Cara Putman – Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner

About the Book

ISBN-13:9780825448058

Publisher: Kregel Publications

Publication date:04/15/2025

Pages:360

Chase Crandall is a burned-out defense attorney ready to extricate himself from the grind of criminal law. After he loses a client to tragedy, he’s ready for an in-house corporate position.

When Chase is assigned to Anneliese’s case, Margeaux is horrified. She doesn’t want him to provide legal counsel—not after what happened to his past client. And not with the evidence incriminating Anneliese.

Despite their mutual misgivings, the lawyer and professor pair up to find the killer and prove Anneliese’s innocence. Will they be able to untangle the mystery—and navigate their growing interest in one another—before the wrong person is charged with murder?

My Thoughts

This is a legal suspense/thriller with lots of unexpected twists and a whole cast of possible suspects to keep you reading. Annaliese is a college student in the U.S. who is from Germany and who is the central focus and the title character. She is almost a loner, not making friends easily and that makes her an easy target for the justice system when they begin to look for the person who killed her roommate. Lost in the maze of legalities, Annaliese depends on her professor Margeaux Robbin to help her. Margeaux unexpectedly becomes part of her legal defense team and insists persistently to Chase Crandall, her defense attorney, that Annaliese could not possibly have killed anyone. I loved the surprises within the story that were breathtakingly complex and completely engrossing. The story of Chase’s dogged determination to represent Annaliese well was gripping and fascinating as the author realistically portrayed he investigation leading up to the trial as well as the courtroom scenes themselves. All of the action rolled like a movie in my head and included some nail-biting suspense as well as a budding romance. I liked getting to know the characters and found them to be likable and relatable. Annaliese was a sympathetic character, far from home and totally dependent on others to get her out of her predicament but not able to offer much of an alibi that would help her legal team. My favorite character was Margeaux, the professor who related well with her students and thus was able to befriend Annaliese and to help in her defense. This story is expertly crafted and led me on a merry chase to find clues and figure out what was happening within the ranks of the police department as well as the office of the commonwealth attorney. The plot was fast-paced with authentic details about the legal process that were fascinating and that kept me immersed in the unfolding drama. The intricate plot threads were well woven together at the end, making this a totally satisfying and richly entertaining story.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own honest thoughts about this book.

About the Author

The award-winning, best-selling author of more than 35 books, Cara Putman graduated college at 20 and completed her law degree at 27. FIRST for Women magazine called Shadowed by Grace “captivating” and a “novel with ‘the works.’” Cara is active at her church and a full-time Clinical Associate Professor on business and ethics to undergraduate and graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and was a second-generation homeschooling mom for twelve years. Putman obtained her Master’s in Business Administration from Krannert and her J.D. from George Mason University Antonin Scalia School of Law. She serves on the executive board of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization she has served in various roles since 2007. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana. You can connect with her online at: caraputman.com.

Purchase Links

*This is Christian fiction but it is intense. For that reason, I would give it a PG-13 rating.*

I raced through this book because it was so intense and compelling. With characters that jumped off the page into my heart, the author did a stellar job of writing a medical-legal-romantic suspense that had all of the elements of each one, twisted together into a complicated plot. Caroline Bragg is the strong female protagonist, a newly hired lawyer for the oncology research lab Praecursoria. She is developing a romantic relationship with Brandon Lancaster, a former pro-football star who owns and operates a home for foster children. The two have a relationship that conflicts with the research of P. because the lab wants to use one of the children there for their experimental treatment. Bethany, the little girl, tugged at my heartstrings since she was already suffering from not having her biological parents and then is diagnosed with a deadly case of leukemia. A further complication to the plot is that Brandon has invested a lot of his money in the science lab and needs a solid return to keep Almost Home open. This was a book that broke my heart, had tears flowing freely and had me turning pages as fast as I could to find out if the arrogant, seemingly heartless heads of the research lab would ultimately be caught in a nefarious scheme or if they really were working for the good of the children involved in their study. By the time I reached the ending, I was totally wrung out, issued a deep sigh and continued to think about what I had just read. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time because of its deep themes of ethics in medicine and corporate secrets. Fans of legal thrillers will want to set aside time to read this book quickly because you will not want to put it down.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book Thomas Nelson Publishers via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”