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Jake Lassiter #10
Bum Rap
BUM RAP
Miami lawyer Jake Lassiter has had it with shifty clients, dirty prosecutors, and a legal system out of whack. It’s enough to make a man want to leave Florida and never look back...until he gets a call from Victoria Lord, the better half of hot local legal team Solomon & Lord. Her partner in life and law has been arrested for murder. What’s worse: the only person who can clear him has fled the city. Now it’s up to Jake and Victoria to track down the witness—a stunning “Bar girl”—before she’s roped in by the feds…or eliminated by the Russian mob.
Jake knows that if he doesn’t get to the witness first, his client’s case is lost. Luckily, he’s got some good advice from his college football coach: “Buckle your chin strap and hit somebody.” And sometimes, the only way to win a tough case is to do just that.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2015
2761 people are currently reading
2196 people want to read
About the author
Paul Levine
87 books546 followersThe Genius and the Tramp Fight Fascists in 1930's Hollywood
MIDNIGHT BURNING - September 2025
“Ingeniously pairs real-life friends Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin on a roller coaster ride to save America from a fascist threat within its borders.” – Jacqueline Winspear, author of the Maisie Dobbs series.
Award-winning author Paul Levine weaves historical figures into a gripping, true-to-life plot to overthrow the U.S. government in the sizzling thriller MIDNIGHT BURNING.
It's 1937 and clouds of war gather over Europe, and American fascists march at home. While the FBI chases suspected communists, Nazi agents plot an armed insurrection. When the world’s two most famous men–Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin–uncover the scheme, which includes the assassination of Hollywood’s biggest stars, they fight back with nothing but their ingenuity, raw courage, and the fierce resolve of Georgia Ann Robinson, LAPD’s first Black female officer.
Levine—praised by The New York Times for his “realistic, gritty, and fun” novels—delivers a breathtaking thriller laced with humor and a larger-than-life cast, including Charles Lindbergh, Douglas Fairbanks, William Randolph Hearst, and Joseph Goebbels.
"This could be Levine's masterpiece." - Lee Goldberg, New York Times #1 Bestselling Author
ORDER FROM AMAZON HERE.
ORDER FROM BARNES & NOBLE HERE.
ORDER FROM BOOKSHOP HERE.
**********************************************;
Jake Lassiter tackles high school football and becomes the most hated man in Miami in EARLY GRAVE, Paul Levine's sizzling legal thriller.
"An extraordinary hero stars in a legal tale as believable as it is riveting." - Kirkus Reviews
"Levine scores with this complex and witty legal thriller. This winner works even for those new to the series." - Publishers Weekly (★starred review★)
When his godson suffers a catastrophic injury in a high school football game, lawyer Jake Lassiter sues to abolish the sport and becomes Public Enemy Number One. The former NFL linebacker also battles CTE, the fatal brain disease caused by repetitive head injuries. His personal life, too, hits a rocky patch. He's in couple's therapy with fiancée Dr. Melissa Gold and vows to live long enough to fix his relationship and achieve justice for his godson.
"Grounded in reality, EARLY GRAVE is a novel with heartfelt emotion, flashes of humor, and high-octane excitement." - Franco Harris, NFL Hall of Fame Running Back
STILL GOING STRONG:
CHEATER’S GAME is a stand-alone entry in the Jake Lassiter series.
"Clever, funny and seriously on point when it comes to the inequities of society and the justice system, CHEATER'S GAME is top-notch stuff from Paul Levine. His Jake Lassiter is my kind of lawyer!" - Michael Connelly
You may ORDER HERE.
ALSO AVAILABLE: BUM DEAL.
“Fascinating, fully developed characters and smart, well-paced dialogue keep the pages turning. Levine manipulates the expectations of the reader as skillfully as Jake manipulates the expectations of the jury” — Publishers Weekly (★starred review★)
"Drop everything...Read it now...BUM DEAL is fantastic." - Lee Child
MIDNIGHT BURNING - September 2025
“Ingeniously pairs real-life friends Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin on a roller coaster ride to save America from a fascist threat within its borders.” – Jacqueline Winspear, author of the Maisie Dobbs series.
Award-winning author Paul Levine weaves historical figures into a gripping, true-to-life plot to overthrow the U.S. government in the sizzling thriller MIDNIGHT BURNING.
It's 1937 and clouds of war gather over Europe, and American fascists march at home. While the FBI chases suspected communists, Nazi agents plot an armed insurrection. When the world’s two most famous men–Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin–uncover the scheme, which includes the assassination of Hollywood’s biggest stars, they fight back with nothing but their ingenuity, raw courage, and the fierce resolve of Georgia Ann Robinson, LAPD’s first Black female officer.
