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Nina Reilly #10
Unlucky in Law
In California, if a person is convicted of two serious crimes and is then found guilty of any subsequent crime, he or she is automatically subject to a prison sentence of twenty-five years to life. This is called the Third Strike law. Nina Reilly's new case is difficult from the start: her young client is facing his Third Strike, and stands accused of grave robbing...and of killing the fresh corpse found on top of the coffin. He insists he is innocent of both crimes, and claims he was hired to dig up the grave of Constantin Zhukovsky, who, according to his headstone, was once 'Page to the Tsar'. But who is Zhukovsky, and could he possibly have a connection to the Russian royal family, murdered during the revolution? The sudden disappearance of his bones causes further problems for Nina, and her client's denial is on shaky ground when the murder victim turns out to be one of his classmates. With her client remaining tight-lipped about why he was at Zhukovsky's grave and evidence piling up against him, Nina's got a tough battle ahead - one that stretches from the law courts and classrooms of modern-day California, to the intrigues of the Russian Revolution...
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First published July 13, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
October 8, 2020
I am 34 pages in this book and I'm done... Boring unlike her other books I have read. She should have stayed in TAHOE...
October 17, 2011
Good in parts.
My feelings towards this book oscillated as I read it. I'm not a fan of courtroom narratives and found the beginning quite dull as we spent much of our time in the court. As things heated up, with more activity out in the real world, so did my enthusiasm. Unfortunately I was disappointed with the end which fell a bit flat, so only three stars overall.
(Please excuse spelling errors as I listened to the unabridged audiobook and so may have some names wrong.)
Nina Reilly is a likeable lawyer, efficient and determined. Her client, Stephan Wyatt, has been arrested for digging up the bones of a dead Russian, Constantin Zhukovsky, for $1,000. Stephan is the 'Unlucky' character of the title, as he discovered a dead body in the soil above the coffin and is subsequently arrested for the murder of Zhukovsky's daughter, Christina. Nina is defending him with little background research as the case has not been adequately prepared before her arrival (annoying/rather unbelievable). Her boyfriend, Paul, is a private investigator who works for the same firm and he helps unravel the explanation for Christina's death.
The story also centres around death of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, and his family nearly 100 years earlier. What happened to the two family members who were not accounted for at the time? This is an era that I had been intending to look into and so I found this aspect of the narrative fascinating.
Well read by Laural Merlington, I'm glad I listened to this rather than reading it. Recommended as an audiobook, reservations as a straight read.
My feelings towards this book oscillated as I read it. I'm not a fan of courtroom narratives and found the beginning quite dull as we spent much of our time in the court. As things heated up, with more activity out in the real world, so did my enthusiasm. Unfortunately I was disappointed with the end which fell a bit flat, so only three stars overall.
(Please excuse spelling errors as I listened to the unabridged audiobook and so may have some names wrong.)
Nina Reilly is a likeable lawyer, efficient and determined. Her client, Stephan Wyatt, has been arrested for digging up the bones of a dead Russian, Constantin Zhukovsky, for $1,000. Stephan is the 'Unlucky' character of the title, as he discovered a dead body in the soil above the coffin and is subsequently arrested for the murder of Zhukovsky's daughter, Christina. Nina is defending him with little background research as the case has not been adequately prepared before her arrival (annoying/rather unbelievable). Her boyfriend, Paul, is a private investigator who works for the same firm and he helps unravel the explanation for Christina's death.
The story also centres around death of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, and his family nearly 100 years earlier. What happened to the two family members who were not accounted for at the time? This is an era that I had been intending to look into and so I found this aspect of the narrative fascinating.
Well read by Laural Merlington, I'm glad I listened to this rather than reading it. Recommended as an audiobook, reservations as a straight read.
December 19, 2014
It took me a while to get into this book, a lot of detail in her writing, but got hooked on the trial and had to know who did it and why.
July 8, 2016
Love the settings I'm familiar with....law mystery is interesting, but not too dynamic or challenging.
