Pardon the Ravens by Alan Hruska, a Mysterious Review.

Review: New York City, the early 1960s. Alec Brno is a talented second-year associate with the Kendall Blake law firm. He is working on a lawsuit against an important client of the firm, one that he cannot lose, in Pardon the Ravens, a legal thriller by Alan Hruska.

It seems that the client's oil storage tanks are filled with water instead of oil, the oil siphoned off and stored — or sold — elsewhere. It seems that the New York mafia may be involved, but that opens up all sorts of other problems for Alec and the firm. Still, to win the case, Alec must get evidence against Phil Anwar, the head of the mafia. Alec's wife Carrie may be key, but she would be an unreliable witness, completely depending on Anwar as he has custody of their only daughter. Alec promises Carrie witness protection and the return of her daughter if she testifies. Yet, even with her testimony, it isn't clear that would be enough. And if Alec loses, Carrie loses too, never to see her daughter again.

Pardon the Ravens is an exciting, action-packed novel, though to be sure, some of the action is really graphic and really troubling. Anwar's organization does whatever it takes to make sure that any potential witnesses are dealt with, sometimes permanently, before they can ever take the stand. The developing love story between Alec and Carrie is rather sweet, if also a little unbelievable, and balances the violence depicted elsewhere. The legal elements that make up the primary plot are intriguing, and are what is best about the book. A little more courtroom drama and a little less of the mafia violence would have gone a long way towards making this a far more compelling read.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Pardon the Ravens.

Acknowledgment: Prospect Park Books provided a copy of Pardon the Ravens for this review.

Pardon the Ravens

A Legal Thriller by Alan Hruska