About the Book
Cross Examination, the second in a series of Jamie Carson Legal Thrillers, confronts financial juggernauts when a biotech company's IPO and an FDA approval stand at the precipice. The New Tisbury Police arrested the accused, Herbie Jones, after they discovered the weapon in his car used in a Groton bar staying. Jones works for the same biotech company as the slain woman's boyfriend. Trial lawyer Jamie Carson faces overwhelming evidence when he agrees to defend Jones. Jamie Carson and his partner Stephanie Marx at the BigLaw firm of Ely, Snow & Carson cross the ocean to England and the tax haven Isle of Man searching for evidence that they hope may free their client in front of a Connecticut jury. Cross Examination gives the reader a front row seat to what first-rate lawyers must do to bring justice to a case where others would have failed.
What Others Are Saying About The Jamie Carson Legal Thrillers
"Mitch McDeere, Mickey Haller, Frank Galvin, Jake Brigance; all great characters in the legal thriller genre. Well, you can now add Jamie Carson to that lofty list. In his debut novel, Reasonably Foreseeable, attorney turned author James E. Carroll creates a complex story where the lead character must navigate a volatile legal landscape where the most vulnerable are often chewed up and spit out unless they have a champion willing to risk their career, and even their lives to achieve justice. James E. Carroll has written a taut, propulsive drama that will keep you guessing to the very last page."
-Casey Sherman, N.Y. Times Bestselling Author of Helltown and A Murder in Hollywood
"Connecticut is called 'the land of steady habits.' Not so in the Jamie Carson series. James E. Carroll is a master of narrative who allows the reader to slip into the mind of a brilliant trial lawyer. Like the great writers of legal fiction, Carroll has created a place and an intriguing character who I hope will treat us to courtroom drama in the years to come." -CT Attorney Steven G. Mednick
"Cross-Examination, Attorney James E. Carroll's second in a series of Jamie Carson litigation thrillers kept my attention from beginning to end. Carroll's debut thriller, Reasonably Foreseeable, is just as engrossing. Great news. That there is in fact a second and that it is as good or better than the first is rarely the case in the publishing world. Each narrative is fleshed out in fascinating detail, from what the characters are wearing and eating, to the places they are frequenting, both here and abroad. The experienced trial lawyer, whether in the criminal or civil space, will find that Carson's multi-dimensional litigation strategies and tactics 'ring true.' The reader who has never set foot in a courtroom will come away not only with having binged on a good yarn, but also with some serious, albeit vicarious, real-world exposure to what goes on under the hood of litigation that is both multi-faceted and high-stakes." -Prof. Charles E. Rounds, Jr., Suffolk Law School
About the Author :
James E. Carroll has been a trial lawyer for forty years, both in private practice and for the U.S. Department of Justice, practicing criminal and civil litigation in courts around the country. The realism in his novels comes from an insider's perspective gained from standing before judges and juries arguing his clients' cases. From the day he entered law school, he wanted only to be a trial lawyer. Now he writes from his homes on Cape Cod and Vero Beach where he enjoys the beaches, an occasional game of golf, spending time with his children and grandchildren and a walk with his Goldendoodle Logan.