Levine—praised by The New York Times for his “realistic, gritty, and fun” novels—delivers a breathtaking thriller laced with humor and a larger-than-life cast, including Charles Lindbergh, Douglas Fairbanks, William Randolph Hearst, and Joseph Goebbels.
"This could be Levine's masterpiece." - Lee Goldberg, New York Times #1 Bestselling Author
ORDER FROM AMAZON HERE.
ORDER FROM BARNES & NOBLE HERE.
ORDER FROM BOOKSHOP HERE.
**********************************************;
Jake Lassiter tackles high school football and becomes the most hated man in Miami in EARLY GRAVE, Paul Levine's sizzling legal thriller.
"An extraordinary hero stars in a legal tale as believable as it is riveting." - Kirkus Reviews
"Levine scores with this complex and witty legal thriller. This winner works even for those new to the series." - Publishers Weekly (★starred review★)
When his godson suffers a catastrophic injury in a high school football game, lawyer Jake Lassiter sues to abolish the sport and becomes Public Enemy Number One. The former NFL linebacker also battles CTE, the fatal brain disease caused by repetitive head injuries. His personal life, too, hits a rocky patch. He's in couple's therapy with fiancée Dr. Melissa Gold and vows to live long enough to fix his relationship and achieve justice for his godson.
"Grounded in reality, EARLY GRAVE is a novel with heartfelt emotion, flashes of humor, and high-octane excitement." - Franco Harris, NFL Hall of Fame Running Back
STILL GOING STRONG:
CHEATER’S GAME is a stand-alone entry in the Jake Lassiter series.
"Clever, funny and seriously on point when it comes to the inequities of society and the justice system, CHEATER'S GAME is top-notch stuff from Paul Levine. His Jake Lassiter is my kind of lawyer!" - Michael Connelly
You may ORDER HERE.
ALSO AVAILABLE: BUM DEAL.
“Fascinating, fully developed characters and smart, well-paced dialogue keep the pages turning. Levine manipulates the expectations of the reader as skillfully as Jake manipulates the expectations of the jury” — Publishers Weekly (★starred review★)
"Drop everything...Read it now...BUM DEAL is fantastic." - Lee Child
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 430 reviews
July 2, 2015
Although I prefer my courtroom novels to be more of the down and dirty variety, Bum Rap was a decent lighthearted read with Russian mobsters, federal agents, and beautiful B girls. For those of you to whom it appeals, there are also myriad sports references, similes, and metaphors. Mildly humorous ('Your Honor, I suspect skullduggery.') and even a little silly at times, managing to use the term 'defense lawyer cooties'.
Granny Lassiter was fun, 'having been old for about thirty years', she sports T-shirts and baggy shorts as she bustles around her kitchen fixing all manner of tasty sounding meals. Her tongue is just as sharp as her paring knife. And how about that T-shirt that says "I May Be Old, But I Got To See All The Cool Bands". I like that!
This was a Kindle First for the month of June.
Granny Lassiter was fun, 'having been old for about thirty years', she sports T-shirts and baggy shorts as she bustles around her kitchen fixing all manner of tasty sounding meals. Her tongue is just as sharp as her paring knife. And how about that T-shirt that says "I May Be Old, But I Got To See All The Cool Bands". I like that!
This was a Kindle First for the month of June.
July 28, 2015
What happens when you combine 2 of my favorite series? 5+++ stars! Lassiter and Solomon v Lord come together in this non-stop enjoyable and entertaining thriller! If you haven't read any of Paul Levine's books,do yourself a favorite and start. My 2 favorite authors are Carl Hiaasen and Paul Levine,who both write humorous thrillers.
August 28, 2023
Reading this book was a big mistake. All my love for Paul Levine books flew out of the window with this book.
I was expecting a good legal thriller, with 3 lawyers as the protagonists. But I got a YA novel with clumsy romance between a 45 yr old and 33 yr old, both making the moves on each other alternately. The ending was like a regular chicklit novel. The plot was not convincing to bring Lassiter, Solomon and Lord together. I hated Lassiter and Victoria behaving like horny teenagers. Victoria (who is supposed to be morally uptight ) gets drunk and tries to seduce lassiter. What else do you expect from the woman who hooked up with Solomon when she was still engaged to someone else. Atleast they both were true to their earlier characterization. But Solomon's character was completely off. From the Solomon and Lord series we know that Solomon is smart enough to get himself and his clients out of any bad situation, but here he is bumbling and doesnt even follow his own rules.
The unnecessary non-linear timeline and arbitrary narration was irritating.
