Shadow Laws [Paperback]

Jim Michael Hansen (Author)

Book Description

Series: Laws | Publication Date: October 15, 2006

In Jim Michael Hansen's riveting new thriller, SHADOW LAWS, Denver homicide detective Bryson Coventry and beautiful young attorney Taylor Sutton are separately hunting a killer but for very different reasons. As the two dangerous chases inadvertently intersect, both of the hunters get pulled deeper and deeper into an edgy world of shifting truths where there is more at stake than either could have imagined, nothing is as it seems and time is running out.

Editorial Reviews

Review

As engaging as the debut Night Laws, this exciting blend of police procedural and legal thriller recalls the early works of Scott Turow and Lisa Scottoline. --Library Journal

A page-turner of a read that is, mildly put, spectacular. ... A fine, fine read and a highly recommended buy. --New Mystery Reader Magazine

A nail-biter, page-turner read that has all the elements that simply must be there ...Outstanding and exceptional! Highly recommended! --Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

Can the Laws Thrillers be Read in Any Order? Yes. All of the Laws books are stand-alone and self-contained, meaning they can be read in any order and that the storylines do not continue or overlap from one work to the next. Detective Bryson Coventry and Shalifa Netherwood return in each book but are involved in new and distinct situations each time.

What Does the "Laws" Part of the Book Title Stand For? The "Laws" part of the title refers to lawyers and law firms who always end up having a role in the story. However, there is no legalese, trials or boring courtroom drama, and never will be. What the reader gets instead are glimpses of how real lawyers spend their time, how law firms operate, and the like. References are made to ongoing cases, on occasion, simply because lawyers think about their caseloads. Instead of being interested in legal issues or cases, the author is much more interested in lawyers as people, who end up in intense situations. For example, in Night laws the law firm purports to do something slightly illegal to help an important client. This gets it into all kinds of trouble to the point of even becoming mysteriously involved with a vicious killer. That, to the author, is a more interesting concept than a judicial resolution of some legal matter.

Similarly, in Shadow Laws, the attorney has a client who he has never met face to face, and who now believes that the client is out to kill him. He hires another lawyer--Taylor Sutton, the star of Shadow Laws--to investigate, and she finds herself pulled into a dark and dangerous world.

Who is Detective Bryson Coventry? Too many detectives in movies and books are cast in the worn-out mold of the walking wounded, misunderstood renegade, rebel-without-a-cause, drink-like-a-fish-but-still-smarter-than-you type. To the author, they're not believable and never have been, primarily because real detectives work in very large organizations. Misfits and lone wolfs, quite frankly, wouldn't last two months in the real world. Bryson Coventry was going to be nothing like that. The author knew that from day one.

Instead, the author wanted Coventry to be a very solid, likeable guy, a team player who recognizes the worth of other people, who isn't above getting help wherever he can find it, who appreciates the frailties of people, respects the little person, and even engages in random acts of kindness. He also leans towards fine art, humor, mid-year Corvettes, music, coffee and, of course, the ladies. He doesn't like elevators, lines or rude drivers. Other than that, he's basically live-and-let-live.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 402 pages
• Publisher: Dark Sky Publishing, Inc. (October 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097692434X
• ISBN-13: 978-0976924340
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,471,380 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Chilly!, September 10, 2006

By 

Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer -... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Shadow Laws (Paperback)

One of the marks of a great series writer is the ability to connect the reader with one principle character from one work to another. The character must be strong, he or she becomes the readers recognition of the author's work and one that the reader knows will be the pivot point of the entire storyline. In the same token each story must be able to stand alone and such is the case with the writings of Jim Michael Hansen. To me, this is the mark of an exceptional writer.
Author Jim Hansen has accomplished this task in his second work, "Shadow Laws," by drawing us again into the work and life of Homicide detective Byson Coventry as he begins a hunt for yet another killer of innocent young women. We are comfortable knowing our detective yet if this is our first read of this outstanding author's work, we are drawn into the life of Coventry by his defined descriptive writing of Coventry's character, life and occupation.
In the beginning of our read we are witnessed to a fatal car accident caused by a careless couple who hide their hideous crime; we will not be told how this interweaves with the story at this time, but you will be shocked how important this event becomes. We travel to Denver and meet Taylor Sutton,Esq. and her friend Nick who informs her that he needs her help with a delicate matter.
He has a mysterious client, one who he has only talked with on the phone, although he has taken his retainer. Now he feels this same man is trying to kill him and he doesn't know why. He has taped their conversations and wants to know if it would be against client privileges to take these tapes to the police as he feels he maybe a killer. However, the client never actually admits to killing anyone but the undertone that he has is there. Chilling!
We are then taken into the life of Detective Coventry; a young woman is missing. Perhaps she has only decided to take a few days off away from everyone, but Coventry knows deep in his gut that this is not the case. Soon we are in the midst of the chase for a very sick man who likes to play games with the police, attorneys and the women that he kills. He is a self-made star and a man to be feared, one who is exceptional in leaving no clues, nothing left to chance. Creepy!
The storyline twists and turns, rounds corners and comes to dead-end streets as you desperately try to piece together how all the characters are interwoven with our killer and each other. And it doesn't stop there as our detective becomes involved with a woman who is the neighbor of the missing girl. There is a problem however, as this woman seems to have a secret past, and Coventry,like it or not, must find out what that is. One point I feel I should mention is that this work is a little more racy sexually than the first, however it does not take away from the suspense or storyline of this book. Every character that our author brings into play in this work is important to the story, yet believe me you will not be able to figure out why until the very end.
"Shadow Laws," is fast paced, a work that is ingenious at keeping the reader totally in the dark and absolutely shocking as the truth is revealed. As you read it, mysteries are layered one upon another, characters are interwoven, yet separate, and answers seem to be totally out of reach as the clock ticks away until the final hour where death may well become the victor. A nail-biter, page turner read, one that has all the elements that simply must be there for a top-notch murder mystery . Draw the shades, leave the lights on and double lock the doors as you settle back for a bone-chilling adventure.
Outstanding and Exceptional! Highly recommended!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shadow Laws, August 27, 2007

By 

Anne K. Edwards "AKE" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow Laws (Paperback)

Attention, thriller fans. Another tale you'll want to read. Chills will crawl over your skin and up your spine as you join Detective Bryson Coventry in his latest case.

An accident, a lawyer's search for a mysterious killer and a policeman's hunt for a stalking killer, all cross paths in this chilling tale. They merge into a story you won't be able to put down once you pick it up.

Lawyer Taylor Sutton is hired to identify a mysterious caller who seems to be bragging about being a killer. She is soon hot on the trail and runs headlong into danger. Will this be the end of her too?

The car accident results in murder by the very killer Coventry is searching for, a man who has kidnapped a young art student and they fear for her life. But the student has a surprise in store for the killer.

A fast-paced, well-plotted tale by very talented author Jim Michael Hansen that will keep you focused, wanting to know what will happen next. Danger lurks on each page.

Highly recommended for any mystery or thriller fan. A tale you'll read more than once. Enjoy. I sure did.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner, May 9, 2007

By 

J. Quick (@ bookbitch.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadow Laws (Paperback)

SHADOW LAWS by Jim Michael Hansen: In this second of the "Laws" series, Denver homicide detective Bryson Coventry, and beautiful young attorney Taylor Sutton, are separately hunting vicious killers but for very different reasons. A lawyer friend of Sutton's has a mysterious client, with whom he has only talked by phone, that he thinks is trying to kill him. He has tapes of their conversations that are not conclusive and wants Sutton's advice as to whether he can ethically turn them over to the police. In the meantime Coventry is looking for a missing woman that he fears is dead. Soon they are in pursuit of a sicko who likes to play games with his victims, the police and attorneys. Eventually the paths of Coventry and Sutton cross and they close in on the truth. Another excellent outing.