June 11, 2021
I was so painfully disappointed in this novel. The summary on the back of the book makes it seem far more fast paced than it truly was. Boring doesn't even begin to cover the true nature of this story. The first... I'll say 2/3 to 3/4 of the book is all build up with very few answers. Not to mention, the tedium and rehashing of some of the most TEDIOUS points that contribute NOTHING to the story line. Again, and again, and again, Nina mentions how ill prepared she & the firm is for this case, how Klaus may be losing his mind and she's not sure she can trust him. I could go on and on.
You'll know when something brought up is important because Nina, the lawyer who's set to prove her client's innocence with VERY little prep and seemingly less legwork done by the firm to whom she's commissioned, will mull it over for about a page or so, turning it over six ways to Sunday. At that point, something will distract her, or some other facet of the case will pop up, she'll have an "ah-ha" moment, but then the reader won't hear about it until she later tells Paul, the PI that she's dating/quasi engaged to, to go follow up on something because of XYZ .
That's another thing that is a little irksome. Diving into Nina and Paul's relationship is... a little unnecessary, if you ask me. Now, to be fair, I haven't read the books reading up to this one, so it may be more natural than it appears, but it seems like their relationship is just something to fill time when there's nothing to move the plot along due to LITERAL travel or a wandering mind while pondering information in a case that seems pretty hopeless.
When things finally start moving (as I said earlier, the last third to quarter of the book), it all feels a little rushed and farfetched. Everything comes together too quickly, too easily, when it does finally happen. Overall, the book is well written, but the story itself is just a dud. Perhaps it's just because I've never read a story completely about a court case before, and I'm not used to the pace of a court case, but this just didn't do it for me. You would think a story about a murder court case would be more interesting. I wasn't necessarily looking for it to be fast paced; based on the size of the book, I knew it wouldn't be, but I was hoping it would move along a little more than it did. Generally speaking, I'll give the genera another shot, but I'm not sure I'm going to be picking up another story with Nina Reilly defending someone in court any time soon.
You'll know when something brought up is important because Nina, the lawyer who's set to prove her client's innocence with VERY little prep and seemingly less legwork done by the firm to whom she's commissioned, will mull it over for about a page or so, turning it over six ways to Sunday. At that point, something will distract her, or some other facet of the case will pop up, she'll have an "ah-ha" moment, but then the reader won't hear about it until she later tells Paul, the PI that she's dating/quasi engaged to, to go follow up on something because of XYZ .
That's another thing that is a little irksome. Diving into Nina and Paul's relationship is... a little unnecessary, if you ask me. Now, to be fair, I haven't read the books reading up to this one, so it may be more natural than it appears, but it seems like their relationship is just something to fill time when there's nothing to move the plot along due to LITERAL travel or a wandering mind while pondering information in a case that seems pretty hopeless.
When things finally start moving (as I said earlier, the last third to quarter of the book), it all feels a little rushed and farfetched. Everything comes together too quickly, too easily, when it does finally happen. Overall, the book is well written, but the story itself is just a dud. Perhaps it's just because I've never read a story completely about a court case before, and I'm not used to the pace of a court case, but this just didn't do it for me. You would think a story about a murder court case would be more interesting. I wasn't necessarily looking for it to be fast paced; based on the size of the book, I knew it wouldn't be, but I was hoping it would move along a little more than it did. Generally speaking, I'll give the genera another shot, but I'm not sure I'm going to be picking up another story with Nina Reilly defending someone in court any time soon.
October 31, 2019
“Unlucky in Law”
There are a ton of crimes occurring around us every day, but it is rare to see two happen simultaneously. Unlucky in Law, by Perri O’SHAUGHNESSY, tells an exciting story about the quest to save Stefan Wyatt from the allegations of grand theft and potentially murder. The attorney representing him is Nina. She gets the call from her firm while enjoying her vacation. Immediately, her time off comes to a sudden halt. While the storyline was interesting, I felt that the overall writing was not as compelling and didn’t hold my attention.
