Review – No Legal Grounds

James Scott Bell is a master storyteller. He finds a great balance between characterization and plot that keeps the reader caring about his characters while unable to put down the book from the pace of his stories. No Legal Grounds follows this well-balanced formula and is guaranteed to keep you up until you finish it.

In this legal thriller, Attorney Sam Trask finds himself and his family victimized by an old college acquaintance Nicky Oberlin. At first, Nicky’s desire to reconnect with Trask seems innocent enough but soon places Trask in a fight for life. When Trask and his family’s lives are threatened, he follows the legal route trying to protect his family. When this fails, Trask toys with taking protection into his own hands. In his struggle, we can see how easy it might be to follow the wrong path and become a vigilante. Especially when Bell paints a picture of complete failure and despair in Trask’s life.

The book also follows the rebellion of Trask’s teenage daughter, Heather. She leaves home to find her way in the music business, succumbing to many temptations that would keep her parents awake at night if they knew what she was up to. The dynamics between Trask, his wife, and daughter are very realistically portrayed and give insight on how difficult it is to raise a teenager today. Through all of this, Trask questions his faith while Heather begins to find her way to faith.

I have read many of Bell’s books and have never been disappointed in any of them. As a writer, he gives me concrete examples of how to craft a novel. His characters always resonate with me, in that he creates ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations, giving me the chance to take this journey with them and ponder what I would do in their shoes without the pain in my own life.

I have always enjoyed legal thrillers. No Legal Grounds has its share of legal jargon that keeps the story true to the genre, but the difference in this book than many other legal thrillers is that the life outside the courtroom is the real story. Love, family, faith, and hope are the threads that kept me reading No Legal Grounds. Pick it up, you won’t be disappointed.