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Daniel Pike #7
Partners in Crime
The Grim Reaper is coming to the courtroom-where Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid may face their final judgment. In Florida, defense attorney Daniel Pike is stunned when his legal files are ransacked and his lover, Maria Morales, disappears. In Oklahoma, semi-retired attorney Ben Kincaid is horrified when his connection to this apparent abduction endangers the people he loves most. Desperate for help, Pike seizes Kincaid and hauls him on a cross-country road trip to discover what happened to Maria...and why a killer is so interested in a California murder case. During the journey, Dan and Ben encounter Roswell aliens, San Diego cosplay, snowstorms, barroom brawls, assassination attempts, a cartel rubout, and an old acquaintance now behind bars. But someone dressed as the Grim Reaper is leaving a bloodstained trail of victims from one coast to the other. Every new clue points to a West Coast murder conviction-and a pending motion that might prevent a major injustice. Reluctantly, Dan and Ben agree to represent the defendant who might hold the answers they seek-or might make them the next victims. Will this be the capstone to their distinguished careers-or the final ride into the sunset? Enthralling for newcomers and fans, Partners in Crime launches a new Daniel Pike series and also features Ben Kincaid, the author's first fictional attorney returning after more than a decade. If you like spellbinding courtroom drama, unexpected revelations, and jaw-dropping action, you'll love William Bernhardt's thrill-packed legal road trip.
- GenresFiction
340 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2023
161 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
William Bernhardt
99 books516 followersWilliam Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid legal thrillers, the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and Nemesis, three books of poetry, and the ten Red Sneaker books on fiction writing.
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 16, 2023
A longtime fan of William Bernhardt and his legal thrillers, I was pleased to get my hands on the latest in the Daniel Pike series. It was, however, less Pike-centric and more a combined talents piece with Bernhardt’s other famed protagonist, Ben Kincaid,. Together, these two lawyers are tasked with trying to help a man who has been convicted of a murder he vows he did not commit, while a new murderer is out killing people seemingly connected to Pike’s practice. Bernhardt offers up a great thriller that has many twists, with the law taking second chair to all the action the two protagonists find. A great read for readers who enjoy either (or both) protagonists from Bernhardt’s series work.
Daniel Pike has proven himself to be a level-headed defence attorney down in Florida, but is dismayed when his office is ransacked. Legal files are scattered all over and his intimate partner, Maria Morales, has been kidnapped. Across the country in Oklahoma, Ben Kincaid is enjoying life as a semi-retired lawyer, whose life is turned upside down when he’s pulled into the investigation surrounding the Morales disappearance, while his own loved ones are put in danger.
As Pike arrives to speak with Kincaid, the former forcefully brings the latter on a cross-country trip with him to get to the heart of the abduction and a murder conviction that is creating a great deal of headlines in California. When Pike learns that some of his clients have been killed, he wonders if it has something to do with the legal files that were left scattered all over the floor. What does the killer want and how will they get it?
As Kincaid and Pike seek answers, they come across a number of skirmishes and problems, putting themselves in significant danger. They connection on many levels as well, discovering more about one another than they thought they could have. The law makes for strange bedfellows and these two are certainly lines who fit the bill.
With the aforementioned case in California heating up, Pike and Kincaid agree to represent the accused in a last-ditch effort, though there is a great deal of reluctance. With a killer on the loose and another man who is set to be sent away for life, Pike and Kincaid will have to pull out all the stops to protect themselves and their client. A gripping thriller that has everything but the kitchen sink, Bernhardt weaves quite the story here.
I discovered William Bernhardt a number of years ago and have never been able to shake my fascination with his legal thrillers. This is a great addiction to the Daniel Pike series, though it differed greatly from the other novels. Bernhardt does what I always enjoy seeing authors do, have protagonists from their popular series combine talents and work together. The effect worked and the story gains momentum as needed to keep things clipping along. The novel is strong, the character help keep it propelling to the climactic reveal, and the reader cannot help wanting to know more.
Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid have grown quite a bit in their respective series, though that is also the case here. Both men have a passion for the law and will stop at nothing to ensure justice is done. They have their families and personal lives, which are questioned during their extensive time together. Bernhardt delves deeply to show how great they are, while also making sure the reader gets a glimpse and some new materiel related to each, Adding some minor characters to move things along, Bernhardt offers up a great deal of what the reader needs to enjoy this piece thoroughly.
Legal thrillers are known for their twists and turns, as are good crime novels. This story had a few, though I found that the twists were spaced out and things needed a jolt on occasion to gain the needed momentum to keep the reader enthralled. Bernhardt is a master storyteller and proves it here, though his mashing together of two protagonists was less of a lethal thrill than I might have expected. Still, a great read for anyone who wants to take the plunge.
Kudos, Mr Bernhardt, for always crafting something worth my while.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Daniel Pike has proven himself to be a level-headed defence attorney down in Florida, but is dismayed when his office is ransacked. Legal files are scattered all over and his intimate partner, Maria Morales, has been kidnapped. Across the country in Oklahoma, Ben Kincaid is enjoying life as a semi-retired lawyer, whose life is turned upside down when he’s pulled into the investigation surrounding the Morales disappearance, while his own loved ones are put in danger.