Lassiter and Solomon are exactly the same. One played football and the other baseball. They even have custody of a nephew, whose mother is a drug addict and father unknown. Lassiter and Solomon's bickering in the beginning was too juvinile.
I would have ignored all these if the detective work and courtroom drama was good. But it was completely missing. There was shoddy detective work both by police and the lawyers. To give an example, both the defense, police and the villains are looking for a crucial eye-witness. All they had to do was question her closest friend, get her phone number and trace it. No, she had not thrown away the phone, and it was switched on as well. Threre was absolutely no need for Lassiter to go into the Russian's den to get the information.
I could go on ranting. Now I am done with Paul Levine books. This is a omnibus with 3 books, but I won't be reading the other 2 and also the other Jake Lassiter books.
I was expecting a good legal thriller, with 3 lawyers as the protagonists. But I got a YA novel with clumsy romance between a 45 yr old and 33 yr old, both making the moves on each other alternately. The ending was like a regular chicklit novel. The plot was not convincing to bring Lassiter, Solomon and Lord together. I hated Lassiter and Victoria behaving like horny teenagers. Victoria (who is supposed to be morally uptight ) gets drunk and tries to seduce lassiter. What else do you expect from the woman who hooked up with Solomon when she was still engaged to someone else. Atleast they both were true to their earlier characterization. But Solomon's character was completely off. From the Solomon and Lord series we know that Solomon is smart enough to get himself and his clients out of any bad situation, but here he is bumbling and doesnt even follow his own rules.
The unnecessary non-linear timeline and arbitrary narration was irritating.
Lassiter and Solomon are exactly the same. One played football and the other baseball. They even have custody of a nephew, whose mother is a drug addict and father unknown. Lassiter and Solomon's bickering in the beginning was too juvinile.
I would have ignored all these if the detective work and courtroom drama was good. But it was completely missing. There was shoddy detective work both by police and the lawyers. To give an example, both the defense, police and the villains are looking for a crucial eye-witness. All they had to do was question her closest friend, get her phone number and trace it. No, she had not thrown away the phone, and it was switched on as well. Threre was absolutely no need for Lassiter to go into the Russian's den to get the information.
I could go on ranting. Now I am done with Paul Levine books. This is a omnibus with 3 books, but I won't be reading the other 2 and also the other Jake Lassiter books.
June 7, 2025
Excellent installment in this very good series. Levine is a terrific writer and makes the legal thriller funny as well as exciting. Great characters.
October 7, 2015
I yield to no one in my admiration for Paul Levine's series of books about beat-up ex-NFL linebacker turned Miami lawyer Jack Lassiter. His prose usually sings, his jokes land nine times out of ten and his legal showdowns are entertaining -- plus he's got a great sense of the wackiness of crime in Florida. But this book was a letdown.
The problem, I think, is that Levine is trying to mush together Lassiter with his other series regulars, bickering lover-lawyers Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord. Solomon has been accused of shooting to death a Russian gangster, and so Lord hires Lassiter to defend him. Usually the Solomon-Lord books alternate between their viewpoints, told in the third person, but that won't work in this case. Instead we get POV of Victoria Lord in the third person, alternating with Lassiter's usual first-person narration. The shifts back and forth are jarring, to say the least. Also, I missed Solomon's snarky viewpoint. He gave a statement to the cops after the shooting, which seems grossly out of character, and then he spends most of the book in jail awaiting trial, so he doesn't have much to do with the plot.
Plus, Levine has ginned up a romantic subplot in which Lassiter and Lord develop strong feelings for each other while working together, but can't bring themselves to do anything about it. The whole thing seems awfully contrived, and it distracts from the main plot in such a way as to highlight that there's not a lot going on in the main plot.
Lassiter's entire defense hinges on finding the only witness to the shooting, a Russian B-girl who hired Solomon to accompany her to the gangster's lair -- without him being aware that she was wearing a wire for the feds. After the shooting she grabbed something from the dead man's safe and fled. There's a nicely amusing scene where Lassiter infiltrates the nightclub where the B-girl worked, but that's about it for cleverness.
All in all, and it pains me to say it, this particular Levine book is aptly titled. I had hoped for a fun and funny ride, but it turned into a real bummer. Maybe I need to track down his last book in the series, "State vs. Lassiter." That one's supposed to be a humdinger.
The problem, I think, is that Levine is trying to mush together Lassiter with his other series regulars, bickering lover-lawyers Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord. Solomon has been accused of shooting to death a Russian gangster, and so Lord hires Lassiter to defend him. Usually the Solomon-Lord books alternate between their viewpoints, told in the third person, but that won't work in this case. Instead we get POV of Victoria Lord in the third person, alternating with Lassiter's usual first-person narration. The shifts back and forth are jarring, to say the least. Also, I missed Solomon's snarky viewpoint. He gave a statement to the cops after the shooting, which seems grossly out of character, and then he spends most of the book in jail awaiting trial, so he doesn't have much to do with the plot.
