ABOUT THE BOOK
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.
Publisher: Waterside Productions
Release Date: May 7, 2019
MY REVIEW
A devastating death, rampant opioid addiction, and a young lawyer set on justice, no matter what… Law and Addiction by Mike Papantonio delivers gripping suspense and unpredictable twists as the legal events unfold.
Jake Rutledge returns to his hometown of Oakley, West Virginia only to find it not quite the same as when he left. Opioid addiction has changed what he once knew, and he decides it is time to do something about it. But taking on the pharmaceutical companies responsible is no easy feat. Can he achieve the justice he seeks, or will he only lose more in the process?
Fast-paced and shocking, Law and Addiction is a book for readers that love legal thrillers. Figuratively, it most certainly kept me on my toes, and I enjoyed it.
★★★.5
I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
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.
TOUR SCHEDULE
Thank you for being on this tour! Sara @ TLC Book Tours
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