Two brothers. One accused of a horrific crime. The other chasing a golden future. And an attorney navigating between both.
Fresh off his latest case, Attorney Nate Shepherd takes in some local high school football, hoping that a Friday night under the lights will give him a chance to relax with his family. It does - until the quarterback’s brother is arrested in the middle of the game.
Nate jumps in to represent the brother, who stands accused of a crime far worse than anyone imagined. As the internet rains fury down on his new client and a merciless prosecutor manoeuvres to put the young man away, Nate scrambles to find out what happened and why. But no one, anywhere, seems to be telling him the whole truth.
Nate struggles to build a defense, unwinding a spool of facts that threatens to spill over into his own family’s lives. And with each revelation, the conflict grows until a new danger arises.
Michael Stagg has been a trial lawyer for more than twenty-five years. He has tried cases to juries and he's won and he's lost and he's argued about it in the court of appeals after. He still practices law so he's writing the Nate Shepherd series under a pen name.
Michael and his wife live in the Midwest. Their sons are grown so time that used to be spent at football games and band concerts now goes to writing. He enjoys sports of all sorts, reading, and grilling, with the order depending on the day.
For more information about Michael and his books, sign up for his newsletter at michaelstagg.com/newsletter/ or go to michaelstagg.com.
Hmm. I hate to say it but this book, which is in a series I LOVE, just didn't do it for me. I'm not a football follower so the parts describing football plays bored me. I started really enjoying the last part of the book but then felt disappointed by the ending. (Maybe my brain was no longer functioning by that time because of all the football jargon and games.😄)
I'm sure football fans will appreciate it more than I did!
Another solid legal thriller about Colt Daniels, a young man accused of murdering his football obsessed father. Colt is represented by attorney Nate Shephard who's brother Tom is the High School Football coach. Tom Shephard is frantically working to get his team and star QB, Colt's younger brother Tyler, ready for the Michigan State HS football playoff. This is an entertaining small town legal battle where the focus is squarely on the local HS football team and it's chances to win its first state championship. Nate's objective in defending Colt is of course, not to determine the real killer but to establish reasonable doubt with the jury. Great from a real life legal perspective but having been schooled by Raymond Burr's Perry Mason as a kid, it's so much better to find and target the real killer and expose he or she on the stand thus embarrassing the obnoxiously arrogant prosecutor for TV and literary justice!
This installment of the Nate Shepherd series is my favorite. It has small town drama, murder, family drama, and football. The infuriating part of this book is that, like in previous books, nate's clients always seem to keep very important secrets and are never forthcoming. Hello?! He's defending you of murder!!! Why wouldn't you be forthcoming with YOUR lawyer?! It's super annoying.
But I guess if the book gets my emotions like this than it is well written. Being from a small town myself I really enjoyed this installment. I know how important high school football is in a small community.
I could never figure out who was the killer. I was completely invested in this story and at the edge of my seat to find out what really happened. I highly recommend this legal thriller!
to understand teenagers n sports pressure, I recommend reading this book
Wow, how realistic. I’m so relatable to some content of this book bc of my affiliation with the sport world bc of my involvement with my son’s basketball career. We experience the eligibility rules when my son wanted to transfer his senior year. The whole family had to pack up and move. The house had to be completely empty and the coach and someone from state had to come to the old and new houses to verify and take pictures. And I knew exactly what Steve Mathieson and Jimmy Benoit job was when Olivia researched them. I’ve encountered people like these during my son’s basketball journey. And they’re very manipulative with money to back them up. To avoid all of these problems, my son and I took the Juco route his 1st year then he was recruited to division I, the 2nd year on his own merits. The 2nd year of division I, we were introduced to the NIL deals. I commend Tyler for sacrificing himself but I felt so bad for Tom, the team and community. That championship was a big deal. I knew Kenny was fake. With friends like him, who needed enemies. Brett raised some good young men. This prosecutor, Tiffany Erin, was wack, I didn’t like her.
Michael Stagg has a wonderful writing voice, he makes his characters distinct and continues to build the world of southern Michigan/northern Ohio. But this time he has a problem with story and still no theme (I could be wrong about the theme thing).
There is a big hole in Shep's murder case. Oh, not in the defense's case, but in the prosecution's. A hole Nate could happily drive a truck through on his way to pick up Cuban sandwiches while waving at his perfect family and friends. Kind of takes the thrill out of legal thriller. So, I deducted a star.
Another excellent, witty, thoughtful book by Michael Stagg. I enjoy this series very much and recommend it to all.
This one was about a young man being accused of the rather gruesome murder of his father. The murder and the trial were interesting. I really enjoyed that the trial did not depend on the attorney finding the "real" killer or sorting out some real-life problems. The outcome of the trial was based on logical arguments and observations that anyone could see--if they simply paid attention.
I find it astounding that the author writes in such a way that I read the book and cannot see a possibility that will make sense other than what the prosecutor says. Then the attorney thinks it through and presents evidence at trial. That evidence always makes me slap my forehead and say "of course!" What a great way to read a murder mystery.
