Title:	Moral Defense
	Author:	Marcia Clark
	Published:	November 8, 2016, Thomas & Mercer
	No. of Pages:	426
	Cover Price:	$24.95 Hardcover, $15.95 Paperback, $4.99 Kindle

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Samantha Brinkman isn’t your run-of-the-mill defense attorney. In the second book of the Samantha Brinkman series, Moral Defense, Samantha becomes the legal advocate for Cassie Sonnenberg, who is the only survivor after the brutal murder of her brother and father, as well as her mother being left for dead, but barely hanging on. The murderer apparently didn’t know Cassie was in the bedroom next door, and she was left unscathed. As Samantha investigates, she discovers clues that don’t quite add up, and finds she must dig deeper and work with the police to find the perpetrator.

Marcia Clark, former prosecutor in the famous OJ Simpson case, certainly knows her way around legal circles, and is an excellent storyteller. Some of her previous novels have become bestsellers, and the first book in this series, Blood Defense also made the bestseller list. Samantha is unrelenting when it comes to defending her clients, and she sometimes gets a little close to the line. She is a likeable character, and in Moral Defense, finds she has much in common with Cassie, having had similar childhood experiences.

As the novel progresses, the suspense builds, and there are several surprising events leading to the dénouement. Clark’s writing style is easy to follow, yet powerful, and readers will find themselves on the edge of their seats. Clark somehow finds ways to make the ending a total surprise with enough ethical issues to keep readers thinking long after the novel is finished.

All told, this is an excellent series for thriller readers. Hopefully Clark will keep writing and including Samantha in subsequent suspenseful thrillers.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

This book may be purchased at Amazon:
Moral Defense (Samantha Brinkman)