Book tour day!
Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for the free copy in exchange for my honest review and book tour spot!
LAW & ADDICTION – Mike Papantonio (out now!)
Book Description:
One week before his law school graduation, Jake Rutledge is shattered. His fraternal twin, Blake, has died of a drug overdose. When Jake returns to his hometown of Oakley, West Virginia, he discovers that his brother was not the only person hooked on opioid painkillers. The entire region has been ravaged by an epidemic insidiously planned and carried out by one of America’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies.
Still wet behind the ears, Jake is determined to seek justice for all the victims of Big Pharma’s greed. He soon learns that the drug companies’ tentacles reach far and deep. His only hope is to get Nicholas “Deke” Deketomis to help. A partner at one of the country’s most powerful law firms, Deke’s “as tough as a two-dollar steak” and well-known for his winning tactics against corporate wrongdoers. With just enough persistence, Jake coaxes Deke to see Oakley’s devastation firsthand. Overwhelmed, Deke agrees to join forces with Jake.
And that’s when the real heat begins. Death threats, bribes, unlawful property seizure schemes – all are connected to the massive distribution of both legal and illegal drugs. Everyone is impacted, from the highest levels of corporate America to corrupt local officials to their lackeys and hapless victims. The complexity of the schemes is overwhelming.
Working tirelessly, the lawyers begin to uncover the truth. Along the way, Jake falls in love with Anna Fowler, a former homecoming queen who has succumbed to the power of opioids. With his support, she weans herself off the drugs. Hope begins to bloom ― when suddenly, Jake disappears. As Deke undertakes a desperate search to find him, questions swirl. Has Jake abandoned Anna and his crusade? Can the case against the evildoers move forward without him? Will Oakley and its residents survive? Law and Addiction is real-life drama at its finest ― a book that clears away the darkness page by page, spotlighting a profound truth about our society through expert storytelling.
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars
This was my introduction to Papantonio and I had heard nothing but great things before picking up LAW AND ADDICTION. I’m going to start out by saying that the author’s knowledge and experience in this field is very evident. I love picking up fiction that has topics that the author is well-versed in or has worked in the field they’re writing about. That gives the book a very authentic feel.
The opioid problem in the US isn’t slowing down. You see more and more cases of overdose in the news – or in some cases you know someone that has overdosed (I know a couple people that struggled with opioid addiction). I’m an avid watcher of Drugs, Inc. and Intervention and it’s something so prevalent in our society today. When new up-and-coming lawyer Jake takes on the big pharmaceutical companies, he crosses paths with Deke, an incredibly successful lawyer known for suing huge Fortune 500 companies. After seeing the devastation the opioid crisis has had in Oakley (an area also known as Zombieland).
The author takes us on a gritty and twisty ride with this legal thriller. We get to see both sides of the opioid crisis in the country. Jake will have to battle his way through blackmail, threats, corrupt law enforcement, kidnapping, and all while he is coming to terms with is twin brother’s death from an overdose. I would highly recommend this to those that love a good legal thriller or to those interested in the drug crisis that is sweeping the nation. I will definitely be going back to pick up Papantonio’s other books!
About the Author:
Mike Papantonio is a truth-teller, a crusader who uses fiction to entertain and inform his readers about some of the most pressing issues of our time. In each of his thrillers, from Law And Disorder to Law And Vengeance, and now Law And Addiction, he lays bare the conspiracies and white-collar crimes that hurt ordinary Americans ? and that are rarely covered by the national media.
A senior partner of Levin Papantonio, one of the country’s largest plaintiffs’ law firms, Papantonio uses his own cases as springboards for his novels. He has aggressively taken on Big Pharma, tobacco, weapon manufacturer, and the automobile industry, among other bastions of corporate greed.
One of the youngest inductees into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame, Papantonio is also a well- known media presence as host of America’s Lawyer on the RT America television network and co-host of the syndicated radio show Ring of Fire. A skilled musician and athlete, he is based in Pensacola, Florida.
Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook.
Where to Purchase a Copy:
Jessicamap Reviews 
This sounds like a surprisingly good thriller! i might have to add this to my list this summer. Thank you for being on the tour! Sara @ TLC Book Tours
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