Litfuse presents Rule of Law by Randy Singer

Litfuse presents

Rule of Law by Randy Singer

What did the president know? And when did she know it?
For the members of SEAL Team Six, it was a rare mission ordered by the president, monitored in real time from the Situation Room. The Houthi rebels in Yemen had captured an American journalist and a member of the Saudi royal family. Their executions were scheduled for Easter Sunday. The SEAL team would break them out.
But when the mission results in spectacular failure, the finger-pointing goes all the way to the top.
Did the president play political games with the lives of U.S. service members?
Paige Chambers, a determined young lawyer, has a very personal reason for wanting to know the answer. The case she files will polarize the nation and test the resiliency of the Constitution. The stakes are huge, the alliances shaky, and she will be left to wonder if the saying on the Supreme Court building still holds true.
Equal justice under law.
It makes a nice motto. But will it work when one of the most powerful people on the planet is also a defendant?
Learn more and purchase a copy.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

WOW! Just WOW! Reading Rule Of Law was like reading the headline news, or watching a news channel. I love reading Randy Singer’s legal fiction because being a lawyer, he knows everything about the law, and knowing and working with SEALs and other military personnel, he has a pretty good knowledge about the government. Rule of Law was kind of scary to read because I kept going back reading pages, and wondering if things like this is happening today among our leaders. Have there always been the Philip Kilpatrick’s and John Morcano’s in Washington running our country? It’s a lot to think about!

I really like Paige. Her integrity, her knowledge of government affairs, and her strength and courage is the kind of people we need leading our country. And I really grew to respect the character of the president, and her integrity and willingness to admit her mistakes and failures in front of all America. Kristen was wonderful, and the characters of Tony and Patrick really showed me the character of a SEAL, and the danger of their missions, as well and the courage and love they have for their country. I’ve always had a special love and respect for the military, but after reading this book, that love and respect has hit a high level. Also, I realize how much we all need to really be praying daily for those who sacrifice their lives of our safety. And have committed to pray even more to our president and leaders and all of our military. Oh and I can’t forget Wyatt, who I grew to respect, to my surprise, and of course Clients was adorable. And Wellington did an awesome job of backing up Wyatt.

Randy Singer in just one if the best of the best writers. Rule of Law is so real, the characters are so realistic, I was actually looking up pictures of the various places described in scenes throughout to book so I could imagine myself being there in the story. The events, the knowledge, the settings in Virginia Beach and Yemen, all described so vividly by Mr. Singer will stay with me for a long time. Well, really the entire book, even the credits, authors notes and praises for Mr. singer will stay with me for a long while.

This book is so full of events, twists and turns at every angle, you just have to read it for yourself. If you love a good clean legal fiction, you need this book! I received this book from Litfuse Tours Group and the publisher, Tyndale House to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 55.

 

 

Randy Singer is a critically acclaimed author and veteran trial attorney. He has penned more than ten legal thrillers, including his award-winning debut novel “Directed Verdict.” In addition to his law practice and writing, he serves as a teaching pastor for Trinity Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He also teaches classes in advocacy and ethics at Regent Law School and serves on the school’s Board of Visit

Tyndale House Presents Randy Singer in Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales

ABOUT THE BOOK

A new legal thriller from a master of his craft
Landon Reed is an
ex-quarterback convicted of organizing a point-shaving scheme. In prison, he
finds forgiveness and faith. After prison, he earns a law degree and longs for
an opportunity to prove his loyalty and worth.

Be careful what you ask
for.

Harry McNaughten is one of the founding partners of McNaughten and
Clay—and the only attorney willing to take a chance employing an ex-con turned
lawyer. Though Landon initially questions Harry’s ethics and methods, the crusty
old lawyer wins Landon’s respect with his brilliant legal mind and knack for
winning. But as the two lawyers prepare for a high-profile murder case, Harry is
gunned down in what appears to be a random mugging. Weeks later, the firm’s
leased jet explodes over Chesapeake Bay, and two more McNaughten and Clay
lawyers are eulogized. Somebody has a vendetta against the firm, and Landon, his
family, and his sole remaining partner are the final targets.