The only downside to this book, in my opinion, was the storyline that was happening at the same time as the trial preparation. That storyline was really rather obvious--everyone knew what would happen and the author did not seem to want to make it much of a mystery. But, although I did not especially enjoy that part, it did make the actions of some of the characters more understandable.
Let me start out with this, I am a trial junkie. A group of friends and I have been watching trials together on Facebook for over 10 years. When I found this series I was very excited . I don't leave reviews often but wanted everyone to know how entertaining and interesting these books are! I love the characters in each book. I can picture what they would look like and their voices and mannerisms by this authors descriptions. The storylines are always interesting. Ok I'm on to my next book. I have been reading shower than usual because I've been immersed in the Alex Murdaugh trial. Talk about fascinating!! Thank you, Michael Stagg for a great series of books. I've loved each one!
Once again Nate Shepherd represents a defendant in a tough case in Book 4 of Michael Stagg’s Legal Thriller Series, confronting secrets with ties to his own family while defending a high school quarterback accused of murder. As Nate works through the evidence, more questions than answers arise. A tough prosecutor keeps Shepherd on his toes in the courtroom and requires all the support and expertise he can find.
While the series keeps the same formula, Stagg manages to keep the characters interesting with compelling stories and layers of intrigue and offers enough red herrings that the ending is not obvious. This series continues to offer entertaining and interesting books that have me looking for the next in the series.
The more Michael Stagg writes, the better his writing gets. And the less grammar/spelling errors, too! This one was the best of the 4 I've read so far. Just great down-to-Earth and semi-realistic courtroom drama, without a ton of shoe-horned in bells and whistles.
One of the things I really appreciate with Stagg's books is that there is no forced romance that it seems like EEEEEVVVERRRY genre seems to need to get in there. To the point where it's a bit of a tongue-in-cheek joke because Nate Shepherd, the main character, denies all of his friends' family members' setups for him. I'm sure this will eventually change, but it sure is refreshing when compared to Reacher, for example, who seems to always bump uglies with the hottest female in his books.
Usually, these books kind of telegraph the bad guy in some way. Without saying too much, this one caught me completely off guard. I even had a note that I knew who the bad guy was around 1/3 into the book because it seemed kind of obvious-but-not-obvious and thought I was being super sleuthy. I was wrong. You win this round, Stagg!! ;)
One thing worth noting with this one, when compared to the previous 3 books, is that it takes quite a bit longer to get to the actual courtroom. I was pleased with the other ones when, around 1/3 into the book, we were already in court, but this one's more around 2/3 mark.
All in all, a great read, and still my favorite courtroom-based series I've read.
A legal thriller in which Nate Shepherd is retained to defend a college youth accused of murdering his father in an unimaginably horrific way and then using a coyote call whistle to get coyotes to feed on the body and destroy the evidence. Most of the novel is about football, campus issues, sports scholarships, social media, and very little about the evidence. This is because the prosecution refuses to disclose any part of the evidence until the mandatory date for such disclosure. About ten or fifteen chapters at the end are played out in the courtroom. No surprise, the prosecutor is a hard hitting lady and the defence attorney is a gentle bear of a man who is a match for her and the silence of his client and his client's family.
The epilogue too is a trick played on us as all the gaps are filled in, together with a new angle - money laundering.
Since this is the first book I have read by this author, I cannot judge whether his other books are better, but as a legal thriller, it failed. As a book about cutthroat competition in the world of sports and sports sponsorships it works rather better.
4.5 stars, but only because I found who actually "dunnit" to be a bit of a letdown. From all the roadblocks Nate was running into right from the start, I was expecting that there was someone high up gumming up the works for some nefarious reason, but as far as I could tell, there wasn't.
A couple of nitpicky things that wouldn't have affected the rating (anything that can make me read something with so much about football in it and actually enjoy it has to be good):
1) I found it very strange that Nate always referred to the opposing lawyer by her full name. Maybe the author thought it would sound too chummy to just use her first name given how antagonistic she was and too formal to refer to her as Ms. Aaron (assuming that's the spelling since I was listening), but it just struck me as weird.
2) I also found the constant references to Rhonda's nicotine habit to be incredibly annoying. In almost every appearance it seems as if she's lighting up, wishing she could, complaining she can't, or coming back from having a smoke. It's a wonder she could spare a thought for her son being tried for murder.
An interesting plot, but not the author's best novel, that I have read. I have a difficult time believing that Tyler could have been living outside of the school district for several months, especially at his mother's home, and no one ever noticed? Tyler was not a recluse, he was the team's leader and had to have some kind of high school social life with his school and team mates and yet, no one in the football community ever noticed a high profile quarterback was not living with his dad, while traveling between two states every school day. Nice try, but too thin of an out, to be a real out for the novel.