As Pike arrives to speak with Kincaid, the former forcefully brings the latter on a cross-country trip with him to get to the heart of the abduction and a murder conviction that is creating a great deal of headlines in California. When Pike learns that some of his clients have been killed, he wonders if it has something to do with the legal files that were left scattered all over the floor. What does the killer want and how will they get it?
As Kincaid and Pike seek answers, they come across a number of skirmishes and problems, putting themselves in significant danger. They connection on many levels as well, discovering more about one another than they thought they could have. The law makes for strange bedfellows and these two are certainly lines who fit the bill.
With the aforementioned case in California heating up, Pike and Kincaid agree to represent the accused in a last-ditch effort, though there is a great deal of reluctance. With a killer on the loose and another man who is set to be sent away for life, Pike and Kincaid will have to pull out all the stops to protect themselves and their client. A gripping thriller that has everything but the kitchen sink, Bernhardt weaves quite the story here.
I discovered William Bernhardt a number of years ago and have never been able to shake my fascination with his legal thrillers. This is a great addiction to the Daniel Pike series, though it differed greatly from the other novels. Bernhardt does what I always enjoy seeing authors do, have protagonists from their popular series combine talents and work together. The effect worked and the story gains momentum as needed to keep things clipping along. The novel is strong, the character help keep it propelling to the climactic reveal, and the reader cannot help wanting to know more.
Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid have grown quite a bit in their respective series, though that is also the case here. Both men have a passion for the law and will stop at nothing to ensure justice is done. They have their families and personal lives, which are questioned during their extensive time together. Bernhardt delves deeply to show how great they are, while also making sure the reader gets a glimpse and some new materiel related to each, Adding some minor characters to move things along, Bernhardt offers up a great deal of what the reader needs to enjoy this piece thoroughly.
Legal thrillers are known for their twists and turns, as are good crime novels. This story had a few, though I found that the twists were spaced out and things needed a jolt on occasion to gain the needed momentum to keep the reader enthralled. Bernhardt is a master storyteller and proves it here, though his mashing together of two protagonists was less of a lethal thrill than I might have expected. Still, a great read for anyone who wants to take the plunge.
Kudos, Mr Bernhardt, for always crafting something worth my while.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
December 17, 2023
Disappointed.....
I was so looking forward to this book, but I was so disappointed in the story. Did William even write this book? This story was unbelievable and the banter between Dan and Ben was annoying....all of the car chases with bullets flying every where were unrealistic. I still enjoyed the flow of the story, but I am so disappointed. Also, I do not want Dan to become a father...I prefer him being free and single with none of life's constraints.
I was so looking forward to this book, but I was so disappointed in the story. Did William even write this book? This story was unbelievable and the banter between Dan and Ben was annoying....all of the car chases with bullets flying every where were unrealistic. I still enjoyed the flow of the story, but I am so disappointed. Also, I do not want Dan to become a father...I prefer him being free and single with none of life's constraints.
January 19, 2024
I loved the entire Ben Kincaid series, so I was pleased to see Ben reappear with Daniel Pike. This book didn't disappoint. Ben was still the lovable, brilliant lawyer from 40ish years ago, and he's aged appropriately. The banter between Ben and Dan is priceless, and it was a joy to see Christina, Loving, and Jones resurface. Thanks for the treat, Mr. Bernhardt! Oh, and the story line is also classic William Bernhardt. A great read!
August 30, 2024
Great book-bad editing.
The story is great. I love Daniel Pike.. But the editing is horrible. Words missing in sentences. Words misspelled. Genders not consistent. Places where the writer was writing about "she" but he inadvertently wrote he. I usually only read Kindle unlimited books but i bought this one because i loved the first 6 but the poor editing in this sort of made me disappointed that I bought it.
The story is great. I love Daniel Pike.. But the editing is horrible. Words missing in sentences. Words misspelled. Genders not consistent. Places where the writer was writing about "she" but he inadvertently wrote he. I usually only read Kindle unlimited books but i bought this one because i loved the first 6 but the poor editing in this sort of made me disappointed that I bought it.
April 1, 2025
I usually love the Daniel Pike books, but this one was disappointing. The idea of the Grim Reaper running around in full costume committing murders was so ridiculous it distracted me from the story. The story would have been much better without the silly, costumed killer.
However, this story did introduce me to Ben and I look forward to giving some of those novels a try.
However, this story did introduce me to Ben and I look forward to giving some of those novels a try.
October 23, 2023
Good read as always with Bernardo, and Pike.
The story line was very good and the ending surprising. Was surprised thought a the spelling and grammar errors that were frustrating.
The story line was very good and the ending surprising. Was surprised thought a the spelling and grammar errors that were frustrating.