Plus, Levine has ginned up a romantic subplot in which Lassiter and Lord develop strong feelings for each other while working together, but can't bring themselves to do anything about it. The whole thing seems awfully contrived, and it distracts from the main plot in such a way as to highlight that there's not a lot going on in the main plot.
Lassiter's entire defense hinges on finding the only witness to the shooting, a Russian B-girl who hired Solomon to accompany her to the gangster's lair -- without him being aware that she was wearing a wire for the feds. After the shooting she grabbed something from the dead man's safe and fled. There's a nicely amusing scene where Lassiter infiltrates the nightclub where the B-girl worked, but that's about it for cleverness.
All in all, and it pains me to say it, this particular Levine book is aptly titled. I had hoped for a fun and funny ride, but it turned into a real bummer. Maybe I need to track down his last book in the series, "State vs. Lassiter." That one's supposed to be a humdinger.
November 9, 2016
I literally picked up the paperback, "Bum Rap", from author Paul Levine while walking past a bargain bin of books recently. While skimming through a few pages I decided to give it a try. What I found was a witty and irreverent legal/ crime thriller that was enjoyable to read as it was difficult to put down. When I found out it was also the eleventh book within a series from author Paul Levine I was somewhat surprised. Lawyer and investigator Jake Lassiter is hired to represent Steve Solomon, who's also a lawyer from a rival law firm, Lord-Solomon. Steve is charged with shooting Nicolai Gorev between the eyes inside the office of the night club "Anastasia". He's pretty much caught red handed. However he claims Nadia Delova was also in the office at the time, and actually pulled the trigger. Jake has a huge crush on Victoria Lord. Victoria however, is in love with law partner Steve Solomon. "Bum Rap", features a very colorful plot that allows protagonist Jake Lassiter to get himself into and out of some pretty scary jams. Lassiter once briefly played NFL Football can certainly handle himself in a tough spot. Reading through the book, the character Jake Lassiter reminded me of actor Robert Urich in the old "Spenser For Hire" TV Series. With some gritty and colorful dialog this story crackled. At just over 300 swiftly reading pages there are no lulls that slow this story down. Supporting characters consisting of Russian gangsters, Night club "B" girls, shady lawyers and shady cops really help Lassiter navigate his way to Nicolai Gorev's killer, and Victoria Lord's heart. Five stars out of a possible five stars for, "Bum Rap", from author Paul Levine. Be sure to check out this thrilling series. Now that I've real eleventh book in series, I've already gone onto my Kindle, and downloaded the first four books of this series. I'm excited to start following story teller Paul Levine's Lord-Solomon series and his Lassiter thrillers.
July 20, 2015
Great pace and characters.
Looks like the author, editor, or PIR (progressive insertion robot) was at work on this novel, too, re a gratuitous, takes-readers-out-of-the-book swipe at conservative Supreme Court justices. The comment was not a story point, just a middle-of-the-book indulgence.
I like the Miami setting. It is easy to envision more books in this series.
Looks like the author, editor, or PIR (progressive insertion robot) was at work on this novel, too, re a gratuitous, takes-readers-out-of-the-book swipe at conservative Supreme Court justices. The comment was not a story point, just a middle-of-the-book indulgence.
I like the Miami setting. It is easy to envision more books in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2015
Engaging, beginning till the end.
I enjoyed reading this book. The characters are described in human, self doubting detail. It's a suspenseful, engaging and realistically well written story.
I enjoyed reading this book. The characters are described in human, self doubting detail. It's a suspenseful, engaging and realistically well written story.
August 8, 2018
When it comes to great characters to some great law an order. Solomon and Lord, and Lassiter have it all
July 27, 2015
I prefer darker, more psychological mysteries and this was light, fun, and fast-moving. Still, the characters are fun, yet struggling. Levine name drops people and case decisions, as Lassiter attempts to identify a way of getting Solomon out of the trouble he's in. He and Lord make a good team even though she is Solomon's life and law partner.
Will he get Solomon out of trouble? Will the only witness help Solomon or serve the State? Will Lord and Lassiter color outside the lines? Will Solomon color inside them? Will Lassiter get Lord?
Will he get Solomon out of trouble? Will the only witness help Solomon or serve the State? Will Lord and Lassiter color outside the lines? Will Solomon color inside them? Will Lassiter get Lord?