The book, Unlucky in Law, had an intriguing plot, but it was too drawn out to maintain my focus. I liked that the character was being investigated for two crimes. Stefan was being charged with grand theft and murder. Investigating the crimes was interesting when he was accused of grand theft and as they were getting deep into the inspection, then all of a sudden-bam-the charges for murder came out. It was not a book well set for teens who are always wanting things right away. The whole trial took too long to get going and then to get to the end. Then there wasn’t enough details to keep me intrigued through most of the story. Like when then verdict was coming and could have been big, but it was just a blur. The ruling came and went with little excitement. I felt like it could have had more drama involved. Also, instead of chapters this book had the date of the days throughout the trial. It just talked too much about each day and could have had another twist.
All in all, Unlucky in Law was a decent book, but could have had some improvements. Unlucky in Law needed more oomph to keep its audience’s attention. It needed a quicker and more event full storyline with other interesting or funny events. The appreciation of one’s hard work is taken away if you don’t want to continue reading. Unlucky in Law was over all a good story but could have had a few improvements for teens to enjoy.
There are a ton of crimes occurring around us every day, but it is rare to see two happen simultaneously. Unlucky in Law, by Perri O’SHAUGHNESSY, tells an exciting story about the quest to save Stefan Wyatt from the allegations of grand theft and potentially murder. The attorney representing him is Nina. She gets the call from her firm while enjoying her vacation. Immediately, her time off comes to a sudden halt. While the storyline was interesting, I felt that the overall writing was not as compelling and didn’t hold my attention.
The book, Unlucky in Law, had an intriguing plot, but it was too drawn out to maintain my focus. I liked that the character was being investigated for two crimes. Stefan was being charged with grand theft and murder. Investigating the crimes was interesting when he was accused of grand theft and as they were getting deep into the inspection, then all of a sudden-bam-the charges for murder came out. It was not a book well set for teens who are always wanting things right away. The whole trial took too long to get going and then to get to the end. Then there wasn’t enough details to keep me intrigued through most of the story. Like when then verdict was coming and could have been big, but it was just a blur. The ruling came and went with little excitement. I felt like it could have had more drama involved. Also, instead of chapters this book had the date of the days throughout the trial. It just talked too much about each day and could have had another twist.
All in all, Unlucky in Law was a decent book, but could have had some improvements. Unlucky in Law needed more oomph to keep its audience’s attention. It needed a quicker and more event full storyline with other interesting or funny events. The appreciation of one’s hard work is taken away if you don’t want to continue reading. Unlucky in Law was over all a good story but could have had a few improvements for teens to enjoy.
April 19, 2019
BOTTOM-LINE:
Good story with the mentor, but the other stuff detracts
.
PLOT OR PREMISE:
Nina Reilly gets a call from her old mentor to sit second-chair on a murder case that started with a grave robbery
.
WHAT I LIKED:
The story that the client tells is surprisingly plausible...he was hired to rob a grave, which he did. Except when he's caught, the cops go back and check the grave he robbed and find out that there's now a fresh body in it and he's charged with murder. It's a simple twist but there is little doubt through the case that he's not guilty and there is "something else" going on. And just to complicate things, her mentor is basically dumping the case on her, has done almost no prep, is showing early signs of dementia, and the PI he hired did almost no work either. Nina has her hands full just as Paul proposes.
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
There are two threads running through the story that are less than optimal. First, the premise of the mystery is that the dead body that is stolen is tied to a society of Russian conspiracy theorists who suspect he was tied to the Romanoffs (hey, he's Russian, he must be, right?). This is about the fourth book I've read in the last two years that threw in a Romanoff angle, and it's not handled that well, although most don't anyway. Second, the marriage proposal from Paul leads to a bunch of emotional drama and angst, and detracts heavily from the story. It reads more like a bad romance novel than a mystery.
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the authors, nor do I follow them on social media.
Good story with the mentor, but the other stuff detracts
.
PLOT OR PREMISE:
Nina Reilly gets a call from her old mentor to sit second-chair on a murder case that started with a grave robbery
.
WHAT I LIKED:
The story that the client tells is surprisingly plausible...he was hired to rob a grave, which he did. Except when he's caught, the cops go back and check the grave he robbed and find out that there's now a fresh body in it and he's charged with murder. It's a simple twist but there is little doubt through the case that he's not guilty and there is "something else" going on. And just to complicate things, her mentor is basically dumping the case on her, has done almost no prep, is showing early signs of dementia, and the PI he hired did almost no work either. Nina has her hands full just as Paul proposes.