As Landon
struggles to keep the firm together, he can’t help but wonder: Is the plot
related to a shady case from McNaughten and Clay’s past, or to the murder trial
he’s neck-deep in now? And will he survive long enough to find out?

About the Author . . .

Randy Singer is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author
and veteran trial attorney. He has penned more than ten legal thrillers and was
recently a finalist with John Grisham and Michael Connelly for the inaugural Harper
Lee Prize for Legal Fiction sponsored by the University of Alabama School of Law and
the ABA Journal. Randy runs his own law practice and has been named to Virginia
Business magazine’s select list of “Legal Elite” litigation attorneys. In addition to his
law practice and writing, Randy serves as teaching pastor for Trinity Church in
Virginia Beach, Virginia. He calls it his “Jekyll and Hyde thing”—part lawyer, part
pastor. He also teaches classes in advocacy and civil litigation at Regent Law School
and, through his church, is involved with ministry opportunities in India. He and his
wife, Rhonda, live in Virginia Beach. They have two grown children. Visit his website
at www.randysinger.net.

Interview with the author about this book!

1. What was your inspiration for this book, Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales?

Two things worked together to inspire this book. First, the scandals that rocked college football in the last
few years. Have you ever noticed that when a player gets in trouble and is kicked off a team or sent to
prison, we never hear from him again? What happens to him? Are there some inspirational stories of
redemption out there? Do these young men ever discover a meaningful life beyond football?
Second was a friend of mine with a real-life story of redemption. He had committed a felony as a college
student but had become a believer while serving his time. Everyone who knew the man verified that his
life had dramatically changed while in prison. He was not just a model prisoner, but he became a spiritual
leader and a catalyst for change in others as well.
When he was released from jail, he went to law school, where he was respected by all his peers and
professors. After graduation, he applied for a license to practice law. His dramatic turnaround raised
societal questions about the restoration of rights for those who have served their time and demonstrated
that they’ve changed.
That’s when the what-ifs started happening. What if a college quarterback got caught up in a pointshaving scandal in a major football

conference like the SEC? What if he went to jail and turned his life
around? What if that man became a lawyer determined to prove his integrity and loyalty to the firm that
hired him? And what if somebody had a vendetta against that firm and started killing its lawyers one by
one? That’s where this book started—on a football field, in a courtroom, in a small and dysfunctional law
firm in Virginia Beach (not mine—the one in the book!), a firm that believed in giving a changed man a
second chance, a firm fighting for its very life.

2. Tell me about your main character, Landon Reed. Was his character based upon anyone in particular?

As I explained in response to the previous question, the inspiration for Landon Reed came from a real-life
friend. That man showed me how much someone can truly change while incarcerated and how hard it can
be to rebuild a life with a felony conviction. But he also demonstrated that, by God’s grace, it can be done.
He became the inspiration for my protagonist, Landon Reed, and for that I am deeply in his debt.

3. What lessons or truths will your readers find in the pages of this novel?

I once heard a well-known Hollywood scriptwriter say that the two themes shown to most resonate with
moviegoers were stories of redemption and forgiveness. It made me realize that God has planted an
attraction for the themes of the gospel deep in our hearts.
Landon Reed’s life is a quest for redemption and forgiveness. Most of his former teammates have spurned
him, but one of his offensive linemen stuck with him throughout his entire ordeal. That man plays a major
role in this story. As a former quarterback, it was fun describing the “band of brothers” relationship
between a quarterback and the members of his offensive line.
There’s also the question of how much society forgives someone who has been convicted of a serious
crime. What roles are off-limits afterward? Should somebody who has committed a felony be allowed to
practice law?
It’s fascinating to see how some athletes “earn” redemption after significant scandals, provided they can
perform better than before. But what about those former athletes who never make it back into the
game? How does a man like Landon obtain forgiveness and redemption for what he has done?
For Landon, earning redemption means proving his loyalty. When Landon went to prison, his girlfriend
was pregnant with their first child. She waited for him while he served his time. She became Mrs. Landon
Reed as soon as he was released. But this young couple faces unbelievable challenges to their marriage
when Landon is willing to risk the safety of his family to prove his loyalty to the only firm that would take
a chance on him.
Lawyers at the firm start dying, and a sensible man would run as far and fast as possible. But Landon is
tired of running. And sometimes a quest for redemption makes a man anything but sensible. Driven to be
a hero, Landon has to decide whether he is willing to sacrifice his own family in his quest for redemption.