Well written (maybe one typo ). University student, Colt, is accused of murder. Nate's brother was the football coach for Colt and now for Tyler. Tyler has proved himself to be a top notch quarterback . Nate keeps finding discrepancies that he doesn't get answers to. However , he prepares a good defense not sure which way it will go. Good drama, a few subplots . What I really like is that the author writes a follow-up to the trials . Questions I had were answered. Great reading .
Another 4-star installment of the Nate Shepherd series. When a young man is charged with the murder of his father, Nate steps in to defend him. Along the way we meet some very formidable lawyers on the prosecution side, see how social media influences our justice system, and just how heavy high school football weighs on an athlete and their parents. A good, quick read narrated by the fabulous George Newbern. I could seriously listen to this man narrative instructions on how to boil water and I'd be captivated.
I love the Nate Shepherd books and I used to think there was a tiny bit too much about Val and the gym and working out. Well, let me tell you now that my eyes were crossing as football plays and strategy flowed into nearly every page of this one. However, the murder case and and the complicated (brilliant) plot combined to make this a wonderful legal thriller. As always, this author provides skillfully written court room and legal strategy drama. I look forward to the next Nate Shepherd legal thriller. It's always a great read.
Couldn’t put it down. His characters are well defined. The technology the main character used at trial is captivating. I don’t agree with his use of where the characters were living as a crime just isn’t the law as I know it excepted lying to the police as to where staying the night of the murder. Otherwise the father’s house could be their domicile.for legal purposes.
I loved this one! So many unexpected twists that I am not sure how the author kept them straight! This one kept me on my toes trying to figure it out as it was unfolding. I love Nate, his family and all the characters. The good the bad and the ugly! All are perfect for their use and purpose. I can see why this has such a high rating. George Newbern does an excellent job narrating and helping to bring the characters to life.
I have read a lot of Nate Shepherd books, however this one kept me up reading. The storyline was interesting. I am a football fan so that that did peek my interest. But you will be scratching your head until the end. Very good read and if you don't mind being transported to the Midwest and can visualise the character you will be thoroughly surprised by the ending.
3-1/2 stars. Of the Nate Shepherd series that I've read, this one perhaps fell short for me. It involves a small town football team, two brothers - one a star quarterback, lots of football jargon, and the very intensely grizzly murder of the boys' father. In the end, although I understood the premise of who did it, I really didn't understand why - a couple of the characters just seemed to be a stretch to me.
I love this series! The writing pulls you in and makes me read faster to get to the conclusion. I like the characters and the mystery. I was sure I knew who the killer was, even through the court hearing and testimony and I was wrong lol. I was suspicious of the person who ended up being guilty but didn’t follow my instincts.
This story is a perfect blend of law, mystery, honor, family, and football. Even better, it is seasoned with the exuberant yellow lab, Chet. I love how the details of the crime and the trial roll out so perfectly. And, I love Nate Shepherd's sense of humor and well used sarcasm. I want more, please!
This is a winner! The enigma surrounding Brett Daniels death just draws us in because we know Nate Shepherd is a great attorney! Olivia somehow knew to look up Steve Madison without hearing the name, but when you read the book, it just one small detail we look past because its a great story! Looking forward to the next!
Reading this author’s tales is like sitting down with a good friend over a cup of coffee and enjoying every bit of the conversation as the story unfolds. His characters are believable, and his down to earth way of making you feel like you are right there in the story with him is what makes you feel like you just have to hear more from him.
I found book four, "False Oath" in the "Nate Shepherd Legal Thrillers" to be engaging, rousing, entertaining, and thrilling. Author Michael Stagg is one of my favorites, and I always look forward to more of his works. Also, one of my favorite narrators is George Newbern, so this is a win-win.
Didn't like the audible reader... same writing style and storyline as the other Stagg book"Lethal Defense" i am reading... very little the humN emotional side of the main character Nate. Very much like the Perry Mason novels... if you like to read about how attorneys think and act, this is for you...
I've really enjoyed reading the four books in this series so far. I love that presumably the authors personality and fantastic sense of humor shine through in his character, Nate. The storyline keeps me involved. I find I don't want to put the book down, which has made me late for work more than once 😃
I think this was my second favorite in the series after the first novel. This one had a much bigger mystery than the past two, along with a side mystery which was pretty easy to figure out, and there was an interesting twist in the courtroom. As always, the legal part of the story was polished and realistic.
I have enjoyed reading the Nate Sheppard books. My favorite thing is when you are reading along all of a sudden the author interjects little passages directed to the reader. If you are looking for a new author give Michael Stagg a try. I don’t believe you’ll be disappointed.
I rate this a five - all the books so far - because the author has not yet watered the books down in plot, new topics and obviously research as I have seen other authors do over the last many years - say 25. So I highly reccomend the whole serie. Being native and still is Norwegian gives him an extra point🤗
Another good story. Thought I had the ending sussed, but I was wrong, however the evidence was there in full sight, well most of it. Not sure what makes these so compelling and hard to put down. The courtroom scenes are excellent. Like the way it feels as if Nate is just talking directly to you at times and sort of narrating the story.