally thought I knew who done it but I was wrong and I hadn't even considered the actual culprit. I like legal thrillers and we got into the courtroom for the last several chapters. I like this author a lot and now I have read all of his books and eagerly await his next release.
This was another interesting read. I totally thought I knew who done it but I was wrong and I hadn't even considered the actual culprit. I like legal thrillers and we got into the courtroom for the last several chapters. I like this author a lot and now I have read all of his books and eagerly await his next release.
January 31, 2024
3.7 stars
It was a good story and a promising plot. Actually I was thinking about 4-3.9 stars until the last 20% of the book. The twist was more of a...really? then an eye rolling that finished with a big meh sigh. It felt like the captain didn't know how to land so he just...landed. Nope, not surprised and not impressed.
It was a good story and a promising plot. Actually I was thinking about 4-3.9 stars until the last 20% of the book. The twist was more of a...really? then an eye rolling that finished with a big meh sigh. It felt like the captain didn't know how to land so he just...landed. Nope, not surprised and not impressed.
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