June 27, 2015
Fun, entertaining story.
March 5, 2019
Having read this one I am now inclined to go and read Paul Levine's other series, Solomon and Lord. This book intersects the previous series as Solomon finds himself charged with murder and his girlfriend and law partner hires Jake Lassiter to defend him.
Night Club B Girls and the Russian Mafia are the centre of this book as Solomon finds himself caught up in a tangled web while trying to do the decent thing. When a Russian mobster ends up with a bullet between the eyes with Solomon holding the smoking gun, literally...surely this is a cut and dried case...obviously not.
Night Club B Girls and the Russian Mafia are the centre of this book as Solomon finds himself caught up in a tangled web while trying to do the decent thing. When a Russian mobster ends up with a bullet between the eyes with Solomon holding the smoking gun, literally...surely this is a cut and dried case...obviously not.
April 16, 2017
Fun
This was my first introduction to Jake Lassiter and I enjoyed the character very much. I've read the Solomon & Lord series so I was more inclined to trying this book. A light, sometimes funny read.
This was my first introduction to Jake Lassiter and I enjoyed the character very much. I've read the Solomon & Lord series so I was more inclined to trying this book. A light, sometimes funny read.
August 25, 2016
From the publisher: NFL linebacker-turned-lawyer Jake Lassiter has had it with slippery clients, dirty prosecutors, and a legal system out of whack. It’s enough to make a man want to leave Miami and never look back - - until he gets a call from Victoria Lord, the better half of hot local legal team Solomon & Lord. Her partner in life and law has been arrested for murder. What’s worse: the only person who can clear him had fled the city. Now it’s up to Jake and Victoria to track down the witness - - a stunning “Bar girl” - - before she’s roped in by the feds . . . or eliminated by the Russian mob. Jake knows that if doesn’t get to the witness first, his client’s case is lost. Luckily, he’s got some good advice from his college football coach: “Buckle your chin strap and hit somebody.” And sometimes, the only way to win a tough case is to do just that.
Paul Levine’s past novels have included two series, featuring either Jake Lassiter, or the firm of Solomon & Lord, as well as four standalones. For the first time, he brings the three attorneys together when Victoria Lord hires Jake to defend Steve Solomon against murder charges. For those unfamiliar with these legal eagles (of whom it is said, “If you want the best lawyers in Miami, hire the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of the Lord”), Victoria was a Princeton undergrad, and graduated summa cum laude from Yale Law; Steve attended University of Miami and Key West School of Law. Lassiter had been a second-string linebacker with the Miami Dolphins who went to night law school in the off-season, graduated in the top half of the bottom third of his class, and passed the bar exam on his fourth try. Steve having been found by the cops in a locked room with a dead man and a smoking gun, literally, it’s a tough case, hence, Lassiter is hired.
They all live in Coconut Grove, and there is much in the way of Miami color here.
How could one not love a book where one character (the dead man, actually) describes Donald Trump and Bernie Madoff as “true capitalists,” and a protagonist whose choice of music includes Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five,” “In a Sentimental Mood,” with Coltrane on sax, and invokes Hilda Chester’s ringing her cowbell in the Ebbetts Field bleachers? The author’s humor is evident throughout [e.g., he describes a t-shirt he sometimes wears which reads “Officer, I Swear to Drunk I’m Not God”], the trial scenes are simply terrific, and the book is a complete delight. Who knows? Readers may get to see books featuring the law firm of Solomon, Lord & Lassiter – wouldn’t that be great?! (Not meant to be a spoiler!) Recommended.
Paul Levine’s past novels have included two series, featuring either Jake Lassiter, or the firm of Solomon & Lord, as well as four standalones. For the first time, he brings the three attorneys together when Victoria Lord hires Jake to defend Steve Solomon against murder charges. For those unfamiliar with these legal eagles (of whom it is said, “If you want the best lawyers in Miami, hire the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of the Lord”), Victoria was a Princeton undergrad, and graduated summa cum laude from Yale Law; Steve attended University of Miami and Key West School of Law. Lassiter had been a second-string linebacker with the Miami Dolphins who went to night law school in the off-season, graduated in the top half of the bottom third of his class, and passed the bar exam on his fourth try. Steve having been found by the cops in a locked room with a dead man and a smoking gun, literally, it’s a tough case, hence, Lassiter is hired.
They all live in Coconut Grove, and there is much in the way of Miami color here.
