Dead Peasants
Larry D. Thompson
Dunne, Oct 2 2012, $25.99
ISBN 9781250009494
In Beaumont, Texas, after winning an enormous wrongful death civil suit for three families of dead refinery workers, attorney Jack Bryant retires. He plans to spend time with his son J.D. an ex-marine who is a walk-on trying to make the nationally ranked TCU football team, and to do pro bona legal services for the poor in Fort Worth.
The “Boss” hires a hit man to kill several former employees, but make it look like accidents. Meanwhile Widow June Davis shows Jack an exorbitant insurance check made out to her late husband’s employer. She explains that the payoff is exponentially greater than what her spouse could have made at the auto dealership in a booming economy. Jack accepts June as a client as he files in civil court for her to collect the life insurance money.
The murder for insurance money of “Dead Peasant” is an engaging legal thriller with a powerful underlying concept. The fast-paced storyline is at its best when the focuses are on insurance practices or in the courtroom. However, Jack spends too much time as a detective, which detracts from an otherwise intriguing tale.
Harriet Klausner
Follow The Clue 
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