Attorney-Client Privilege

Book Cover: A brutal murder, missing documents and an unscrupulous opposing counsel lead attorney Vernetta Henderson on a quest for justice—and ultimately—revenge. The hotshot L.A. lawyer takes on a corporation with a long history of discriminating against women. While Vernetta simply wants justice for her clients, the corporation’s hired gun wants to win . . . and she doesn't care how. On the home front, Vernetta’s infamous sidekick Special has finally found true love. But is the price more than she’s willing to pay?

Pamela Samuels Young is back with another legal thriller, Attorney-Client Privilege the fourth in a series.   Unlike many legal thrillers, which suffer from excess verbiage or a tautology of legal plotting, Young's legal expertise transpires her fiction writing into a smooth, uncomplicated form of entertainment.

This legal thriller, focusing on how an indirect complex pair of cases affects two attorneys, blue collar workers, a sports figure, law enforcement and criminals alike, and the reader has the opportunity to get caught up in every intriguing detail. 

When the Los Angeles Legends’ star wide receiver, Lamarr ‘The Hero’ Harrison is accused of a crime as horrendous as rape and a 2 million dollar civil suit is filed by a less than forthcoming plaintiff, the pressure is on to uncover the truth and clear his name.  Lamarr needs the best attorney his fame and money can afford, but the best attorney, Vernetta Henderson, has grown weary of her client’s inappropriate behavior of locker-room antics that continue to cast a shadow of doubt over his already questionable character and jeopardize their chance for a not guilty verdict.  As the defense attorney Vernetta's job is not just to get her client off, but to avoid the indictment that will destroy his livelihood and good name.  Did star football player Lamar rape stripper and sports groupie, Tonisha Cosby or were his advances misunderstood and she’s just looking for an easy payday from a sports figure trying to save his reputation?

However, in another unrelated case, that of a sexual discrimination suit against Big Buy, a major store chain – was one Vernetta eagerly looked forward to as an easy win that could be settled out of court, becomes increasingly important as the star plaintiff is murdered before the case even goes to trial.  But the murder wasn’t the only obstacle Vernetta had to overcome, as luck would have it, she would once again be facing the most annoying opposing counsel she’d ever had the displeasure of engaging in legal warfare with.  And not even an astute learnt attorney such as Vernetta could anticipate the storm of legal maneuvers and underhanded practices that await her as she goes up against the very low-down devious lawyer she recently lost her civil case to, none other than attorney Girlie Courtez - self titled to match her attitude.

Once the Big Buy trial is underway, Girlie quickly learns that she not only has to defend the actions of her client, but finds herself in conflict with her less-than-forthcoming and suspicious boss, Rita Kimble Richards, CEO of Big Buy, and surprisingly, when the legitimacy of the discrimination suit is questioned, the dark sequence of a family's history is uncovered.

In the midst of horrific acts of murder, mayhem, and intrigue Young skillfully weaves in a love story and allows a few of her characters to explore religious difference and tolerance and the profound impact it can have on a relationship, as with Special Sherlene Moore – Vernetta’s infamous sidekick who believes she has finally found the true love of her life in Clayton a newly converted Muslim, but  Special soon finds herself in a struggle with the newly adopted Islamic faith she is required to convert to in order to become a good Muslim wife, the celibacy requirement of the order, her own personal dream of becoming a license private investigator, and her unwillingness to become subservient to her husband or any other man.  Coincidentally, as deep as it may sound, the religious subject matter is anything but overbearing within the storyline and manages to touch upon the importance of a husband and wife to-be, to share the same or similar religious beliefs, less they will discover the serious strain it can have on the marital union as a whole.

In the end, the whole novel thing is about story; and Young tells a story in a way that transports the reader to a new place of experience through the illusion of the characters life taking place on the page   Pamela Samuels Young provides a skillful observation on the tilted individuals working within the legal system, including a few persons in law enforcement.  The crisp dialogue as well as the narrative twists keeps the storyline astounding; but what makes this novel standout is not just the excitement of the plot but the animosity of Girlie, a tigress of an attorney with a reputation of unscrupulous behavior and unethical practices.  Attorney-Client Privilege is an exciting and memorable story of how the law is interpreted/practiced, colleagues, clients, family and deception which explores the drive and greed of individuals and the unexpected consequences these traits can sometimes produce.

PAMELA SAMUELS YOUNG is a practicing attorney, whose fast-paced legal thrillers tackle law and crime. Her novels include Attorney-Client Privilege, Murder on the Down Low and Buying Time. A former television news writer, Pamela is a graduate of USC, Northwestern University and UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. Pamela currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime, an organization dedicated to the advancement of women mystery writers.Visit Pamela’s website at www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com.