The Brimstone Murders-Jeff Sherratt

The Brimstone Murders
Jeff Sherratt
Echelon, Feb 2008, $12.99
ISBN: 9781590805527

In Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Jimmy O’Brien understands the overwhelming evidence against his current client Robbie Farris, who confessed in the name of Jesus to stabbing Golden Valley College Professor Carmichael twenty-seven times. Still the consummate professional Jimmy plans to insure Robbie gets the best defense he can provide him even as the seemingly deranged lad mentions his friend the Lord told him to kill the Catholic professor.

However, at Robbie’s arraignment, the accused pulls out a gun that he somehow obtained; he escapes. Soon after Jimmy visits Robbie’s mother Hazel Farris, she is found murdered in her dumpy house trailer. The cops suspect Jimmy killed her as he admits he was at the crime scene just before she died. Jimmy uses his associate twenty-six year old Rita to defend him from a murder in the first degree charge of killing Hazel. Following clues mostly by tracking his runaway client, Jimmy lands in the middle of brimstone evangelists; one of whom wants to send Jimmy to hell before his time.

This entertaining legal thriller hooks the audience the moment Jimmy’s client mentions the Lord told him to kill the professor and never slows down until the final confrontation. The story line in many ways is more of an investigative thriller filled with twists and red herrings as makes inquires into the evangelistic world, but also has strong legal subplots. Fans will appreciate THE BRIMSTONE MURDERS as the odds are SIX TO FIVE AGAINST the hero (see ONE, TWO, & EVEN for a previous O’Brien case).

Harriet Klausner