Book Review: The Jezebel Remedy

The Jezebel Remedy
By: Martin Clark
Published By: Knopf
Publication Date: June 9th, 2015
Page Count: 400
Source: ARC Kindly Provided By Publisher
Audience/Genre: Adult Fiction
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Filled with conspiracies and a cast of unique characters, The Jezebel Remedy provides an interesting mystery for readers to solve along with it's interesting and unique characters. The story took its time capturing my interest, but once it did, I enjoyed this thriller and appreciated the detail it was written with.

 

Though both Lisa and Joe Stone are working on the main case, this book is told from Lisa's perspective. She enjoys her stable life, but longs for something interesting, dangerous, or just different -- sort of a grass is greener mentality. But by "different," she doesn't mean eccentric, which is exactly how everyone would describe Joe's primary client, Lettie VanSandt. Lettie is a but crazy, a bit old school, and a lot paranoid. When Lettie dies suddenly, Joe and Lisa become suspicious with good reason. With a good bit of cloak and dagger and conspiracy theories thrown in, Lisa and Joe become entangled in a mystery they aren't even sure if they believe.

If you're looking for this book in a bookstore, you'll likely find it among titles by John Grisham and other legal-professionals-turned-authors. Clark is a former judge, and it shows in the legal detail with which this book is written. The writing style, however, may not be for everyone. Lengthy sentences and frequent use of commas led to more than one occasion where I found myself re-reading, going back to see what I'd missed, and/or losing interest mid-paragraph. The pacing is a bit of a roller coaster, lots of peaks and valleys. I will say that I was happy I stuck with the book, because I enjoyed how Clark wrapped things up and it was worth the pay off, just like a good mystery thriller should be.

Summary via Goodreads

Lisa and Joe Stone, married for twenty years and partners in their small law firm in Henry County, Virginia, handle less-than-glamorous cases, whether domestic disputes, personal injury settlements, or never-ending complaints from their cantankerous client Lettie VanSandt (“eccentric” by some accounts, “certifiable” by others).  When Lettie dies in a freakish fire, the Stones think it’s certainly possible that she was cooking meth in her trailer. But details soon emerge that lead them to question how “accidental” her demise actually was, and settling her peculiar estate becomes endlessly complicated.

Before long, the Stones find themselves entangled in a corporate conspiracy that will require all their legal skills—not to mention some difficult ethical choices—for them to survive. Meanwhile, Lisa is desperately trying to shield Joe from a secret, dreadful error that she would give anything to erase, even as his career—and her own—hangs in the balance. In The Jezebel Remedy, Clark gives us a stunning portrait of a marriage, an intricate tour of the legal system, and a relentlessly entertaining story that is full of inventions, shocks, and understanding.