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
There are two threads running through the story that are less than optimal. First, the premise of the mystery is that the dead body that is stolen is tied to a society of Russian conspiracy theorists who suspect he was tied to the Romanoffs (hey, he's Russian, he must be, right?). This is about the fourth book I've read in the last two years that threw in a Romanoff angle, and it's not handled that well, although most don't anyway. Second, the marriage proposal from Paul leads to a bunch of emotional drama and angst, and detracts heavily from the story. It reads more like a bad romance novel than a mystery.
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the authors, nor do I follow them on social media.
September 16, 2019
First third of book is standard legal proceeding as Nina defends a man accused of grave robbing and murder; she was brought in late in the case and must assist a senior attorney who seems to be losing his legal skills. Middle third is investigative work by Paul who must find witnesses, interview them and put together missing pieces for Nina. Final third is courtroom melodrama as Nina uncovers secrets and lies pertaining to the Russian heirs to the throne à la Anastasia. This was a preposterous premise and almost laughable. However, the Nina's legal expertise and Paul's investigative skills make this one of the best Nina Reilly books, except for the Anastasia rubbish.
Other tidbits: Dr. Ginger Hirabayashi, forensic pathologist, is a most interesting character and could have been in her own series; Dr. Susan Musumi (Johns Hopkins undergrad, Stanford medical school grad, assistant medical examiner in Salinas, and Paul's new love) is also worthy of a larger role, although Nina has no respect for her. The Russian hitman, Sergey, was an evil sinister villain, but Paul let him go (alive).
In the end Nina and Paul break up, and Nina moves back to Lake Tahoe. I liked this breakup soliloquy from Paul: "It's over, honey," he said. He put the ring up so that they could both watch its million colored lights radiate. Then he popped it into his pocket and kissed her hand. "But don't believe that bullshit they feed you about men and women never being friends. I'll always be yours. I'll always adore you."
This was a perfect way to break up after all of their adventures together; Nina just never had spark for Paul that she had for Collier, her late husband, and she never treated Paul fair and square.
Other tidbits: Dr. Ginger Hirabayashi, forensic pathologist, is a most interesting character and could have been in her own series; Dr. Susan Musumi (Johns Hopkins undergrad, Stanford medical school grad, assistant medical examiner in Salinas, and Paul's new love) is also worthy of a larger role, although Nina has no respect for her. The Russian hitman, Sergey, was an evil sinister villain, but Paul let him go (alive).
In the end Nina and Paul break up, and Nina moves back to Lake Tahoe. I liked this breakup soliloquy from Paul: "It's over, honey," he said. He put the ring up so that they could both watch its million colored lights radiate. Then he popped it into his pocket and kissed her hand. "But don't believe that bullshit they feed you about men and women never being friends. I'll always be yours. I'll always adore you."
This was a perfect way to break up after all of their adventures together; Nina just never had spark for Paul that she had for Collier, her late husband, and she never treated Paul fair and square.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2020
In California, if a person is convicted of two serious crimes and is then found guilty of any subsequent crime, he or she is automatically subject to a prison sentence of twenty-five years to life. This is called the Third Strike law. Nina Reilly's new case is difficult from the start: her young client is facing his Third Strike, and stands accused of grave robbing...and of killing the fresh corpse found on top of the coffin. He insists he is innocent of both crimes, and claims he was hired to dig up the grave of Constantin Zhukovsky, who, according to his headstone, was once 'Page to the Tsar'. But who is Zhukovsky, and could he possibly have a connection to the Russian royal family, murdered during the revolution? The sudden disappearance of his bones causes further problems for Nina, and her client's denial is on shaky ground when the murder victim turns out to be one of his classmates. With her client remaining tight-lipped about why he was at Zhukovsky's grave and evidence piling up against him, Nina's got a tough battle ahead - one that stretches from the law courts and classrooms of modern-day California, to the intrigues of the Russian Revolution...
