Love Betrayal Murder by Adam Mitzner
What’s it About?
A smart and twisty legal thriller about love, life and truth that careens to a shocking conclusion you won’t soon forget.
Adam Mitzner’s latest novel, Love Betrayal Murder (Blackstone Publishing), provokes his readers to question what, really, is a lie.
Truth is a fluid concept, according to J.R., Vanessa Lyons’ lawyer, as they prepare for their court appearances where so much is at stake — for her, for her husband and daughter, and for the man she loves.
What Is True?
Love Betrayal Murder has tangled together multi-layered characters. Vanessa is an indefatigable junior lawyer with dreams to be made partner; a dedicated wife and mother; and, unfortunately, a lusty and romantic adulteress. There’s her husband Bradley who, having recently lost a prestigious job, struggles with flagging self-esteem and fear of financial ruin. And there’s Matthew Brooks, Vanessa’s lover and colleague at a high-powered law firm in Manhattan where they both work.
Mitzner juxtaposes tense and stilted courtroom scenes with passionate, stolen hours in luxury hotel rooms, interspersed with the domestic routines of married life with a charming toddler. Chapters switch points of view and seemingly offer different versions of the truth. Even the major players in this story question themselves.
It’s a novel set in today’s corporate world where power and romance can catastrophically collide — and in Love Betrayal Murder, they certainly do. Vanessa and Matthew’s relationship quash Vanessa’s hopes of becoming partner. That development exposes the unattractive “every man for himself” attitude in both of them.
A practicing attorney himself, Mitzner brings authenticity to the story, and understandably, readers may be left with an uneasy sense of distrust for our legal system. “Reality is less important than what we can prove,” J.R. advises his client, adding that things sound very different out of context, and “belief is not the truth.”
Thrilling Twists
Mitzner is a fine writer, making sure what could easily become tedious courtroom testimonies and cross-examinations are never boring. The dialogue is crisp and focused. He makes sure his readers can visualize the men in the rooms: the judge is a 70-year-old man who looks like he woke up every day with a pounding headache, the chairman of the law firm is a small man with a bald head and bushy mustache whom people referred to as Mr. Monopoly. Passionate love interest Matthew Brooks isn’t even movie star handsome, but instead is slightly paunchy and balding with kind eyes and a soft smile.
Despite the emphasis on “gender diversity” in corporate hiring, Mitzner is keenly aware that there is little need to include detailed physical descriptions of the very few women in this book. For Vanessa, however, he tells us she feels like her huge house in the suburbs: impressive on the outside, but dark and lonely on the inside.
Just about when readers may feel they know where the story is going, Mitzner makes a sharp turn, an ugly one, and it appears that no one is going to come out a winner. However, Mitzner has a talent for surprises, and Love Betrayal Murder is a good example.
About Adam Mitzner:
In addition to being the author of three legal thrillers, Adam Mitzner is currently also the head of the litigation department of Pavia & Harcourt LLP, which is located in midtown Manhattan. He lives in New York City with his wife and children. Adam graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. and M.A. in politics, and from the University of Virginia School of Law. He is an avid Pez collector and Batman fan.
Publish Date: 5/16/2023
Genre: Fiction, Thrillers
Author: Adam Mitzner
Page Count: 350 pages
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
ISBN: 9798212449380
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