The Guilty Die Twice by Don Hartshorn

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Guilty Die Twice

by Don Hartshorn

on March 1, 2020
Genres: Legal Thriller
Pages: 324
Format: Kindle
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository

Two attorney brothers. Two bullet-riddled corpses. Two sides to the story.

Ten years ago, a capital murder case in the heart of Texas split the Lynch family in two. Now, estranged lawyer brothers Travis and Jake Lynch find themselves on opposing sides of the courtroom in a high-profile, grisly double murder case—with another accused criminal’s life on the line. Conscience-stricken Travis left his high-powered law firm to become a public defender, while bullish Jake rose to become District Attorney. The case pits brother against brother in a contest of wits, wills, and legal savvy that will shake the justice system to its core: both Lynches are convinced they’re in the right, but the truth turns out to be more complicated—and deadly—than either could have possibly imagined.

A drug deal double-cross turns lethal, leaving two corpses and one victim paralyzed for life. The victim never saw the gunman, but he knows one name: Sam Park. Travis defended Sam’s brother years before, and his heart won’t let him turn down the case, even knowing it’ll bring him face-to-face with Jake after ten years of cold silence. Jake, meanwhile, runs afoul of the Austin political machine and needs a high-profile conviction to win a tough upcoming election. And Sam, the star witness and prime suspect, won’t talk—not to Travis, and certainly not to the high-and-mighty DA—and time is running out.

Can these feuding brothers put aside a decade of enmity in the name of true justice? Or will the truth of what really happened that bloody night go to the grave with Sam Park?

Fans of Due Process by Scott Pratt, The Family Lawyer by James Patterson, Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke, and The Fifth Justice by John Ellsworth will love this book, as well as people who love to read about: True crime, Legal thrillers, Courtroom drama, Texas legal dynasties, Political drama, and Broken families.

The Guilty Die Twice by Don Hartshorn is a thrilling mystery that also looks at the two sides of capital punishment.

Will the Lynch brothers make peace with each other after ten long years?

The Lynch Family has been attornies for generations. They are among Austin’s elite. Valentine Lynch ran for Texas’s governor twice and lost, but he still has clout in the political and legal arena.

Claire Lynch is the middle sibling. She is running the family law firm now with her father as a figurehead. Claire is a force to be reckoned with too. She does help her brothers with whatever she can.

Jake Lynch

Jake is the oldest of the three Lynch siblings. He is also the current district attorney; he is married with two children and lives in Austin’s best neighborhoods. At first, Jake came across as a pompous jerk, but I saw that he wasn’t the monster that everyone made him out to be after getting in his head. Jake is good at his job and seeing people for what they are.

Jake seems like the bad guy in this story, but there is more to him than meets the eye. So, keep your eye on him.

Travis Lynch

Travis is the youngest of the three Lynch siblings. He has chosen not to use the privilege that the Lynch name comes with. In fact, his beliefs are very different from the rest of his family. However, Travis is punishing himself for things that are out of his control, and he is hurting his wife and family in the process. Honestly, at first, I thought that Travis was this righteous person who helped the poor and outcast. Which he totally does, but at times it felt like he did it to make up for a past event that he couldn’t change. In the process of finding his truth, Travis alienates his family, turns his back on his friends, and becomes a mess of a man trying to give free legal help to those he deems worthy.

We do start to see a change in Travis, but it sneaks up on you, and then you see this totally different person.

Christine Morton

Christine is a surprising character. She is a newspaper reporter that made her name with that old case ten years ago. The brothers both hate her, but she is tough, and she knows far more than most other people involved in the cases and around Austin.

I loved this character. She has some grit, and she isn’t afraid to back down. She kept everything moving.

The Story

The story switches between the present in which Jake is the DA and must figure out how to handle a case where two rich boys were brutally shot and killed. Travis has decided to take one of the accused boy’s side against the DA’s office. It looks like this case may also have capital punishment (death penalty).

The case from the past was ten years ago when Travis worked as Jake’s clerk in the DA’s office. They were working on another capital punishment case where Travis flips on Jake in the middle of the investigation.

We see how that case tore the brothers apart and how the new case helps bring them back together. It also shows the corruption and a side of the defendants that most people don’t see. It also shows that just because someone has money doesn’t mean that they are good parents.

Oh, and Bobby Velasquez, what a jerk. That man is so slimy. But Jake did teach him a few things. 😉

Five Stars

I have to say that I was skeptical about this book, but it really came through. There was even a part where I was actually outraged and pissed off at the things that were happening. When a book gives me that much emotion, the author has done an outstanding job. My rating for The Guilty Die Twice by Don Hartshorn is five stars.

If you like legal thrillers, then this is a book for you. Mr. Hartshorn does an amazing job of weaving all the pieces into a cohesive story that really makes you think.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Guilty Die Twice by Don Hartshorn.

Until the next time,

 

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