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Treble Heart Books
WhoooDoo! Mysteries
ISBN: 978-1-932695-70-0
Rated PG-17
Hank Fisher is not your typical first-year criminal defense lawyer. Acting more like Sherlock Holmes than Oliver Wendell Holmes in the courtroom, he exonerates clients by catching the real bad guys. 

His unconventional victories come at the chagrin of his larger-than-life boss, Mac, who prefers to pull the twelfth juror from the brink of conviction the old-fashioned way, through an artful cross-examination and an impassioned closing argument. But before the dysfunctional duo can rescue their new client, a United States Senator, from the jaws of an apparent IRS investigation, a hit-and-run attack rips their law firm apart, putting one person in a hearse and another in a coma. 

To find the killer, Hank must defend the senator by himself in a criminal investigation that is spiraling out of control.

$13.50 Tradesize Print Book
REVIEWS
The media is going to have a field day with this.  It seems that Senator victoria Sterling's election campaign included an illegal contribution of $50,000 from PEACE (People for the Education of Arabic Children Everywhere), a group suspected of being a front for the director
position of the CIA; it's a matter of time before the information comes out.

The plot thickens.  Someone attempts to kill the senator.  All the key players in the act either feign ignorance or they've mysteriously disappeared.  Who is framing the senator and how does this tie-in with the newest super bug?

READY FOR THE DEFENSE feels like a true crime novel.  Being as the author is a lawyer, I expected the behind the crime scenes to be true to life, which which they were.  What I didn't expect was that the characters were going to be so well fashioned, including smooth dialogue that fit each individual, well developed background stories for each person, and characters that actually grew with and were affected by the story.  Add to this a story that is timely and extremely well integrated.

---Dr. Tamy Brady, Review
Midwest Book Reviews
Rating:
Reviewed by: Kelly Davis

Don't let the large font fool you; Ready for the Defense is a taut, well-written novel that will not insult
your intelligence. Mike Langan's second novel is one of the best true-to-life crime dramas I've ever
read.

I'd have loved this book even if the characters weren't as well-developed. Having lived in the
Washington, DC, area for 14 years now, I was impressed by how well Langan knew the minutiae of
DC. So I googled him and, sure enough, he is an alum of George Mason (a cross-town rival but I won't
hold that against him). Aside from that, Hangan's second novel is about a very likeable protagonist
named Hank Fisher, a newish lawyer looking for love. He and his friend John MacPherson are walking
down the street in Capitol Hill when the bullets start flying. Down goes his friend and senator. I won't
give away any spoilers, but the senator, named Senator Victoria Serling, has just received an illegal
campaign contribution (sound familiar?). Fisher may be an every-man, but he is nothing if not
persistent. He risks life, limb, and career to find the person and/or organization behind this crime.
Fisher digs deeper and finds possible germ warfare and other intriguing plot twists.

Ready for the Defense comes to a satisfying conclusion and, particularly if you are familiar with the
DC area, you will love this book.
Recommended highly.

* * *
“Ready for the Defense” paves the way for a series of Hank Fisher mystery novels as he
joins forces with Roger Lynch in future adventures, investigation, and intrigue. I expect
Hank Fisher to join the ranks of Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade, Nero Wolf, Alex Cross, and
Hercule Poirot. Mike Langan’s writing is highly entertaining, strong, and refreshing.

---Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (5/08)
* * *