Description:
A small-town loan shark's life unravels when his young enforcer falls for the police chief's daughter. Years later, facing a murder trial, the shark must confront the same kid-now a prosecution witness.
Brief description: After six years as a newspaper journalist and thirty-eight years as a lawyer, Bob Rothman starting writing novels. His debut novel, A Terrible Guilt, was published in September 2024. In the 1970s, Bob reported on the resumption of capital punishment and later, as a lawyer, led a legal team representing a death row inmate in his habeas corpus proceeding. He has served on the American Bar Association Board of Governors, as Chair of the ABA Litigation Section, and as Chair of the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project. Bob lives in Georgia, and his favorite vacation spot is Asheville, North Carolina, an eclectic community in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, the home of Thomas Wolfe. He loves it for its extraordinary variety of artists, musicians, restaurants, and breweries.
Review Quotes:
"In a small Georgia town where debts are paid in blood, legacy is the deadliest loan. Another legal thriller smothered in gritty, small-town noir!" -Cam Torrens, award-winning author of the Tyler Zahn mystery/suspense series
"A fast-paced legal thriller that will keep you engrossed from the first page." -Gary Gerlacher, bestselling author of the AJ Docker and Banshee series
"Rothman writes with bracing intention and conviction. His knowledge of the subject matter - the novel is half crime thriller, half legal drama - is thorough...[A] swift and deductive tale that will delight any fan of mobster stories." -Kirkus Reviews
"Original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, The Shark's Protégé showcases author Bob Rothman's impressive and character driven storytelling style that is ideal for the suspenseful organized crime/murder mystery genre." -James Cox, Midwest Book Review