Book Review: “Unreasonable Doubts” by Reyna Marder Gentin

“Unreasonable Doubts” by Reyna Marder Gentin (2018)

Genre: Thriller, Fiction, Legal

Page Length: 320 pages (paperback edition)

Synopsis:

Jaded New York City Public Defender Liana Cohen would give anything to have one client in whom she can believe. Dozens of hardened criminals and repeat offenders have chipped away at her faith in both herself and the system. Her boyfriend Jakob’s high-powered law firm colleagues see her do-gooder job as a joke, which only adds to the increasing strain in their relationship.

Enter imprisoned felon Danny Shea, whose unforgivable crime would raise a moral conflict in an attorney at the height of her idealism―and that hasn’t been Liana in quite a while. But Danny’s astonishing blend of good looks, intelligence, and vulnerability intrigues Liana. Could he be the client she’s been longing for―the wrongly accused in need of a second chance? Is he innocent? As their attorney-client relationship transforms into something less than arm’s length, Liana is forced to confront fundamental questions of truth, faith, and love―and to decide who she wants to be. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

Unreasonable Doubts follows the story of a lawyer named Liana who works as a Public Defender. She’s at a crossroads in her life and feels lost. Shes happy with her boyfriend and their solid relationship, but is afraid to take it to the next level. She’s also lost a sense of purpose at her job and her fight when it comes to her clients because some have them have ended up as repeat offenders. Her newest case on Daniel Shea involving a serious crime proves to be a challenge.

Liana is a kind-hearted soul who has lost her faith in her job and her life. She extremely close to her family, but is also a very hard worker. O’Shea’s case gives her the push that she needs to realize why she choose this job in the first place. She throws herself into case looking at past arguments and transcripts from earlier trials, but is still on the fence about the case. Daniel seems charming, highly intelligent, and innocent of the crime, but is he guilty? Shes tries to keep an open mind, but after meeting him in person it complicates things. She becomes attracted to him, but feels guilty because of Jakob. Even though she feels neglected from Jakob spending all his time at work.

I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, so I won’t say too much more but this was a very intriguing legal thriller! I usually don’t read too much of this genre, but this book pleasantly surprised me. It’s not only a book that takes a in-depth look at the field of law and defense lawyers (I could tell Gentin did her research due to the great attention to detail in this aspect), but also has theme about self-discovery. Liana’s on the brink of turning thirty and is questioning everything in her life. She grows not only in her career, but also as a person by the end of the novel. I was on edge as to what with happen with O’Shea’s case and every new development in the case kept me engrossed in the novel.

If you enjoy suspenseful legal thrillers, this book is up your alley!

*Trigger warnings: Rape, Descriptions of Physcial Abuse

Final Verdict: