From the Inside Flap
An Excerpt from An Innocent Client
April 26
11:00 a.m.
It took me an hour to drive back to Johnson City. I ate a quick lunch at a café about two blocks from my conference room and walked in the door about ten minutes before one. There was a woman sitting at the table waiting for me. She stood when I came in. It was all I could do to keep my jaw from dropping. She was dressed in tight, black spandex pants and an orange and black tiger-striped top that nearly exposed the nipples on her very substantial breasts. Her hair was a shade of red I'd never seen before, on or off a woman's head.
"Joe Dillard," I said as I shook her hand. Her fingernails were at least an inch long and painted the same design as her shirt.
"Erlene Barlowe. You're even better-looking in person than you are on television." She smiled, and when I looked her in the eye, I saw that despite the shocking outfit, she was an attractive woman. I motioned toward the chair.
"What can I do for you, Ms. Barlowe?"
"Oh, honey, I have the most terrible problem. It's just awful. A very close young lady friend of mine has been arrested for a crime she didn't commit."
"Close friend?"
"More like a daughter. I sort of took her in about a month ago."
"Start from the beginning, Ms. Barlowe. Tell me everything you want me to know."
"Please, sugar, call me Erlene. I suppose I should start by telling you that I own the Mouse's Tail Gentlemen's Club. My husband and I owned it together, but he passed away last year and now I'm running it. I don't believe I've ever seen you out there."
I laughed. "Haven't had the pleasure. I've heard a lot about it though."
"Doesn't surprise me. We've had several lawyers come and go over the years. A couple judges, too."
Which judges, I wondered. I considered asking her, but then I decided I didn't want to know. Screw them. Before long, I'd be moving on.
"Tell me about your friend."
"Have you heard they made an arrest in the murder of that pastor from Newport? The one who was stabbed?"
"I think everybody's heard."
"She didn't do it, Mr. Dillard. I'd swear it on a stack of Bibles. I want to hire you to represent her."
"How do you know she didn't do it?"
"Because I was with her all night. I drove her home from the club after her shift ended. She lives at my place and she never went out. She couldn't have done it. And besides that, she's the sweetest, kindest little thing you'll ever meet. She wouldn't so much as step on a bug, let alone kill a human being."
Erlene Barlowe had an almost mesmerizing Southern drawl and a sweet kind of charm about her. The fact that she was easy to look at, even in those wild clothes, made the conversation even more pleasant. I got the sense a few times that there might be more to Erlene than she wanted me to see, but there was something about her—maybe danger—that held my interest.
After a half hour, I glanced back over my notes. She said she'd taken Angel Christian, the girl who was arrested, into her home after Angel showed up here on a bus with another girl, a dancer named Julie Hayes, a little over a month ago. She said Angel reminded her of her dead husband's beautiful young daughter who'd been killed in a car accident. I got the distinct impression she'd convinced herself that Angel was the reincarnation of the daughter. She said Angel had suffered some serious abuse at home and was a runaway. She mentioned something about Angel's hands.
I was more than a little concerned about a few things. Erlene told me that she'd initially lied to a TBI agent I knew named Phil Landers. She said Angel Christian wasn't the girl's real name. She said the police had obtained a warrant to take a hair sample from Angel, or whatever her name was, and one from Erlene. That meant DNA evidence would probably be involved, and DNA almost always proved to be devastating to defendants. The police obviously had witnesses or some other evidence or they wouldn't have been able to get the warrants. And she said something about the police searching for a missing Corvette.
But Erlene was adamant about the girl's innocence, and if she was telling the truth, it certainly didn't sound like Angel had either the motive or the opportunity to commit a murder. I was tempted, but not so tempted that I was willing to take on a murder case that would probably wind up going to trial. I didn't want to waste any more of her time, and I didn't want to just flat-out refuse her, so I decided to set the bar so high she'd either be unable or unwilling to jump it.
"Erlene, do you have any idea how much it would cost you to hire me on a case like this? A first-degree murder. I heard something about the death penalty on the radio, you know. And it'll most likely go to trial."
"Mr. Dillard, my husband provided well for me, both while he was alive and after he passed. Money isn't something I'm concerned about."
She shouldn't have said that. The price I had in mind immediately doubled.
"I'm going to be honest with you, ma'am," I said. "I'm planning to get out of this business sometime in the next year. If I took on this case, it would mean I might have to stay a lot longer than I want to."
"Please, Mr. Dillard. I'll pay you whatever you want. You're the best lawyer around here. I've been hearing about you and reading about you for years. You've even represented some of my girls - just piddly stuff years ago - but they all spoke so highly of you. I wouldn't want anyone else to defend my sweet little Angel. Why don't you look at it as your last hurrah? You can go out with a great big bang."
I took a deep breath. "You've only known this girl a month. Are you telling me you'd be willing to put up a quarter million dollars for her defense?"
She didn't bat an eye. "Angel didn't kill anybody, Mr. Dillard. I swear it. I'll do whatever I have to do."
"That's the only way I'll do it. Two hundred fifty thousand, cash, up front, nonrefundable. And that's just for me. You'll also have to pay the expenses. We'll need an investigator, and we may need experts. They're not cheap."
"Tell you what, sweetie," she said, "why don't you go down to the jail and meet Angel. When you get finished, you give me a call and I'll have your money."
From the Back Cover
Praise from Amazon Reviewers:
"Joe Dillard is a worthy, more down to earth alternative to the heroes of Child, Thor, Flynn et al."
"If you like John Grisham or Lee Child (Jack Reacher series), you'll like Scott Pratt's Joe Dillard series."
"Fabulous read. If you like John Grisham, James Patterson, Lee Child, John Sanford, etc. you will love Scott Pratt."
"I had read all the Harry Bosch, Mickey Haller and Jack Reacher books at least twice and was looking for something along the same lines, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised with Joe Dillard, who turned out to be everything one wanted, and more! I am on Book 3 now. If you like action, detective, lawyer-type novels, Joe Dillard is for you!"
"Joe Dillard is a kinder, gentler 'could have been' Jack Reacher!!!!!"
"Scott Pratt has created a character worthy of movies. Not since Jake Brigance has an attorney made such a great debut. Read this. It's fantastic."
"As good as Grisham."
"Dillard is a great character, on the order of Grisham's Jake Brigance. And who would have thunk that setting a novel in rural Tennessee would be as enthralling as it turned out to be."
"I had read all the Harry Bosch, Mickey Haller and Jack Reacher books at least twice and was looking for something along the same lines, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised with Joe Dillard, who turned out to be everything one wanted, and more! I am on Book 3 now. If you like action, detective, lawyer-type novels, Joe Dillard is for you!"
"I am very impressed with this author & with this book. I plan to buy the 2nd in the Dillard series today before I go in for surgery tomorrow. . I read all the great series... Harry Bosch, Lucas Davenport, Mickey Haller, Alan Gregory etc etc & I am a stern critic of bad writing. The plot was excellent. The story flowed without a flaw. The characters came alive & Earline was one of the most memorable people I ever met in fiction. I will definitely tell readers that they will not be disappointed & urge them to read this first novel & enjoy an excellent story."
"I'm so GLAD I happened across Scott Pratt's Joe Dillard series. "An Innocent Client" is a really good, well-written story and I'm looking forward with much pleasure to reading the whole series. Highly recommended for fans of courtroom intrigue and for readers like me who are fans of good-guy protagonists like Robert B. Parker's Spenser, Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, J.A. Jance's J.P Beaumont, and William J. Coughlin's Charley Sloan."
"I'm a Bosch fan and got a suggestion to read "Dillard" series and bit. Damn good reading. As per another review I read, I would agree that characters are somewhat dysfunctional and while that can sometimes turn me off, the storyline and character depth overcame that for me. Started with Dilliard #1 so excited to keep reading!"
"A quick read with a character who has his own problems but manages to overcome them. Joe Dillard is to defense attorneys as Harry Bosch is to police detectives."
"Fast and interesting read. I love the cynical main character. Fans of Harry Bosch will love this book."
"Loved the characters. As entertaining as my favorite Grisham thriller. Recommend to anyone that likes Grisham or Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch."
"Very smart, gripping until the end."
"I was looking for a new series and came across this one. The story was really good, the main character seemed very real as he dealt with pressure, family, his job, and terrible events from his past. There was good humor and some nice twists to keep you guessing. I will certainly purchase more of the Joe Dillard series, and the price was another big plus. If you are a Grisham, Lincoln Lawyer, or Bosch fan, this is a good addition for your collection."
"Very enjoyable and well-written book. I enjoyed it as much as Michael Connelly's 'Harry Bosch' series. I will be reading Pratt's next book for sure."
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Former attorney Pratt delves into rural Tennessee law and politics in this brilliantly executed debut. When a preacher is murdered after visiting an infamous strip club, the club's owner hires jaded attorney Joe Dillard to defend Angel Christian, a beautiful waitress accused of the crime. Dillard, savvy but cynical, wants to quit doing criminal defense, but he can't resist the chance to represent someone who might actually be innocent. His drug-addicted sister has just been released from prison and his mother is succumbing to Alzheimer's, but Dillard's commitment to the case never wavers despite the personal troubles and professional demands that threaten to destroy him. Pratt's richly developed characters are vivid and believable, especially the strong Southern women who fight their male-dominated culture from behind a facade of vulnerability. Readers will eagerly anticipate Dillard's further adventures. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. About the Author
Scott Pratt was born in South Haven, Michigan, in 1956, and grew up in Jonesborough, Tennessee. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from East Tennessee State University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee. He lives in Tennessee with his wife and four dogs. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. 
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