Frame-Up [Hardcover]

John F. Dobbyn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 8, 2010

After graduating from Harvard Law with his closest friend John McKedrick, Michael Knight takes a job with his mentor, legendary trial attorney Lex Devlin, while John becomes sole associate of a notorious mob lawyer.Michael never lost hope that John McKedrick would escape to "cleaner pastures" -until John is murdered in a car bombing bearing the signature of his questionable clientele. How could two friends who were so close have taken such wildly divergent paths?In the wake of McKedrick's murder, three men who took their own deviating paths will meet for the first time in forty years. Matt Ryan, a priest, Dominic Santangelo, a mafia don, and Lex Devlin put the past aside to focus on a present concern: Dominic's son has been charged with John McKedrick's murder.At Lex's urging, Michael Knight reluctantly agrees to represent the alleged bomber. In building a defense, Michael is drawn into a high-stakes art fraud that leads him from the seediest parts of Boston to the sophisticated Amsterdam inner sanctum of international crime.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

It sounds like the opening to a bad joke: a priest, a Mafia chieftan, and a lawyer. . . . But this second full-length novel featuring Boston attorneys Michael Knight and his mentor, Lex Devlin, is no joke. In a story that may remind some readers of Dennis Lehane, three old friends—Devlin, priest Matt Ryan, and mafioso Dominic Santangelo—reunite after four decades to find out who’s responsible for the car-bombing of an attorney known to be associated with organized crime. Santangelo’s son is accused of the crime, but Santangelo swears the man is innocent; Devlin tasks Michael Knight, his young associate, with defending the crime lord’s son, an assignment that leads Michael into some very choppy waters. Dobbyn is a talented writer, and this novel boasts both subtle characterizations and a first-rate story. Knight and Devlin, who started out as short-story characters, made the leap to the big time in 2007’s Neon Dragon, and this second installment proves that the first was no flash in the pan. --David Pitt

About the Author

A native of Boston, John F. Dobbyn has served as a professor of law at Villanova Law School since 1969. He and his wife, Lois, live in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Dobbyn is also the author of Neon Dragon

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Oceanview Publishing; 1 edition (March 8, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933515635
• ISBN-13: 978-1933515632
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,391,644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic legal thriller that will keep you on the edge of your chair throughout., February 8, 2010

By 

M. Lignor (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Frame-Up (Hardcover)

A fantastic legal thriller that will keep you on the edge of your chair throughout. I couldn't wait to get started and was not disappointed in the least. The writer obviously knows his characters and tells a tale of murder and mayhem that will fascinate the reader until the last page.

Our hero is Michael Knight, a graduate of Harvard Law that started his practice at the U.S. Attorney's office and then went with a distinguished Boston law firm and then Michael and his mentor, Alexis Devlin who is a well-known trial attorney start their own firm, Devlin and Knight, to work the other side of the coin and take criminal defense cases. John McKendrick, who is Michael's closest friend from law school goes the opposite way and becomes involved as an associate attorney of a infamous mob lawyer. Michael always hoped that John would change his ways but sadly, before this could happen John is killed in a car bombing that might have been orchestrated by, who else?, the mob. After this tragedy three men who had grown up together in Boston meet for the first time in many years. They are Matt Ryan, who is now a priest; Dominic Santangelo, a mafia don and Lex Devlin, Michael's law partner. Devlin and Knight are asked to defend the alleged murderer who turns out to be, who else?? The don's son. The lawyer's agree after much hesitation. In planning the defense, Michael is pulled into an art fraud that takes him from Boston to London to a cosmopolitan Amsterdam and into the innermost world of international art crime. As Michael hastens to work his way into the world of valuable art and dangerous but worthless crooks he learns that these heartless criminals will stop at nothing to keep him away from what he seeks.

I was really into this book from start to finish. This book is a sad story of brotherhood that was once close and now broken. Speaking of finish, the author gave readers a complete surprise at the end. The book is very fast paced and the writing is first class. Frame Up is a worldly and mysterious read with an intriguing hero and a plot that doesn't quit. Of course, according to my daughter, who is also a reviewer, my favorites are always the mob and Nazis (WWII era). And this book certainly didn't let me down on that score. No Nazis but, you can't have everything!! Looking forward to the next book by this author.



Mary Lignor, reviewer for [...]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Liked it!, December 8, 2011

By 

Robert M. Whitehead "Bobbie" (West Palm Beach, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Frame-Up (Paperback)

Great book. Great character. Some books are not good to the last page. This is good to the last page.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He has done it again...., November 28, 2011

By 

PCB - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Frame-Up (Kindle Edition)

Look out John Grisham....you have some stiff competition. Frame Up is a fast, furious and totally enjoyable read. Read the other reviews if you want to know the story...I will just tell you that it is worth every cent and a great book. Start with Neon Dragon the books stand alone but read better if you do them in sequence, helps with the character flow. Good writing, solid mystery and a District Attorney we all love to hate. Keep it up John....I see movies in your future.