How could one not love a book where one character (the dead man, actually) describes Donald Trump and Bernie Madoff as “true capitalists,” and a protagonist whose choice of music includes Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five,” “In a Sentimental Mood,” with Coltrane on sax, and invokes Hilda Chester’s ringing her cowbell in the Ebbetts Field bleachers? The author’s humor is evident throughout [e.g., he describes a t-shirt he sometimes wears which reads “Officer, I Swear to Drunk I’m Not God”], the trial scenes are simply terrific, and the book is a complete delight. Who knows? Readers may get to see books featuring the law firm of Solomon, Lord & Lassiter – wouldn’t that be great?! (Not meant to be a spoiler!) Recommended.
July 3, 2015
A special thank you to Thomas & Mercer for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. (Purchased audiobook, as well)
Paul Levine returns with BUM RAP (Jake Lassiter #11) with continuous wit, comic crime, courtroom antics, sexy Russian bar gals, legal, sleuthing, a southern street smart granny, a smoking gun and some hot Miami heat by combining heroes, Jake, Steve, and Victoria for a "laugh out loud" mystery thriller; especially for us South Florida residents and Levine fans.
Combining the best of his series, with characters: Jake Lassiter (State vs. Lassiter) and Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord (Solomon vs. Lord) Steve, was in the wrong place at the wrong time, trying to help Nadia, a Russian B-girl, get her passport and back wages from gangster Gorev. Steve finds himself in jail, accused of the murder of Gorev, when his life-partner and fellow legal partner, Victoria Lord, hires Jake Lassiter to represent him.
Jake, former NFL linebacker, turned sarcastic comedian lawyer, is thinking of moving to Vermont for an easier life, tired of dealing with the dirty justice systems and shifty clients in Miami. However, before giving up, he has to tackle some dirt and mud and takes one for the team. His scene in the bar with the Russian girls - hilarious!
Victoria Lord (hot and sexy), hires Jake Lassiter to defend her man and she may want more from Jake than his legal expertise. Then there is Benny the Jeweler, Club Anastasia, Russian mobsters, the FBI and tracking down Nadia.
Levine cleverly creates a fast-paced non-stop thriller, which keeps you laughing so hard with wit and comics you sometimes forget about the story and mystery at hand. Quite entertaining!
Prior to attaining the ARC, I had already purchased the audiobook, with double the pleasure--narrator Michael Levine, kept the suspense and humor at an all-time high—a roller coaster ride wild adventure.
An idea gritty read for some 4th of July fireworks, and a fun-filled weekend at South Beach!
JDCMustReadBooks
Paul Levine returns with BUM RAP (Jake Lassiter #11) with continuous wit, comic crime, courtroom antics, sexy Russian bar gals, legal, sleuthing, a southern street smart granny, a smoking gun and some hot Miami heat by combining heroes, Jake, Steve, and Victoria for a "laugh out loud" mystery thriller; especially for us South Florida residents and Levine fans.
Combining the best of his series, with characters: Jake Lassiter (State vs. Lassiter) and Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord (Solomon vs. Lord) Steve, was in the wrong place at the wrong time, trying to help Nadia, a Russian B-girl, get her passport and back wages from gangster Gorev. Steve finds himself in jail, accused of the murder of Gorev, when his life-partner and fellow legal partner, Victoria Lord, hires Jake Lassiter to represent him.
Jake, former NFL linebacker, turned sarcastic comedian lawyer, is thinking of moving to Vermont for an easier life, tired of dealing with the dirty justice systems and shifty clients in Miami. However, before giving up, he has to tackle some dirt and mud and takes one for the team. His scene in the bar with the Russian girls - hilarious!
Victoria Lord (hot and sexy), hires Jake Lassiter to defend her man and she may want more from Jake than his legal expertise. Then there is Benny the Jeweler, Club Anastasia, Russian mobsters, the FBI and tracking down Nadia.
Levine cleverly creates a fast-paced non-stop thriller, which keeps you laughing so hard with wit and comics you sometimes forget about the story and mystery at hand. Quite entertaining!
Prior to attaining the ARC, I had already purchased the audiobook, with double the pleasure--narrator Michael Levine, kept the suspense and humor at an all-time high—a roller coaster ride wild adventure.
An idea gritty read for some 4th of July fireworks, and a fun-filled weekend at South Beach!
JDCMustReadBooks
February 7, 2017
This book tried to be too clever by half. The author notes at the end that he gets his ideas "ripped from the headlines." This book was overstuffed with half-baked ideas from the headlines:
Ripped from the headlines works in a 43 minute television show because you can focus on one of those issues, dramatize it, and put your spin on the publicly known story. This book is proof that when you take half a dozen headlines and try to mash them all together, they all come out under-developed and forced into place.
