DEAD BY PROXY
Proxy Legal Thriller Series, Book 1
by
Manning Wolfe
Legal Thriller / Suspense / Action
Publisher: Starpath Books, LLC
Date of Publication: September 15, 2023
Number of Pages: 324 pages
Scroll down for Giveaway!
In this lawyer-on-the-run suspense drama, attorney Quinton Bell loses the trial of his career, and possibly his life.
Dead By Proxy takes you on a heart-pounding journey through the life of a criminal defense attorney whose world is wiped out. When Quinton loses a career-defining case, he finds himself being hunted by the very client he tried to save.
As Quinton navigates the treacherous path of survival, he is running from a powerful and relentless adversary who will stop at nothing to see him silenced. Finally landing in Houston, he hides in plain sight while re-inventing his new life as a trial lawyer.
When he’s forced to take on a high-profile murder case, he exposes himself and those he loves to danger. With each passing moment, the noose tightens, and he must draw on every ounce of wit to outsmart those who still want him dead.
Will Quinton Bell find a way out, or will he forever be a target in a deadly game of cat and mouse?
Dead By Proxy is the first book in the edgy Proxy Legal Thriller Series. If you like memorable characters, smart gritty action, and jaw-dropping twists, then you’ll love Manning Wolfe’s fast-paced page-turner.
Amazon
Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Praise
“A riveting read that expertly teams courtroom drama and legal maneuvering with imminent danger, spine-tingling suspense, a touch of romance, and non-stop action. Talk about an adrenaline rush!” – Reedsy
“Manning Wolfe just put herself on my list of must-read authors!” – John Ellsworth
Many plot twists and turns to keep you engaged and wondering what could possibly happen next.
I love a good suspense/thriller novel, and this book delivers. We meet Byron Douglas, who has found himself on the wrong side of the Irish Mafia in New York and has to escape to Texas to try and disappear into the population and potentially save his life. What he doesn’t expect is for his old friend’s father to help him disappear. Judge Bell arranges for Byron to assume his son’s life, who is presumed dead. What unfolds is a twisty tale that reveals the underbelly of the criminal world and what lengths some will go to to avoid jail.
Byron is a likable character and has morals for a lawyer. Not that lawyers don’t have morals or a conscience, but there are some that do not. I appreciated that he didn’t like everything as it unfolded, but he knew if he didn’t assume this other identity, he could be discovered and killed rather quickly. Not that it was a foolproof plan, but it was better than nothing. I wondered how events would play out for him in the long run. What evolves was surprising, and while I might have suspected part of the plot twist, most of it was a surprise.
The action is fast-paced, the characters are varied, and the courtroom scenes are detailed. While I am not a lawyer (nor have I played one anywhere!), I felt like I had a grasp on the process from the descriptions the author laid out for us. I am intrigued by this series, and I wonder if Byron, now Quinton, will struggle with his choices and identity from now on. There are so many revelations at the end of the book, and I can’t imagine how I would handle it if I were in his shoes.
While this book does wrap up the situation that Byron/Quinton finds himself in, there is a bit of a cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more from this author sooner rather than later. But it looks like you will only have to wait until January for the next in this series.
I stayed up way too late reading this book (the joy, or curse, of insomnia) and gave it 4 paws up.
Manning Wolfe, an award-winning author and attorney, writes cinematic-style, smart, fast-paced thrillers and crime fiction. Manning was recently featured on Oxygen TV’s: Accident, Suicide, or Murder, and has spoken at major book festivals around the world.
Manning’s legal thriller series, featuring Austin attorney Merit Bridges, includes Dollar Signs, Music Notes, Green Fees, and Chinese Wall.
Manning’s new Proxy Legal Thrillers Series, featuring Houston attorney Quinton Bell, includes Dead by Proxy, Hunted by Proxy, and Alive by Proxy.
Manning is co-author of Killer Set: Drop the Mic, and twelve additional Bullet Books Speed Reads.
As a graduate of Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law, Manning’s experience has given her a voyeur’s peek into some shady characters’ lives and a front-row seat to watch the good people who stand against them.
Website ◆ Instagram ◆ Facebook
X (Twitter) ◆ Tiktok ◆ Pinterest ◆ Linkedin
BookBub ◆ Goodreads ◆ Amazon
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
THREE WINNERS
Grand Prize: eBook of Dead by Proxy + $25 Amazon gift card
2nd & 3rd Prizes: eBook
(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 10/13/23)
Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page
For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily,
or visit the blogs directly:
| 10/03/23 | Forgotten Winds | Review |
| 10/03/23 | Hall Ways Blog | BONUS Stop |
| 10/04/23 | Librariel Book Adventures | Review |
| 10/04/23 | LSBBT Blog | BONUS Stop |
| 10/05/23 | Reading by Moonlight | Review |
| 10/06/23 | StoreyBook Reviews | Review |
| 10/07/23 | Writing and Music | Review |
| 10/08/23 | The Real World According to Sam | Review |
| 10/09/23 | Jennie Reads | Review |
| 10/10/23 | Chapter Break Book Blog | Review |
| 10/10/23 | Boys’ Mom Reads | BONUS Stop |
| 10/11/23 | Rox Burkey Blog | Review |
| 10/12/23 | The Plain-Spoken Pen | Review |
blog tour services provided by
I like the premise of this book & it sounds like time well spent between pages! Cliffhanger endings drive some readers crazy, but it really helps knowing the wait isn’t too long for the next installment! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the book.