The Last Chance Lawyer

Daniel Pike Series, Book 1

By: William Bernhardt

Narrated by: William Bernhardt

Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

Getting his client off death row could save his career...or make him the next victim.

Daniel Pike would rather fight for justice than follow the rules. His unique ability to "connect the dots," to observe what others do not, has made him the most notorious criminal lawyer in St. Petersburg. But when his courtroom career goes up in smoke, he fears his lifelong purpose is a lost cause. A mysterious job offer from a secretive boss gives him a second chance but lands him an impossible case with multiple lives at stake....

To protect a young orphan from a horrifying fate, Pike must save the girl's guardian from a charge of first-degree murder. Dan uses every trick he knows in a high-stakes trial filled with unexpected revelations and breathtaking surprises as he uncovers a trail of deceit from Florida to El Salvador. When blood-soaked threats arrive, Dan realizes that winning the case might be a death sentence for him - and everyone he hoped to protect. Can Pike protect the girl and get the charges dropped before his race for the truth proves fatal?

The Last Chance Lawyer is a gripping legal thriller. If you like courtroom suspense, page-turning plot twists, and rebel attorneys, then you'll love William Bernhardt's riveting drama.

©2019 William Bernhardt (P)2019 William Bernhardt

Bad narration; unnecessary political mansplaining

Now that I’ve finished the book, I think I’ll have to drop it to two stars. First, the dialogue. Much of the time it’s overly formal, which is fine for the courtroom. But when people are talking to people they know well in casual situations, they have a tendency to use contractions and a more informal sentence structures. I’m getting the impression that all the characters are all overly stiff and I don’t think that was the author’s intent. It feels clumsy and unnatural. The narrator didn’t help. I was very choppy regardless of what speed I set it to playback.

I was also put off by the political commentary, and not because I disagree, but because it was unnecessary. The story in itself is enough. I’m betting the majority of the readers can get there own their own. So maybe tone down the mansplaining or author-splaining or whatever it’s called when the author doesn’t think the reader is smart enough to draw the intended conclusions on their own. It’s a huge pet peeve.

stunning and brave

This is a very liberal leaning story that jumped on the bandwagon of bashing the current president. it would help if you had done more research and revealed that President Trump is only enforcing laws on immigration that were put in place by ALL former presidents.

A BAPTISM OF FIRE

Firstly, I must confess that initially I was somewhat ambivalent about this book and the new series, probably because I, and millions of other fans, have been conditioned by Ben Kincaid. He set the scene and the groundwork well, but I wondered.
As I moved through the book I warmed to it more and was most impressed with the finely drawn tri-dimensional character of Daniel Pike, by the twists and turns and how Mr. Bernhardt vigorously embraced the old writing adage of ‘Making it hard for your lead character’.
This is a multilayered novel, on one level it is a complex and ultimately satisfying legal thriller, but overlaying this is the problem facing those in America from other countries, even originally perfectly legitimately, but now caught up in bureaucratic ‘adjustments’ put in place by a new administration. As excellently demonstrated in this fine story, an ‘adjustment’ that could well put the person’s / child’s life at risk. I certainly look forward to joining Daniel Pike on his next legal case.
A couple of other points: I am puzzled that one of the reviewers didn’t like the reader and felt Mr. Bernhardt should have passed the task on to someone else. I have read over 2,300 books since January 2000, 90% of which are on audio and the majority of those on Audible. Consequently I feel I am well qualified to comment on whether or not a book is well read, however, I also acknowledge this is subjective. As I am Australian I often lean towards British narrators, especially if it is someone like the great Philip Madoc or John Lee, but I am also very happy if the narrator is Frank Muller, Will Patton or the like.
I also acknowledge I am favourably disposed to Mr. Bernhardt’s reading, because as a writer (my novel THE PRICE TO PAY will go on Amazon Kindle in due course) I have bought all his books on writing – see my review on Amazon – and enjoyed both his reading and the invaluable information he provides.
For anyone who enjoys being engaged by characters who people an interesting story, who like to be taken by the scruff of the neck and dragged along to the next twist, turn or problem, and ultimately arrive at a satisfying and logical denouement, I highly recommend this new book from a writer who is not only skilled in his craft, but consistently delivers the goods.
Thank you. Eric.
E: [e-mail]

Great Story

The story is interesting and entertaining; the narrator is not!!!! The author does not do his story justice by being the narrator. It is read in a monotonous tone most of the time and I only finished it because I wanted to know the outcome. There are so many narrators out there that do a wonderful job I wonder why the author chose to read it himself.
Disappointed !!!!

political screed

if you want to believe in open borders and that all conservative s are evil, read this. don't believe the "law" it's not fact. not novel at all.

NOT FOR ME!!

Couldn't even get past chapter 11! Totally not a book for me & the story is Very Slow -

Couldn't put it down

First in the Daniel Pike legal series. Great story and very suspenseful. Great first read!

Narrator

The author does not have the range of voices required to represent characters..story was awesome..sadly I did not like any of his character voices..stick to writing & hire voice actors..it really makes the story

Good book, bad performance

the story line was great, but the performance was horrible. it took all i had to finish the book because of the voice performance. The story line was great but the voice was hard to get through.

Good story, but the main character comes of as a slimier than desirable trial lawyer—especially to a reader who is a trial lawye

Interesting story, flawed by the marginally ethical courtroom behavior of the protagonist. e.g. asking what he knows are inappropriate questions and then bragging to the reader about how he had planted an inadmissible thought in the jurors’ minds.