Hush Money

Starred review from October 1, 2012

In Greaves's entertaining first novel, Jack MacTaggert, a young lawyer in a prestigious Pasadena law firm, is thrown into the middle of murder and intrigue when he is assigned an insurance claim from a wealthy woman whose prize racehorse, Hush Puppy, has died under suspicious circumstances. After his friend and mentor is killed while investigating what appears to be corruption inside the firm, MacTaggert and his girlfriend find their lives threatened as he tries to identify the killer and discover what happened to the horse. Jack is a likable hero with a wisecrack for every occasion, and the plot moves along briskly to a satisfying conclusion. Dan Butler's smooth and effective reading makes for an enjoyable listening experience. VERDICT Recommended for fans of crime fiction and legal novels. ["Winner of the South West Writers (SWW) grand-prize Storyteller Award for 2010, trial lawyer Greaves's delightful debut, which the SWW also named Best Mystery of 2010, cleverly intermingles equestrian show jumping, insurance claims, and high-tech science in this sunny California thriller," read the review of the Minotaur: St. Martin's hc, LJ 4/1/12.--Ed.]--Mary Knapp, Madison P.L., WI

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