Murder at Black Oaks is the 6th Robin Lockwood legal mystery by Phillip Margolin. Released 8th March 2022 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's
worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of
contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of
ebooks with interactive formats. Mass market paperback format due out in 4th quarter 2023.
The author is unquestionably adept at his craft. The characters, well established, feel realistic and believable. There are series-long interpersonal and collegial relationships which add a lot of depth to the narrative. As it's the 6th book in the series, readers starting with this volume might struggle a bit establishing a rapport with Robin and co. The background info provided in passing is necessary to relate to the characters, but not superfluous. Although they can be read in any order, there are spoilers for earlier books, so they're probably best read in chronological order.
This volume is action driven, as are the previous installments in the series. It's pure escapist reading and that's not a bad thing. The dialogue is choppy in places and I found myself yanked out of my suspension of disbelief sometimes by seemingly out-of-character and unrealistic plot developments. Margolin does manage to resolve the disparate plot threads into a satisfyingly cohesive climax, denouement, and resolution.
With 6 books extant in the series, and a 7th anticipated out in late 4th quarter 2023, this would be a good choice for a binge or buddy series read. Recommended for fans of legal/courtroom thrillers.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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