Ultimate Verdict: A Legal Thriller - Softcover

Winstead, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0999242105 ISBN 13: 9780999242100

Publisher: Ultimate Verdict, 2017

Synopsis

Judge Raleigh Westlake has dedicated his career to the pursuit of justice. For a decade he toils within a broken system, until a notorious murder case lands in his court. A young woman has been murdered on a snow-covered mountain, and her killer has confessed. The killer is convicted and sentenced to the ultimate verdict–death.

But the appellate court reverses the conviction on a technicality because the killer was deaf at the time of his arrest. A confessed murderer goes free. This miscarriage of justice launches Judge Westlake and four colleagues on a quest for justice despite the system. With the cooperation of two determined lawyers and two dedicated US marshals, Westlake creates his own mobile courtroom, hidden within a semi-trailer. The most perverse and arrogant criminals are tried secretly and given the final, unappealable verdict.

The sentences are harsh, and swift executions are disguised to look like accidents or suicide. Judge Westlake needs more. He must send a message with one final verdict. A traitor among them informs US Attorney Caroline Bannister about the secret court. With Bannister in pursuit, Westlake is forced to confront his lawless actions and test his dedication to true justice.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Winstead, a thirty-year veteran of courtroom battles, enjoys delving into complex issues such as law and disorder, crime and punishment, and life and the ultimate verdict–death. In the tradition of lawyer authors like John Grisham and Scott Turow, Winstead probes the intricacies of our justice system, wrapping significant questions in a fast-moving plot. He writes from places that inspire creativity and imagination, including the mountains and the sea.

Review

"For lovers of crime novels and courtroom drama, Ultimate Verdict by Michael Winstead delivers an exciting story that moves along without getting stuck in legal humdrum, builds up suspense and intensity, and makes us think hard and feel deeply while we turn the pages. Highly recommended!"

TheColumbiaReview.com

"Winstead has created an engaging cast of secret society members who close loopholes in the legal system using their own brand of vigilante justice. After years on the 'right' side of the law, their compelling arguments for stepping over the line may cause you to struggle with some of your own doubts and demons, as you discover your Ultimate Verdict."

Blair H. Clark, Author
Answers to What Ails You

"Winstead excels at weaving philosophical questions of good and evil into realistic legal, professional and human conflicts. The cast of characters is well developed, alive and very human. The plot is rich with creative twists and blind turns, leading to a satisfying (and surprising) conclusion that ties up closely with the original crime and the initial injustice that propelled the judge and his team into action."

Avraham Azrieli, Author
Deborah Rising

Edition details

• Publisher: Ultimate Verdict
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0999242105
• ISBN 13: 9780999242100
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 292