THE MIDDLEMAN

In Papantonio’s latest legal thriller in a series, attorney Nick “Deke” Deketomis investigates crimes committed by a pharmaceutical firm.

In this series entry, following Suspicious Activity (2024, with Christopher Paulos), Deke’s old college friend, recently fired lawyer Matt Redmond, brings a new case to the Deketomis firm. Matt’s cousin, Amy Redmond, is the president of the massive pharma corporation EirePharma, and she’s prepared to come forward as a whistleblower against her fiancé, who also happens to be her company’s CEO: Connor Devlin, a shady businessman who took over the company shortly after the previous owner, Matt’s Uncle Charles, apparently died by suicide. She suspects that Connor’s involved in fraud—specifically, activities that have resulted in a rise in the price of insulin. Matt asserts that Connor “runs the business like a mobster disguised as a Harvard-educated MBA,” and he suspects that he wouldn’t be above killing to get what he wants. The Deketomis firm has recently been exploring class-action lawsuits involving insulin manufacturers, so Deke knows it will be a tough fight; however, he’s willing to take on the case and see how deep the corruption goes—and to protect Amy, who may very well be in mortal danger. It’s clear that Papantonio’s latest legal thriller is inspired by real-life crimes committed by pharmacy benefit managers, and this gives this story added appeal and cultural relevance. It’s a suspenseful and often gripping tale. While this does make for an easy read, the dialogue is sometimes unrealistically loaded with exposition, especially in the first few chapters: “I will admit my ask is not exactly a simple one. First protect Amy, uncover the truth about this bastard, and if you can get my family’s pharma business back intact, that would be an extraordinary result.” Little is left up to interpretation, which give the work the feel of a TV detective show, complete with a ripped-from-the headlines plot; still, it’s a well-paced read.

A timely and often intense page-turner.