The characters also all felt like sketches. The former football player turned defense attorney makes way too many football puns and largely sees the world as one big football game. The young, attractive, female attorney makes a desperate come-on complete with her pulling her short-shorts out of her crotch (seriously). The ex-JAG trial judge makes comments about keeping your powder dry, Ulysses S. Grant, "standing down" for a recess, and warning the attorneys that they had wandered onto her shooting range.
And finally, maybe I'm not the right audience for this book as a lawyer, but the way the attorneys and cops talk just doesn't ring true. It might work on a television screen where you have to offer more exposition to get a point across, but when they start citing precedent to one another and rattle off the holdings of cases, it just came across as a little too cute.
Ripped from the headlines works in a 43 minute television show because you can focus on one of those issues, dramatize it, and put your spin on the publicly known story. This book is proof that when you take half a dozen headlines and try to mash them all together, they all come out under-developed and forced into place.
The characters also all felt like sketches. The former football player turned defense attorney makes way too many football puns and largely sees the world as one big football game. The young, attractive, female attorney makes a desperate come-on complete with her pulling her short-shorts out of her crotch (seriously). The ex-JAG trial judge makes comments about keeping your powder dry, Ulysses S. Grant, "standing down" for a recess, and warning the attorneys that they had wandered onto her shooting range.
And finally, maybe I'm not the right audience for this book as a lawyer, but the way the attorneys and cops talk just doesn't ring true. It might work on a television screen where you have to offer more exposition to get a point across, but when they start citing precedent to one another and rattle off the holdings of cases, it just came across as a little too cute.
October 7, 2019
Bum Rap is a pleasant, comfortable book to read. Jake Lassiter has a wry sense of self-deprecating humor. He knows that he never going to be a millionaire partner in a big firm; his fate is to defend skells and get them off with as little time as possible. If he has to stretch and bend the law about, well, that's the way it goes. Sometimes the law, as opposed to justice is served and sometimes it serves up a lemon.
This case involves A Russian B-girl who wants her gangster boss, who holds her back pay and her passport, let her quit her job. She hires another lawyer , handsome sleekly dressed and full of self admiration Ames Solomon to help her face her boss. The meeting goes bad, really bad, leaving the gangster dead and the B- girl fled into the big somewhere else and lawyer Solomon holding a smoking gun over a dead body.
That is where Jake Lassiter comes in and the fast-paced fun begins.
The author has written some 19 novels, a few of them involving Lassiter, so he knows how to pace an exciting crime novel. Snappy dialog, great local color of steamy Florida in the summer, with the usual rapacious, unethical Federal and local prosecutors, a bit of flirty sex and a good fight in a sleazy bar. Hey, what more could a reader want? Oh, it ain't Bleak House, but it is fun.
Bum Rap is a relaxing way to spend an evening or two away from the TV, now that Justified is finished and Sherlock has not returned yet from hiatus.
This case involves A Russian B-girl who wants her gangster boss, who holds her back pay and her passport, let her quit her job. She hires another lawyer , handsome sleekly dressed and full of self admiration Ames Solomon to help her face her boss. The meeting goes bad, really bad, leaving the gangster dead and the B- girl fled into the big somewhere else and lawyer Solomon holding a smoking gun over a dead body.
That is where Jake Lassiter comes in and the fast-paced fun begins.
The author has written some 19 novels, a few of them involving Lassiter, so he knows how to pace an exciting crime novel. Snappy dialog, great local color of steamy Florida in the summer, with the usual rapacious, unethical Federal and local prosecutors, a bit of flirty sex and a good fight in a sleazy bar. Hey, what more could a reader want? Oh, it ain't Bleak House, but it is fun.
Bum Rap is a relaxing way to spend an evening or two away from the TV, now that Justified is finished and Sherlock has not returned yet from hiatus.
July 24, 2015
Attorney Steve Solomon is hired by a Russian B-Girl (Bar Girl) to help her get her passport and back pay from her mobster boss. But everything goes wrong and the mobster is dead, the B-girl disappears and Steve is left holding the gun and charged with murder. It's a conflict of interest for his law partner and life partner Victoria Lord so she calls in former linebacker turned lawyer Jake Lassiter to defend him. The case hinges on the testimony of the missing B-girl with Jake and Victoria competing in the search with the Feds who what to muzzle her, the Russians who want to kill her, and the state who want to use her to send Steve to prison for life. With the odds stacked against them it is a thrilling race to see who can get to her first. This was a very fun read uniting Paul Levine's popular Solomon vs. Lord with Jake Lassiter. They prove an explosive mix with the young and impulsive Steve Solomon, the lovely meticulous and by-the-book Victoria Lord and the older bull in a china shop Jake Lassiter. What's not to like.
