Assume Guilt - (Matt Barlow Mystery) by Paul Lisnek (Hardcover)

About the Book

Attorney Matt Barlow vowed he'd never take on a criminal case again. Matt doesn't waver until Chicago's top real estate developer and aspiring politician Charles Marchand is charged with the death of his wife. Loyalty to an old friend pushes Matt to signing on as the jury consultant for the defense. Can he discover the real facts?

Book Synopsis

"Paul Lisnek hits all the right buttons in this story with a twist, which only a life-long Chicagoan can tell...and Paul does it VERY well. Bravo!" --Bill Kurtis, Journalist and Anchor, Decades Network

With loyalty, family secrets, and death involved, Matt Barlow must discover the real facts.

Attorney Matt Barlow vowed he'd never be part of a criminal case again, not after failing to save an innocent man from the death penalty. A jury consultant on civil cases, Matt doesn't waver until...

When Chicago's top real estate developer and aspiring politician Charles Marchand is charged with the death of his wife, Sandra, loyalty to an old friend pushes Matt into signing on as the jury consultant for the defense. But the case is about much more than guilt or innocence. As Matt--and his staff--delve deeper into the evidence, they uncover information Marchand himself would just as soon stay buried, including the death of a college classmate that links him to the corrupt Leo Toland, Governor of Illinois.

Before the truth and lies are untangled, Matt even finds himself secretly working with his half-brother, who just happens to be on the governor's payroll.

Review Quotes

"As a long time Chicago-based television journalist myself, nothing grabs my interest more than a gripping story about Chicago and Illinois-based politics, law and intrigue. Paul Lisnek hits all the right buttons in this story with a twist, which only a life-long Chicagoan can tell...and Paul does it VERY well. Bravo!"

--Bill Kurtis, Journalist and Anchor, Decades Network

"Assume Guilt is the ultimate courtroom thriller about Murder, Marriage, & Money by lawyer extraordinaire Paul Lisnek. Can our hero unearth the sinister secret of a cold-blooded killer or will it remain entombed forever? Lisnek's debut novel is a fast-paced must read."

--Linda Kenney Baden, Criminal Trial Attorney and Author of Remains Silent

"Like the rest of Chicagoland, I've been a long-time fan and admirer of Paul Lisnek's on-air political and legal analysis. And now, I'm a fan of his first work of fiction and the heroic character Matt Barlow! You can't write about politics, law, juries, and how they all interact without knowing it all inside and out; Paul brings all of that and more to the table in this riveting "can't put it down" novel that is filled with twists, turns, and an unexpected ending."

--Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist

"Paul Lisnek slowly peels the onion of his legal mystery, keeping his reader in suspense until the core is revealed. Jury Consultant Matt Barlow is a believable character, and Lisnek breathes life into all of the twists of Assume Guilt."

--Charles M. DuPuy, Author of the E.Z. Kelly Mystery Series

"Mix politics with Paul Lisnek's experience as a political TV analyst and his keen legal background, the result: Assume Guilt is a recipe for a page turner. Lisnek knows how to tell a compelling story. The combination of politics with the drama of the courtroom produces a riveting story which makes you await the movie version...not to mention the next book!"

--Haskell Pitluck, State of Illinois Retired Circuit Court Judge

"Never "Assume Guilt" where Paul Lisnek is concerned! This book includes family secrets, devotion and death...a real page turner and one that I could not set down!"

--Michael M. Baden, M.D., Former Chief Medical Examiner, New York City

"Paul Lisnek's analytical skills from his years of experience in the world of law and politics are evident as a compelling storyteller in Assume Guilt."

--Larry Potash Anchor, WGN-TV Morning News Chicago

"Paul Lisnek seamlessly carries the reader from conference room to courtroom, while lending a keen and compassionate eye to the human efforts of self-examination and acknowledgement."

--Donna King-Nykolaycuyk, Author of Stand Like A Man