[Jake Lassiter 13] • Bum Deal

**They don’t call us sharks for our ability to swim.**

Second-string linebacker turned disillusioned defense attorney Jake Lassiter finally switches teams. Appointed special prosecutor in a high-profile murder case, he vows to take down a prominent surgeon accused of killing his wife. There’s just one problem…or maybe three: no evidence, no witness, and no body.

But Lassiter’s used to fighting impossible battles on the gridiron and in court. After all, he’s not totally burned-out—just a little scorched.

Standing in Lassiter’s way are the defense lawyers: slick-talking Steve Solomon and blueblood Victoria Lord, who have their own complicated history with the defendant. Not to mention the specter of CTE, the lethal brain disease Lassiter may have contracted banging heads in the NFL. Drained of his mental edge just when he needs it most, Lassiter must do whatever it takes to win this case—even if it costs him his life. Because law is a contact sport, and you don’t get trophies for trying.

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### Review

“Any book with Jake Lassiter is a drop-everything, read-it-now for me—and this one has Solomon & Lord too. *Bum Deal* is fantastic.” **—Lee Child, #1 bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series**

“*Bum Deal* is the real deal. Jake Lassiter at his smart-talking, fast-thinking best. A funny, compelling and canny courtroom thriller, seasoned with a little melancholy and a lot of inside knowledge.” **—Scott Turow, #1 *New York Times* bestselling author**

“Fascinating, fully developed characters and smart, well-paced dialogue keep the pages turning. Levine manipulates the expectations of the reader as skillfully as Jake manipulates the expectations of the jury” **—Publishers Weekly (starred review)**

“The ending is perfect: a nudge in the ribs that doesn’t sell out the novel’s sinister edge. This is a triumph of mood and tone as well as plotting.” **—*Booklist***

“A terrific setup, razor-sharp repartee, and enough plot reversal to make your head swim like an afternoon daiquiri, *Bum Deal* is vintage Paul Levine: entertaining and exceedingly smart.” **—Andrew Gross, #1 *New York Times* bestselling author**

“Jake Lassiter is up against his greatest challenge—an incurable, brain-wasting disease that threatens to rob him of his brilliant, legal mind when he needs it the most. It’s an astonishing, bittersweet, and daring gamble, but those are the qualities that have always set Levine and Lassiter apart from the pack.” **—Lee Goldberg, #1 *New York Times* bestselling author**

“Jake Lassiter for the prosecution? What will Paul Levine think of next? How about a brilliant doctor who just happens to be a murderous psychopath? How about Solomon & Lord for the defense? How about the jackhammer headaches that may have scrambled his brain once too often? It’s all there as Levine connects the funny bone to the heart in the pulse-pounding *Bum Deal*.” **—John Schulian, PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award winner**

**Praise for the Jake Lassiter Series**

“The pages fly by and the laughs keep coming in this irresistible South Florida crime romp. A delicious mix of thriller and comic crime novel.” **—*Booklist* (starred review of *Bum Rap*)**

“Take one part John Grisham, two parts Carl Hiaasen, throw in a dash of John D. MacDonald, and voilà, you've got Jake Lassiter.” **—*Tulsa World***

“Jake Lassiter is great fun.” **—*New York Times Book Review***

“Lively entertainment. Jake Lassiter is attractive, funny, savvy, and brave.” **—*Chicago Tribune***

“Mystery writing at its very, very best.” **—*USA Today***

### About the Author

The author of twenty-two novels, Paul Levine won the John D. MacDonald fiction award and was nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller, Shamus, and James Thurber prizes. A former trial lawyer, he also wrote twenty-one episodes of the CBS military drama *JAG* and cocreated the Supreme Court drama *First Monday* starring James Garner and Joe Mantegna. The critically acclaimed international bestseller *To Speak for the Dead* was his first novel and introduced readers to linebacker turned lawyer Jake Lassiter. He is also the author of the Solomon & Lord series featuring bickering law partners Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord. Levine has also written several stand-alone thrillers, including *Illegal*, *Ballistic*, *Impact*, and *Paydirt*. A graduate of Penn State University and the University of Miami Law School, he divides his time between Miami and Santa Barbara, California. For more information, visit Paul Levine’s Amazon Author Page at www.amazon.com/Paul-Levine/e/B000APPYKG/.