I’m thankful for all those indie writers who have shown me the e-book way, with special thanks to Lee Goldberg, Paul Levine, and Joe Konrath.
Thanks also to Steven W. Booth for formatting this book, to Jeroen ten Berge for designing the cover, and to Eileen Chetti (chetti@optimum.net) for a superb copyediting job.
Contents
Front Cover Image
Welcome
Dedication
Motion To Kill
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-Two
Chapter Sixty-Three
Chapter Sixty-Four
Chapter Sixty-Five
Chapter Sixty-Six
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Chapter Seventy
Chapter Seventy-One
Chapter Seventy-Two
Chapter Seventy-Three
Chapter Seventy-Four
Chapter Seventy-Five
Chapter Seventy-Six
Chapter Seventy-Seven
Chapter Seventy-Eight
Chapter Seventy-Nine
Chapter Eighty
Thanks
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Novels By Joel Goldman
Copyright
About The Author
Joel Goldman is an Edgar and Shamus nominated author who was a trial lawyer for twenty-eight years. He wrote his first thriller after one of his partners complained about another partner and he decided to write a mystery, kill the son-of-a-bitch off in the first chapter and spend the rest of the book figuring out who did it. No longer practicing law, he offices at Starbucks and lives in Kansas City with his wife and two dogs.
NOVELS BY JOEL GOLDMAN
Motion to Kill
The Last Witness
Cold Truth
Deadlocked
Shakedown
The Dead Man
No Way Out
The Last Witness
If you love the twists, turns and suspense of John Grisham, you’ll love The Last Witness!
“Fast, furious and thoroughly enjoyable, The Last Witness is classic and classy noir for our time, filled with great characters and sharp, stylish writing. “
—Jeffery Deaver, author of The Vanished Man and The Stone Monkey
“The Last Witness is an old fashioned, ‘40s, tough guy detective story set in modern times. There’s a lot of action, loads of suspects, and plenty of snappy dialogue. It’s a fun read from beginning to end.”
—Phillip Margolin, author of The Associate and Wild Justice
Lou Mason is back and this time it’s personal when his surrogate father, Homicide Detective Harry Ryman, arrests his best friend, Wilson “Blues” Bluestone, Jr., for murder. Mason unearths secrets someone will do anything to keep as he closes in on a desperate killer, setting himself up as the next target. Goldman goes Grisham one better!
“Joel Goldman has written another fast-paced legal thriller. Find a comfortable chair and plan to stay up late.”
—Sheldon Siegel, Author of The Special Circumstances and Criminal Inten
“The Last Witness is a legal thriller written the way criminal law should be practiced: from the gut…one of the premier crime novels of the year.”
—Jeremiah Healy, author of Turnabout and Spiral
Move over John Grisham! Joel Goldman is in the courthouse!
Shakedown
If you like the knockout suspense of Michael Connelly and the gritty “who done its” by Linda Fairstein, you’ll love Joel Goldman’s Shakedown!
“Goldman tells a story at a breakneck pace…”
—Kansas City Star
“A killer identified via a fleeting facial expression and behavioral cues turns a middle-agend FBI agent dealing with a disruptive disability into an unexpected hero in Goldman’s latest terrific thriller.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
When FBI Agent Jack Davis investigates a mass murder, a leak of crucial information and his imploding personal life throw him into the ultimate danger zone – where truth lies at the heart of betrayal.
Need a thrill pill? Take Shakedown and stay up all night!
“Shakedown is a really fine novel. Joel Goldman has got it locked and loaded and full of the blood of character and the gritty details that make up the truth. Page for page, I loved it.”
—Michael Connelly, NYT Bestselling Author
“Shakedown is a chillingly realistic crime novel – it’s fast-paced, smartly plotted, and a gripping read to the very last page. Joel Goldman explores – with an insider’s eye – a dark tale of murder and betrayal.”
—Linda Fairstein, NYT Bestselling Author
James Patterson fan’s - take off on a rocket-fueled suspense ride with Shakedown, the first book in the Jack Davis Thriller series by Joel Goldman.
The Dead Man
If you like John Grisham’s twists and turns and James Patterson’s page-turning thrills, you’ll love Joel Goldman’s The Dead Man, the second book in the Jack Davis Thriller series!
“A masterful blend of rock-solid detective work and escalating dread. The Dead Man is both a top-notch thriller and a heart-rending story of loss, courage and second chances. I loved it.”
Robert Crais, NYT Best Selling Author
“The Dead Man is one of those rare novels you will be tempted to read twice: the first time to enjoy, and the second to appreciate how Goldman puts the pieces together. The hours spent on both will be more than worth it.”
—Joe Hartlaub, Bookreporter.com
When FBI Agent Jack Davis investigates a mass murder, a leak of crucial information and his imploding personal life throw him into the ultimate danger zone – where truth lies at the heart of betrayal.
Think John Grisham meets James Patterson and you’ve got Joel Goldman in The Dead Man!
“Goldman’s realistic setting, fast-paced dialogue and chilling plotting will have you wanting to read more in this gritty suspense series.”
—Cindy Bauer, b
ookpleasures.com
“The Dead Man has all the plots and twists one may expect from a Grisham novel and the pace of a James Patterson crime story.”
—Carolyn LeComte, Curledup.com
It doesn’t get any better than that, so grab The Dead Man and don’t let go!
MOTION TO KILL
JOEL GOLDMAN
Copyright © 2002 by Joel Goldman
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead) or events is entirely coincidental.