Other Books by James E. Carroll
Reasonably Foreseeable
--the first Jamie Carson legal thriller
A Pen on the Moon
--a children's Christmas tale
Review :
Review of CROSS EXAMINATION by BestThrillers.com The Bottom Line: James E. Carroll is a master storyteller. Come for the murder mystery and riveting courtroom drama but stay for the cunning corporate conspiracy. James E. Carroll's second Jamie Carson Legal Thriller, Cross Examination, focuses on Herbie Jones, a white-collar worker whose gun possession charge - aside from a prior arrest for cocaine possession - seems somewhat out of character. Herbie is a star salesperson for Atoll Investments, a privately owned financial firm specializing in complex investment vehicles for wealthy clients. But Jamie doesn't know the whole story yet. Soon, we learn that the IRS has an active criminal file on Atoll. Meanwhile, an ex-girlfriend of the company's research director, Karen Polito, was recently murdered. Subsequently, the gun Herbie is charged with possessing illegally is forensically confirmed to be the same gun that killed Karen. Herbie is arrested for Karen's murder. Jamie is convinced that his client has been set up. Carroll, showcasing Jamie's strategic mind, makes literary magic as he meticulously plans Herbie's defense. The night before Herbie's initial arrest, he was knocked out in a bar fight. There was no record of Jones buying the murder weapon, nor were there any of his fingerprints on it. There was no evidence of him knowing about the gun, nor did he have any pets - a critical insight since an animal fiber was found on it. But Jamie knows that simply raising reasonable doubt may not be enough to acquit his client. He needs an alternate theory. If Herbie didn't do it, who did? The opening trial statement Carroll has written for Jamie is a rousing one, punctuated by a promise: "We will show you who had the motive to kill Karen Polito, and it wasn't Mr. Jones." Carroll excels at crafting knuckle-biting courtroom drama, but the sections focused on pre-trial research are nearly as good. That's especially true as Jamie and co-counsel Stephanie Marx take a hard look at the company Herbie works for. Atoll was selling investments in a shaky biotech product that was headed for IPO. On the surface, the murder victim didn't seem to have any connection to the company other than a romantic relationship, but Jamie and Stephanie won't stop digging until they find one. Thematically, Carroll deftly explores the shady world of investment vehicles for the wealthy. Cross Examination weaves murder, courtroom drama, and corporate conspiracy into a thriller so sharp, it will leave you breathless by the time the verdict is read.
Hollywood Book Reviews:
Cross Examination is a brilliantly written and captivating legal thriller. It has the reader's sense of a cozy murder mystery but its realism augments tension throughout the novel, making it a book you do not want to put down.
Jamie Carson is a highly successful lawyer for Ely, Snow, & Carson out of New Tisbury, Connecticut. Jamie is a scholar's lawyer, and his competitive nature implores him to win every case. But he also has a strong ethical core that informs his work. When he is assigned to the case of Herbie Jones, a stockbroker in illegal possession of a firearm, it seems like a simple enough project. But when the ballistics report comes back, it shows that the gun had been used in the murder of a young woman. Herbie swears he's innocent. As the story unfolds, it becomes increasingly evident this murder was perpetrated to silence that young woman with Herbie being framed for it. Jamie Carson and his team follow the trail from murdered woman to the boyfriend who works at a biotech company in England. And said company is connected to an American investment group specializing in selling investments that come with big tax breaks for the rich and elite. Big players are involved. Jamie and his partner, Stephanie Marx, go to great lengths to put everything together. They hire specialists to testify, interview connected parties, and even make a trip to England to investigate a mysterious man on the Isle of Wight. Jamie's connections include Sydney Collins, the local courtroom deputy clerk. Their budding romance is a side story and the author balances this nicely as the criminal trial dominates the narrative.
Jamie and Stephanie must unravel this complicated plot to get to the truth and, ideally for Herbie, exonerate their client. It is a complex plot, but author James E. Carroll is a great storyteller. His writing is illustrative, giving the reader the sense they are watching Jamie Carson put together the pieces of this case like a jigsaw puzzle.
Cross Examination certainly has the feel of a John Grisham novel. It is an engrossing novel with vividly drawn characters. The author also shows a nice descriptive hand, rendering each courtroom scene in illuminative detail. He provides informative legal anecdotes that never seem out of place; always adding to the reader's understanding of the legal process. This novel has a complex plot but it's easy to read - it's easy to read because it's a great story. Fans of legal thrillers and detective novels will love this one. But it will appeal to all readers interested in an enthralling, well written story.
This story is a riveting legal thriller filled with danger, deception, and relentless pursuit of the truth. Cross Examination is the second book in a series. If this piques your interest, be sure to check out the first book in the series: Reasonably Foreseeable.