4. How do you expect Landon’s story to resonate with your readers?

All of us have mistakes in our past that haunt us. One of my favorite verses is Joel 2:25a: “I will restore to
you the years that the swarming locust has eaten . . .”
This is ultimately the story of how God can use our greatest mistakes and turn them into something
redemptive. The first step, of course, is taking responsibility for our actions, facing into them, and owning
them. I think we will all see a little bit of ourselves in Landon Reed.

5. As a writer, what did you particularly enjoy about crafting this story?

There is an axiom that writers should write what they know best. I’ve added a corollary: Writers should
write what they know best and what they love most. That’s what I did with Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales.
The story takes place in the legal community in Virginia Beach. In fact, the law office that Landon joins is in
the same building where my firm is actually located. How’s that for writing about things you know?
Moreover, I had some great mentors in the practice of law (I dedicated this book to them), so I gave
Landon a colorful and affable mentor as well—a crafty old lawyer named Harry McNaughten.
But ultimately this is a book about what matters most: family relationships, loyalty to our spouses, and
being changed by our faith. I loved crafting this story not just because it hit close to home but because it’s
the story of an underdog battling the giants in his life—both those of his own making and those on the
other side of his cases. And I love underdogs!
When lawyers start dying in Landon’s firm, he finds himself in way over his head with only his faith, his
family, and his best friend to help him. For me, crafting that type of David and Goliath story never grows
old.

6. What is your hope for this story? How would you like it to impact readers?

My hope is that I’ve raised important issues about redemption, forgiveness, and the power of the gospel
to change lives. My goal is to entertain readers with a fun and compelling story while they wrestle with
those issues. But there is also a more subtle thread throughout the story—an allegory for what Christ did
on our behalf. I hope to surprise readers when that allegory is fully revealed at the end of the book.

7. How has this novel helped you to grow as a storyteller?

Something happened when drafting this story that has never happened to me before. Before I ever start
writing a book, I put together a very detailed outline of the characters and plot (usually about twenty
pages long). The plot changes and evolves as the story is written, but I always know generally where the
story is headed. This time, I got about halfway through the book and just ran into a brick wall with the
plot. No matter how hard I tried to work the angles, I couldn’t seem to pull it all together in a coherent,
believable, and compelling way.
I called my editor at Tyndale, Karen Watson, and told her that this story just wouldn’t work. But Karen
wouldn’t let me quit. Eventually, everything came together in what I hope will be one of my best plots
ever. This book is a story about persistence in the face of adversity and, providentially, writing the book
taught me the same thing.
What have I learned as a storyteller? Sometimes our best stories are the ones we almost give up on.
Nothing valuable in life comes without a struggle.

8. Your novels are typically multilayered and keep readers guessing until the end. Would you say that Dead
Lawyers Tells No Tales is similarly full of surprises?

I hope it is. I love to throw in enough twists and turns to keep readers off balance. When I read other
authors, I love to be surprised so long as the author plays fair.
It’s easy to surprise somebody by bringing in some random twist from left field that has nothing to do
with the story. But that’s not playing fair. My perfect ending is one where the reader says, “Wow! I didn’t
see that coming, but I should have.” That’s the kind of ending I try to write.

9. Can you share anything about the next project you are working on?

Next Easter, I will be releasing a book that I am more excited about than any other book I have ever
written. It feels like the book I was born to write. It brings together my roles as pastor, lawyer, and
storyteller.
The working title of the book is The Advocate. It’s the story of Theophilus, the man to whom Luke
addressed his Gospel and the book of Acts. My premise is that Theophilus was Paul’s court-appointed
advocate to represent him in front of Nero, probably the most despised ruler in the history of Rome (and
that’s saying a lot). Theophilus was chosen because he had served in Judaea as Pilate’s assessore, or law
clerk, during the trial of Jesus.
My hope in writing the book is that it might bring to life the stories surrounding the two greatest trials in
the history of the world. One of those, the trial of Christ, has been studied, dissected, and analyzed more
than any other trial for the past two thousand years. The other, the trial of Paul in front of Nero, has been
a short time as a missionary in Spain. Both of these great trials changed the lives of everyone associated
with them and the trajectory of history.
It’s a real stretch for me to write historical fiction, especially a book that is so intertwined with the story of
the gospel. But I am embracing the opportunity. I’ve had a chance to visit Rome and talk to some amazing
historians. I know for a fact that this is the most challenging and rewarding book I’ve written. My prayer is
that it might also be the most impactful.

10. In addition to being an author, you are also a pastor and a lawyer. How do you reconcile those two things,
and what skills do they have in common?

Most people think that someone who is both a pastor and a lawyer is an extremely rare bird. In fact, I had
one reader e-mail me and say that she loved my books but that her son said it was impossible for
somebody to be both a pastor and a lawyer!
That mind-set assumes an artificial barrier between “ministry work” and “secular employment.” In truth,
everything we do is ministry, and we should do it with all our heart, “as to the Lord, and not unto men”
(Colossians 3:23). My law practice is a ministry just as much as my leadership at the church.
In both professions, I am meeting people at a point of need and often ministering to them in the biggest
crises of their lives. To be effective, I need to have a servant’s heart for both my clients and my church
members. And advocacy is an important skill in both trying a case and preaching the gospel.
A lot of people forget that Christ’s main method of making a point was through parables. Both pastors
and lawyers are storytellers in the best sense of that word—not that we make stuff up but that we help
our listeners enter into the story and become a part of it.
Come to think of it, I’m surprised there are not more people doing this!

Author Video and Book Trailer

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

Landon Reed is now out of prison, married to his sweetheart and mother of their daughter, and is determined to make something out of
his life. After going to law school, Harry McNaughten, one of the founding partners of McNaughten and
Clay was the only lawyer that would give him a chance. But Landon never dreamed of what his life would be like after agreeing to
help Harry.

Wow! Randy Singer blows my mind with each book I read by him! With so much stuff going on in this story, I kept wondering how he would
ever pull is all together in the end, but he does, in that unique and wonderful way he has of writing! Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales was Randy Singer
at his best! I totally loved, loved this story, when I started reading it, I only put it down a few times, just when I absolutely had to! Randy Singer created characters
that were unique and awesome, and were perfect for their parts in the story. The plot was fast pace and will pull you into the story and hold you there until long
after you finish reading.

If you enjoy suspense, thrillers, with romance, spiritual values, mystery and everything else going on here, you will love, love this book! I encourage you to pick up a copy
now! This is a must read for all of you suspense people out there. I can’t wait for the next book from Mr. Singer!

I received this book from Tyndale House to read
and review.  I was not required to write
a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing
this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 55.

Tyndale House Blog Tour…The Last Plea Bargin by Randy Singer & Interview

The Last Plea Bargin

by Randy Singer

List Price: 13.99
ISBN:  978-1-4143-3321-2
Trim Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4
Binding: Softcover
Release: March 2012

Book Blurb

Plea bargains may grease the rails of justice, but for Jamie Brock, prosecuting criminals is not about cutting deals. In her three years as assistant DA, she’s never plea-bargained a case and vows she never will. But when a powerful defense attorney is indicted for murder and devises a way to bring the entire justice system to a screeching halt, Jamie finds herself at a crossroads. One by one, prisoners begin rejecting deals. Prosecutors are overwhelmed, and felons start walking free on technicalities. To break the logjam and convict her nemesis, Jamie must violate every principle that has guided her young career. But she has little choice. To convict the devil, sometimes you have to cut a deal with one of his demons.

MY THOUGHTS ON RANDY’S BOOK!

When I review a Randy Singer book, I hang on to my seat at the first page and don’t let go until the very last word. Randy is absolutely one of the best suspense/thriller authors today! So if the book says `Randy Singer, just go ahead and buy it because it’s going to be good!
Readers meet Jamie Brock again, from Randy’s book “False Witness.” Jamie has been working as an assistant DA for several years. Her mom was shot and killed 11 years earlier and she is now losing her dad to illness. And to add to that, Jamie has been assigned a murder case, the suspect being the lawyer who defended the man who killed her mom. As this story unfolds, well you just need to read the book to find out what happens, it’s too much to tell her. And I don’t want to spoil the book for you.
Randy brings up some interesting questions about the death penalty in this book through the lawyer character, Mace James. How should Christians feel about it? Suppose the killer gives his life to Christ while in prison? Should he be left there to die alone since he made mistakes and bad choices? Suppose this person is really innocent? There are several other issues with the state system that are talked about in this book through the life-like believable characters created by the author.
Being a lawyer himself, Randy Singer expertly writes stories with so much detail the reader gets a touch of a lawyer’s real life when reading his books. Add to this a little suspense, drama, romance, danger, fear, and determined characters taking on the most dangerous and difficult cases, and you have a Number 1 novel that will blow you away when you read it.
I highly recommend this terrific book to those suspense/thriller lovers out there looking for awesome books to read. And as in all of Randy’s books, you will see Jesus and salvation through Him throughout the book.
I was provided a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required or expected to write a positive review of this product. The review is my opinions only.

7 Questions with Randy Singer

Randy Singer, The Last Plea Bargain

Randy, you bring a unique perspective to your writing because you are also an attorney and a pastor. How do you juggle these three things and still have a life?

Who said I had a life?

But seriously, it helps that these three things all draw on common skill sets. For example, principles of powerful story-telling are important for a pastor, lawyer and (obviously) writer. I’m a little ADHD and like being able to go from one thing to another. It’s like crop rotation—keeps things fresh. And, to be honest, writing is more like relaxation for me than a job. It gives me a break from the pressures of the other “real life” jobs and lets me go into a world where I get to control things! (aka “God complex”)

On the practical side, there are three principles that help me juggle. One, I try to stay focused on the big stuff. It’s not that I do the little stuff second, I try not to do the little stuff at all. Second, I stay focused on what I can do well and let others worry about the stuff that is out of my control. And third, I’ve learned to get comfortable with the fact that I will always have stuff in each of these areas that does not get done. As long as the ball is moving forward, I’m satisfied with that.

Ultimately, I thank God that, in His grace, He allows me to do three separate things that I love. My prayer is that I might bring glory to Him in all three arenas.

The Last Plea Bargain

is loosely based on a case you tried. Can you briefly share with us some of the details of that case and why it is special to you?

In 2002, Donna Somerville was indicted for the murder of her husband, Hamilton Somerville, Jr., in Orange County, Virginia. Hamilton Somerville was heir to the DuPont fortune. The prosecution alleged that Donna Somerville had poisoned her husband with a lethal cocktail of hospice drugs and the case drew national media attention, including a front-page story in Vanity Fair and a Lifetime movie, Widow on the Hill. Donna Somerville was found not guilty in the criminal case in 2004, but I represented the daughters of Hamilton Somerville in a wrongful death civil case against their step-mother which had a very different outcome. That litigation, and the tension between seeking justice and extending forgiveness, played a large role in the writing of The Last Plea Bargain.

Your main character, Jamie Brock, originally appeared in your novel, False Witness. Why did you decide to bring her back, and will we see more of Jamie in the future?

Readers will often ask me whether I’m going to bring back one character or another. I make a mental list of the characters mentioned the most often, realizing that those characters must have resonated with the readers in some way. Jamie is mentioned a lot. In addition, in False Witness, we saw her as an idealistic and persistent law student. Given her intriguing backstory and motivation for going to law school (her mother was killed in a home invasion and Jamie wanted to become a prosecutor), I thought it would be fun to follow her as she matured into a tenacious but conflicted prosecutor.

Jamie takes a pretty hard stance against plea bargaining. How rampant is plea bargaining in the legal system and is it necessary?

Most people don’t realize that about 90% of the criminal cases in our country are disposed of by plea bargains. A plea bargain is when the defendant pleads guilty to a crime, frequently in exchange for a lighter penalty.

This book asks the question: What if the defendants in a certain jurisdiction banded together and decided not to plea bargain, insisting on a full jury trial for every case? It would overwhelm the system. There wouldn’t be enough prosecutors or public defenders or available court dates. Even the defendants who lost would be able to claim ineffective assistance of counsel or the lack of a speedy trial on appeal. The system would be thrown into chaos.

That’s what happens in The Last Plea Bargain. Jamie Brock is staring down defendants who have found a way to wreak havoc with the system. Who is willing to compromise? Who will blink first?

While plea bargaining is part of the overall plot, at the heart of the book are the issues of justice and mercy. How does Jamie learn to balance those two?

Justice without mercy is legalism. Mercy without justice is license. Only when we realize the need for justice tempered with mercy do we have a fair and equitable result.

It takes courage to pursue justice. You have to stare evil in the face and demand accountability. It is easier to let evil have its day. So, if we cling only to mercy, then there is nothing to stop the advance of true evil. We live in a constant state of spiritual warfare. And God is a God of justice. We should be irate at injustice in the world and willing to risk our own lives to stop it.

But passionately seeking justice is just one step away from vengeance. And Scripture tells us not to take revenge into our own hands. Romans 12:19. Instead, we should leave room for God’s wrath, not trying to overcome evil with evil but overcoming evil with good. Romans 12:20-21.

How do we draw this line? I believe a lot of it has to do with motivation. Are we mad because somebody hurt us or disrespected us? Chances are, that’s vengeance. On the other hand, are we striving for justice for others, or devoting ourselves to a just cause? Chances are, that’s seeking justice.

What do you hope readers walk away with after reading this book?

First, I want readers to be entertained. If the story isn’t compelling, nothing else matters. So my primary goal is that readers will find it impossible to put the book down and, when they turn the last page, shoot me an email asking how long it will be until I finish another.

Second, I want to present readers, in the context of story, with compelling characters on both sides of the death penalty debate, so that readers might draw their own conclusions. And third, I want readers to walk with my characters down that thin line that separates the lust for revenge from the hunger for justice. And…hopefully, to learn which side of the line they might be walking on.

Okay, Randy, what’s next?

I’m working on my next book tentatively entitled Rule of Law. It will come out next spring. It’s the story of another flawed protagonist. He is a former college quarterback who got caught up in a point-shaving scandal, served time in prison, and then went to law school and became a lawyer. He finally gets his first job but ends up at a firm where somebody is killing off all the firm’s lawyers, one-by-one (even lawyers who try to leave the firm). It’s a story about loyalty and trust, honor and betrayal.

At the same time, I’m working on a longer-term project (one that’s been on my desk for a long time) which will give readers a front-row seat to the two most important trials ever—the trial of Christ and the trial of Paul in front of Nero. The story is told from the perspective of Theophilus, Paul’s court-appointed advocate, and may be the most important book I’ve ever attempted.

About The Author…….Randy Singer

Randy Singer is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author and veteran trial attorney. He has penned more than 10 legal thrillers and was recently a finalist with John Grisham and Michael Connelly for the inaugural Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction sponsored by the University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal. Randy runs his own law practice and has been named to Virginia Business magazine’s select list of “Legal Elite” litigation attorneys. In addition to his law practice and writing, Randy serves as teaching pastor for Trinity Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He calls it his “Jekyll and Hyde thing”—part lawyer, part pastor. He also teaches classes in advocacy and civil litigation at Regent Law School and, through his church, is involved with ministry opportunities in India. He and his wife, Rhonda, live in Virginia Beach. They have two grown children. Visit his website at www.randysinger.net.