The Law of Second Chances (Jack Tobin #2) by James Sheehan

Release Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: Center Street
Series: Jack Tobin Series

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Jack Tobin finds himself between a rock and a hard place when he agrees to represent Henry Wilson, an inmate nearing his execution. Juggling the workload of being a lawyer and worrying about his increasingly sick wife, Jack does what he does best. He puts his head down and plows through the work, emotions and obstacles.

As Jack works through his own trials, Benny Avrile awaits his own fate after being arrested for the death of a wealthy man with too many connections. Somehow his path intersects Jack's and everyone involved finds danger in every shadow. Will Jack be able to do his job or will he become the next victim?

Review:
I received an advanced copy of this book through a free giveaway at Goodreads. I don't usually enter giveaways for books in a series without having read the first one, but this story was able to stand alone while incorporating events from the first book in the series. Once I began reading, I realized that the story was more involved than the simple description led me to believe. There were many layers to this story, thus the book contained two parts.

Three distinct threads of the story presented themselves in the first part of the book. They centered around Jack in present-day Florida, Benny in present-day New York and Jack's childhood in 1970s New York. It was during this part of the book that events in the first book of the Jack Tobin series were revealed. Even with a large cast of characters, I felt that the author did a good job at providing each one his or her own voice and personality that resonated throughout the story.

Part two of the book was the point in which the threads came together and the pace of the story picked up as danger lurked around each corner for Jack, Henry and others involved with Benny's case. As they continued to delve deeper into the unknown leads, it became clear that another party was all too happy to let Benny become the fall guy. I liked that each person on Jack's team had a number of strengths and weaknesses that were balanced among the group. There were quite a few points in the book where I caught myself forgetting this was a work of fiction.

Overall, the action, adventure, loss and even a bit of romance all added up to a really good read. A seasoned reader of crime or legal thrillers might foresee some of the twists and turns, but I think there were some that would still surprise them. I grew to like Jack and Henry more than I anticipated and hope there will be more adventures for them in the future. If you are a fan of John Grisham or simply love the world of high-stakes legal dramas mixed with a few tugs at your heartstrings, I recommend you check this series out for yourself.

The Law of Second Chances (Jack Tobin #2) by James Sheehan is currently available at many retailers in paperback form. It can be purchased from Amazon by clicking the link below.
The Law of Second Chances (Jack Tobin #2) by James Sheehan