October 1, 2015
The dialogue isn't very convincing, although the narrator's internal monologue is even worse. (Littered with cringe-worthy metaphors, often about sports). Not very suspenseful - there wasn't much of a mystery. The psuedo-romance seemed forced. The ending (not the outcome of the trial, but the part where two of the main characters ask the narrator was completely absurd.
July 13, 2015
Legal thriller readers will love this book. Though not lawyerly-inclined, I was equally intrigued by the arguments and strategies Lord and Lassiter use to bring about the final outcome. But first they have to find out what really happened the day the Russian mafia type was killed, supposedly by Solomon. Solomon is saying something different, however, but is it the truth?
Rating: 4.5/5
Thanks to the author and book tour group for a review copy.
My full review: http://bookdilettante.blogspot.com/20...
Rating: 4.5/5
Thanks to the author and book tour group for a review copy.
My full review: http://bookdilettante.blogspot.com/20...
August 13, 2015
( 1 1/2) I realized a couple of chapters in that I had read a previous Jake Lassiter book. This one felt so similar that I had to check the publication date just to make sure I was not re-reading a story. Jake Lassiter is a fun protagonist, but this book is just a simple, mildly entertaining diversion. If you can't guess what is going to happen almost every step of the way you are not a big mystery/thriller fan. One for the beach or a long plane ride. Easy to forget.
September 23, 2015
Jake Lassiter and Solomon & Lord together! Great read, funny and engaging. I like legal thrillers and legal stories, and this kept my attention better than many. I have enjoyed the Solomon & Lord novels and the Jake Lassiter novels, so bringing them together in the same story was a terrific idea. Levine's novels are well plotted but don't have any gloom and doom that you see sometimes. This was a relatively fast, enjoyable read with a good, if predictable ending. Recommended.
December 20, 2016
Levine brings another solid Lassiter, although I miss his retired ME guru Doc Riggs, by the way, what happened to Doc Riggs?...like Parker & Jance Levine brings characters from different series together with great success...Lassiter defends Steve Solomon while Victoria Lord 2nd chairs...interesting dynamic that's a winner...somebody fill me in on Doc Riggs...he was kinda like Travis Magee's Meyer...anyway good stuff here!
September 26, 2021
I read the three Solomon books first and then was reading the Lassiter books in order, honestly, a little annoyed with having to play Find 10 Differences Between the Lawyers game and really looking forward to their meeting in Bum Rap. It was totally anticlimaсtic. I still don't get why Jake and Steve had to have the same bios, as if the author never hoped that someone would read every one of his books. Aside from that, it is a fun read, and the story is thrilling, as usual.
August 8, 2015
I am new to the series so this book was a pleasant surprise. I certainly understand now why Levine has such loyal followers. This book is paced fast and delivers a lot of intrigue. While light it is a thinking person's mystery where the reader is strategizing along with the characters. I love the gumshoe meets lawyer feel of the story and the hints of adventures yet to come.
May 20, 2019
Sorry to say, found BUM RAP really juvenile, with hackneyed expressions & dialog. Nothing to keep you awake or dying for more. Think biggest problem was with the Speaker/Reader; at time so many different characters to speak voices chosen became comedic & not in a supportive way. Just one reader's opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2015
Thriller or comedy?
From the beginning you know who did what, thrill is to find out how this book going to end. You get there and in the process laugh out loud. Read so many books written by Paul Levine, love his sense of humor.
From the beginning you know who did what, thrill is to find out how this book going to end. You get there and in the process laugh out loud. Read so many books written by Paul Levine, love his sense of humor.
April 7, 2021
Great Book
I enjoyed this book because it had all 3 of the lawyers from Paul Levine’s books. The story was what you might expect with these 3 together. I wasn’t fond of the narrator this time though. I preferred the books that used Luke Daniel’s for a narrator.
I enjoyed this book because it had all 3 of the lawyers from Paul Levine’s books. The story was what you might expect with these 3 together. I wasn’t fond of the narrator this time though. I preferred the books that used Luke Daniel’s for a narrator.
September 1, 2021
About as interesting as a Potato Kugel
Been there: Court room.
Done that: On trial.
Almost sent this lackluster piece of tripe to the cloud. Only thing stopping me was the hope the fair damsel would run off with the meathead jock
Been there: Court room.
Done that: On trial.
Almost sent this lackluster piece of tripe to the cloud. Only thing stopping me was the hope the fair damsel would run off with the meathead jock
June 22, 2015
Liked it more than I expected to
Wanted to keep reading till the end. I will probably buy another. Eight more words required. Four more words. One.
Wanted to keep reading till the end. I will probably buy another. Eight more words required. Four more words. One.
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