May 30, 2018
Decent but a little underwhelming. I do love a good Russian Tsar mystery - those stories are so fascinating! But I didn’t really feel like I cared about the characters and things seemed to take a long time to get moving. Maybe because I don’t remember the others in this series and haven’t read them all, I had a hard time with Nina’s motivation to move and her relationship with Paul. It felt like a stretch and made me question the rest of the story.
March 10, 2020
Another excellent read by the O’Shaughnessy sisters! This is number 10 in the 13-book series and is as good as their previous novels. I love their writing style and how they develop the charters and storyline. This story is 370 pages and the culprit is not revealed until the last few pages nor can you figure it out easily before then. This one is filled with Russian history, sexual tension and courtroom drama. Highly recommend Unlucky in Law.
August 13, 2022
It's always tough to start in the middle of the series, but O'Shaughnessy made it easy. The narrator did a great job and this book kept me awake on some long drives. An exciting plot, interesting characters, and two dilemmas that Nina has to figure out--is her old boss becoming senile and does she want to stay in Monterey County with her lover or return to Lake Tahoe? The Russian tsar tie-in made it even more compelling.
February 7, 2018
This is the second Nina Reilly books I've read and I've thoroughly enjoyed both of the. The story line grabs you right from the start and just when I think I've figured it out, the author throws in a twist that makes the story even more compelling. I would have liked to see more resolution of the Nina/Paul story - yet I need to read more to see what happens between the two of them.
July 29, 2022
I loved the courtroom / legal parts. Paul was obnoxious and I hated his POV. I wonder if the sisters felt like they needed to essentially imitate the “big boys club” like Patterson maybe with their writing… to keep up and get published. Some of it felt like a male writer and not in a good way. This was also written like 20yrs ago so possibly it just didn’t age well.
January 23, 2023
Didn’t enjoy this as much as other Nina Reilly books. A bit too complicated, and I prefer The Tahoe location and more Sandy. I was glad to finally see some resolution to Nina & Paul’s relationship, even though I doubt that it won’t resurface again. Nina can’t seem to get her act together as far as romance goes. I do like Ginger did enjoyed her role on the story.
July 23, 2020
A woman focused on her career and her kid, a guy who wants more of her but can't keep it in his pants. Lovely sense of place, both now and earlier and interesting story that I won't give away. A nice evening's read to break the day
August 31, 2021
This book gave me a glimmer of why I have loved this series. I can't say if it was just because of the Romanov link or because Nina finally saw the real Paul, but I will be reading the next book, that isn't something I would have said before reading this book.
September 1, 2021
Nina Reilly is defending a two time felon on a murder charge. The case seems airtight. However Nina, with Paul's help manages to find enough information to save this grave robber from being convicted of the murder of a recently deceased woman also found in the grave.
October 7, 2017
Really good. This book kept me guessing and the plot was very enjoyable as were the characters.
October 9, 2017
Of course, great! Lots of really surprising turns and ending in sadness.
March 26, 2018
It’s been a while since I read a book from the series. This one was exceptional. Never saw this ending coming. Had my suspicions but it was closely help until the end.
September 20, 2018
I enjoy these books by O'Shaughnessy, about the feisty lady lawyer who saves her clients from prison. She has a son named Bob and a dog named Hitchcock.
May 7, 2019
Another great read!
I have enjoyed every one of the Nina Reilly series. I can’t wait to start the next one! The characters and plot are always well-developed and interesting!
I have enjoyed every one of the Nina Reilly series. I can’t wait to start the next one! The characters and plot are always well-developed and interesting!
August 4, 2019
The suspense built is really nice. The characters however are not that relatable at least for me.
The end is unpredictable and not at all in a good way. I did not like the climax.
The end is unpredictable and not at all in a good way. I did not like the climax.
March 20, 2020
love courtroom drama. such a story!
grave upon grave
grave upon grave
May 24, 2021
Suspenseful. Not knowing who did it until the end. Interesting if you like Russian history.
July 3, 2021
3.5. I love the Nina Reilly books, and this was a good legal mystery and courtroom thriller.
August 16, 2022
Loved this book. Slower starting, but then it hooked me until the end.
March 11, 2023
Mostly fun. The romantic story line is a bit predictable and distracting but the main story is fast moving and engaging.
March 20, 2024
I do enjoy this authors books
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews