Author John Dobbyn has written a thrilling novel starring two of his short story characters, Michael Knight and Lex Devlin. In Neon Dragon, the two attorneys are working in the Boston law offices of Bilson, Dawes, Lefbridge & Sykes. They soon join together to defend an unexpected high profile client.

On his way out of court one morning, Michael is pulled aside and asked by Judge Amos Bradley to defend his son, Anthony. The younger Bradley has been accused of killing a revered elderly man in Chinatown during a Chinese New Year's celebration the night before. Taking this case could cause political complications for the Michael. Thankfully, he has help amongst his fellow attorneys.

As Michael begins his investigation into the case, he finds himself involved in the dangerous underground world of corruption, human trafficking, prostitution, and drugs that is Chinatown. With Harry, his Harvard law school buddy by his side, Michael heads straight into the tail of the dragon.

Harry understands the ways of the street, and tries to prevent Michael from getting into deeper trouble than he is already. As the bodies begin to pile up, Michael and Harry soon find their own lives in danger.

Their investigation takes them into Canada, further putting their lives in danger, as well as those with whom they come in contact. Breaking international laws, the two do whatever it takes to try to prove the innocence of Michael’s client. Unfortunately, the evidence does not support Anthony’s story.

While seeking to prove his client’s innocence, Michael also works to find out the truth about his mentor and friend Lex Devlin, and why Devlin gave up a stellar career as a defense attorney ten years before. Lex was accused of jury tampering, and quietly changed career focus. Michael believes there is more to the story.

This taut, fast-paced story delivers a keen mystery. Mr. Dobbyn’s well-developed characters are easy to love or hate, depending on their role. This story can be harsh at times, but it is also a story of love and of caring for others that shows the tender side of people who respect their friends and co-workers.

There are funny moments along the way. One of my favorite characters is Julie, the secretary in Michael's office. Hopefully, we will see more of Julie in future books.

A special thank you goes to Oceanview Publishing for providing a complimentary copy of Neon Dragon for review. If interested, you can purchase a copy through Amazon.com.