January 30, 2024
For the first time, Bernhardt disappointed me, and I’ve read all of his books. First, this book is far too long. Second, the dialogue is often impossible to believe. Frankly, its editor should be fired. The book is a mess.
April 4, 2024
First time reading Bernhardt and I was excited to do so as he'd been compared to one of my favourite authors, James Lee Burke. I completely disagree with the comparison. Apart from that, I gave this book a very low rating as I couldn't get past all of the typos. It was difficult to concentrate on the story there were so many. The character development was very poor and the two similar names made it difficult to distinguish between the two main characters.
February 7, 2025
A little different
This was a slight detour from the usual Dan Pike fare , however still a good story . Sorry to say that Maria's surprise was very predictable. Will not disclose
This was a slight detour from the usual Dan Pike fare , however still a good story . Sorry to say that Maria's surprise was very predictable. Will not disclose
June 12, 2025
I’ve read the whole Daniel Pike series. That should answer any questions whether or not it’s a good read! This one seems a bit different as “Daniel” and company must take some road trips and it’s a bit quirky but a fast read. Legal thrillers your thing, meet Daniel Pike.
December 2, 2023
I was disappointed : two pseudo James Bonds? Witless banter which was not amusing?
Probably I need a break from this author
Probably I need a break from this author
Read
February 3, 2024DNF. No rating
Boring ...
Boring ...
February 18, 2024
Great book
This book had everything you would like in a legal thriller. Lots of twists and turns. Interesting characters, etc. I couldn't put this book down.
This book had everything you would like in a legal thriller. Lots of twists and turns. Interesting characters, etc. I couldn't put this book down.
February 27, 2024
I am a fan of the author. But this one didn't hit many notes for me. Felt contrived
March 12, 2024
When is #8?
Totally enjoyed this series. To read this much, in such a short time, it had to be good. I got hooked on #1. Thank you Amazon, for the ad, on facebook.
Totally enjoyed this series. To read this much, in such a short time, it had to be good. I got hooked on #1. Thank you Amazon, for the ad, on facebook.
March 13, 2025
Very disappointed in this book. Really liked all his other Daniel Pike books but I found that I was going delete this one a few times. I found it confusing and a bit boring. Didn't enjoy this one!
April 24, 2025
Great Story
I enjoyed it. I like both characters so I have no problem with the direction. Enjoy the ride. And the story.
I enjoyed it. I like both characters so I have no problem with the direction. Enjoy the ride. And the story.
January 9, 2026
WOW!!!
Pike takes the lead once again but ensures EVERYONE is involved in conspiracy solution. Great to see a team come together.
Pike takes the lead once again but ensures EVERYONE is involved in conspiracy solution. Great to see a team come together.
September 19, 2023
Can Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid prevent a literal Grim Reaper from stealing the lives of their loved ones and themselves?
I enjoyed seeing two of my favorite Bernhardt protagonists working together on a case for the first time. The plot is nicely complex, and the array of villains, hirelings, and potential villains keep the reader hopping. Having read all of the books in both the Ben Kincaid and Last Chance Lawyers series, I was fascinated by the way Bernhardt successfully contrasted the different personalities and working styles of two of his most popular protagonists, Ben Kincaid and Daniel Pike, throughout. The use of a trip across the country as the framework for the piece, with the potential for Dan getting arrested at any point, provided a nice continuing piece of tension. Of course, the abduction of a main character and the question of whether they are alive or dead keeps everyone nervous. It doesn’t hurt that the road trip takes us completely across the continental U.S. with stops in snow storms, seedy bars, prison, Roswell, and ComicCon. William Bernhardt provides his dedicated readers with exactly what they were hoping for and new readers with a great incentive to climb on board these wonderful series.
I enjoyed seeing two of my favorite Bernhardt protagonists working together on a case for the first time. The plot is nicely complex, and the array of villains, hirelings, and potential villains keep the reader hopping. Having read all of the books in both the Ben Kincaid and Last Chance Lawyers series, I was fascinated by the way Bernhardt successfully contrasted the different personalities and working styles of two of his most popular protagonists, Ben Kincaid and Daniel Pike, throughout. The use of a trip across the country as the framework for the piece, with the potential for Dan getting arrested at any point, provided a nice continuing piece of tension. Of course, the abduction of a main character and the question of whether they are alive or dead keeps everyone nervous. It doesn’t hurt that the road trip takes us completely across the continental U.S. with stops in snow storms, seedy bars, prison, Roswell, and ComicCon. William Bernhardt provides his dedicated readers with exactly what they were hoping for and new readers with a great incentive to climb on board these wonderful series.
September 15, 2023
This was exceptional read that combined two of my favorite characters in an avengers level event!
Don't miss out on this fun thriller that will have you turning pages all night. I always enjoy reading about the adventures Pike gets up to, but bringing in Bernhardt's classic characters really brings this latest novel to another level.
Don't miss out on this fun thriller that will have you turning pages all night. I always enjoy reading about the adventures Pike gets up to, but bringing in Bernhardt's classic characters really brings this latest novel to another level.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews