THE RUSSIAN

In Manolakas’ third legal thriller in a series, a Russian mob boss and property developer tries to threaten and murder his way into owning a historic part of Los Angeles.

Corporate lawyer George Rand has a successful career, a family, and an estate in LA’s Hancock Park neighborhood. However, he’s also a secret gambler and has convinced his friends, family members, and clients to allow him to control their finances. Unfortunately for him, one of his clients is Jaska Yermakov, a major player in the Russian mob who wants his money—and Rand doesn’t have it. Yermakov is a property developer who’s muscled his way into convincing LA politicians and a judge to decide an eminent domain case in his favor. He wants to take over Brentwood Glen, a valuable parcel of land, and the residents are suing the city in a class action, represented by Sophia Christopoulos, a successful lawyer “dedicated to helping…the hurt and the helpless.” The judge rules for the city, and then he promptly commits suicide. Enter Mary Keefe, a law clerk at the appellate court. She’s miserable after a decade of “ghostwriting for political appointees,” so she jumps at the chance when Sophia hires herto work on the appeal. Meanwhile, Yermakov threatens Rand and makes clear that the lawyer must become a judge—one who always decides cases in the mobster’s favor. As the stakes rise, Mary finds herself fleeing the wrath of a ruthless killer. Manolakas’ thriller is part of a series that focuses on Sophia’s lawyering adventures, but this complex novel also pays close attention to a variety of other principal characters, which keeps the action moving quickly. The mob-related crimes are chilling, but just as compelling are the legal issues at hand as the eminent domain fight plays out. Aside from Yermakov, who’s a rather standard-issue villain, the characterizations are three-dimensional, and the legal and political issues are similarly complex. In Manolakas’ LA, every judicial decision is the result of a cynical personal or political maneuver, which makes the heroes work harder to achieve something like justice.

A violent and well-told tale of corruption.