Gone Again by James Grippando

I saw this book on PD Workman's Teaser Tuesday and thought it was interesting. Then I realised this was the same book that Lectus reviewed it and went back to search for it. The first time I looked, the NLB didn't have it but the second time was a success! And when I went to Goodreads (because the author's name sounded familiar), I found out that this was recommended to me before! I totally understood why it was recommended so many times because I found it so addictive that I was willing to sacrifice sleep for it.

Jack Swyteck is now happily married to Andie and they're expecting their first child! Not all is going well, and well, Swyteck ends up taking a case where his client is scheduled to be executed the same week his baby is supposed to be born. Why would a man do such a thing? Well, the mother of the supposed victim is convinced that her daughter is alive, and if she is, then his client is not a murderer.

What complicates matters is the fact that Sashi, the girl who disappeared and is supposed to have been murdered, suffers from RAD - Reactive Attachment Disorder, which means that she doesn't behave in like a typical victim. And with everyone in the case pursuing their own agenda, Jack has a lot of lies to cut through before he can find the truth.

It's probably a testament to how addictive the book is despite the fact that almost all the supporting cast is unlikable. I liked Jack, Andie and his team, and I liked the two children in the case, but everyone else? Not so much. Even poor Debra, who might be as much as a victim as much as Sashi, made me feel uncomfortable. But, their flaws were what made the twists believable, which means the author did a fantastic job balancing plot, character, and readability.

There really is an adversarial system here (the prosecutor got on my nerves too) and every time that Jack had to appear in court, there was drama to be found. I kind of wish that more of this was explored (so did the prosecutor make a deal with the other guy for testimony?) but I can also see how that would spoil the pacing, so I guess it means I should read more of this series to find out.

I'm not going to spoil the plot of the book by continuing to talk, but if you want to read a compelling courtroom drama, you definitely have to pick this up. It doesn't have the most likable cast of characters, but the flawed characters are what give the plot the twists that it has.