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![An Innocent Client: A Legal Thriller (Joe Dillard Series Book 1) by [Scott Pratt]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51rAbfdHPPL._SY346_.jpg)
An Innocent Client: A Legal Thriller (Joe Dillard Series Book 1) Kindle Edition
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A preacher is found brutally murdered in a Tennessee motel room.
A beautiful, mysterious young girl is accused.
In this bestselling debut, criminal defense lawyer Joe Dillard has become jaded over the years as he's tried to balance his career against his conscience. Savvy but cynical, Dillard wants to quit doing criminal defense, but he can't resist the chance to represent someone who might actually be innocent. His drug-addicted sister has just been released from prison and his mother is succumbing to Alzheimer's, but Dillard's commitment to the case never wavers despite the personal troubles and professional demands that threaten to destroy him.
"Pratt's richly developed characters are vivid and believable, especially the strong Southern women who fight their male-dominated culture from behind a facade of vulnerability in this brilliantly executed debut." -- Publisher's Weekly
Smart and sophisticated, with a plot twist that will leave you shaking your head in wonder, An Innocent Client -- the first in the acclaimed Joe Dillard series -- will also leave you begging for more.
"It's Scott Turow and Grisham... The opening chapter is maybe the most compelling I've read in a decade." - Ken Bruen, bestselling author of The Guards
"Pratt knows what he's doing and it shows." - Alafair Burke, acclaimed author of The Wife
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateDecember 13, 2013
- File size5808 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Pratt blends real courtroom drama with intense scenes that keep this book moving at a quick pace. Joe Dillard is a Tennessee criminal defense lawyer who wants to defend one innocent client before he walks away from the practice. He finds himself defending a stripper accused of killing a preacher who visited her strip club the night before. Rich plot? The dialogue is real, the courtroom scenes riveting and the outcome anything but certain."
--Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite Series
From the Author
BOOKS IN THE JOE DILLARD SERIES
An Innocent Client
In Good Faith
Injustice for All
Reasonable Fear
Conflict of Interest
Blood Money
A Crime of Passion
Judgment Cometh (And That Right Soon)
Due Process
BOOKS IN THE DARREN STREET SERIES
Justice Redeemed
Justice Burning
Justice Lost
BOOKS IN THE BILLY BECKETT SERIES
Deep Threat
Divine Strike
Ripcord
Break Point
BOOKS IN THE MILLER & STEVENS SERIES
The Sins of the Mother
STANDALONES
River on Fire
CHILDREN'S BOOKS
An Elephant's Standing in There
A Ride on a Cloud
FIND SCOTT
Website: scottprattfiction.com
Contact: scott@scottprattfiction.com
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Facebook (Joe Dillard Fans): facebook.com/groups/196640251521065
Twitter: twitter.com/prattbooks
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/2419708.Scott_Pratt
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Bookbub: bookbub.com/authors/scott-pratt
From the Inside Flap
April 26
11:00 a.m.
It took me an hour to drive back to Johnson City. I ate a quick lunch at a café about two blocks from my conference room and walked in the door about ten minutes before one. There was a woman sitting at the table waiting for me. She stood when I came in. It was all I could do to keep my jaw from dropping. She was dressed in tight, black spandex pants and an orange and black tiger-striped top that nearly exposed the nipples on her very substantial breasts. Her hair was a shade of red I'd never seen before, on or off a woman's head.
"Joe Dillard," I said as I shook her hand. Her fingernails were at least an inch long and painted the same design as her shirt.
"Erlene Barlowe. You're even better-looking in person than you are on television." She smiled, and when I looked her in the eye, I saw that despite the shocking outfit, she was an attractive woman. I motioned toward the chair.
"What can I do for you, Ms. Barlowe?"
"Oh, honey, I have the most terrible problem. It's just awful. A very close young lady friend of mine has been arrested for a crime she didn't commit."
"Close friend?"
"More like a daughter. I sort of took her in about a month ago."
"Start from the beginning, Ms. Barlowe. Tell me everything you want me to know."
"Please, sugar, call me Erlene. I suppose I should start by telling you that I own the Mouse's Tail Gentlemen's Club. My husband and I owned it together, but he passed away last year and now I'm running it. I don't believe I've ever seen you out there."
I laughed. "Haven't had the pleasure. I've heard a lot about it though."
"Doesn't surprise me. We've had several lawyers come and go over the years. A couple judges, too."
Which judges, I wondered. I considered asking her, but then I decided I didn't want to know. Screw them. Before long, I'd be moving on.
"Tell me about your friend."
"Have you heard they made an arrest in the murder of that pastor from Newport? The one who was stabbed?"
"I think everybody's heard."
"She didn't do it, Mr. Dillard. I'd swear it on a stack of Bibles. I want to hire you to represent her."
"How do you know she didn't do it?"
"Because I was with her all night. I drove her home from the club after her shift ended. She lives at my place and she never went out. She couldn't have done it. And besides that, she's the sweetest, kindest little thing you'll ever meet. She wouldn't so much as step on a bug, let alone kill a human being."
Erlene Barlowe had an almost mesmerizing Southern drawl and a sweet kind of charm about her. The fact that she was easy to look at, even in those wild clothes, made the conversation even more pleasant. I got the sense a few times that there might be more to Erlene than she wanted me to see, but there was something about her—maybe danger—that held my interest.
After a half hour, I glanced back over my notes. She said she'd taken Angel Christian, the girl who was arrested, into her home after Angel showed up here on a bus with another girl, a dancer named Julie Hayes, a little over a month ago. She said Angel reminded her of her dead husband's beautiful young daughter who'd been killed in a car accident. I got the distinct impression she'd convinced herself that Angel was the reincarnation of the daughter. She said Angel had suffered some serious abuse at home and was a runaway. She mentioned something about Angel's hands.
I was more than a little concerned about a few things. Erlene told me that she'd initially lied to a TBI agent I knew named Phil Landers. She said Angel Christian wasn't the girl's real name. She said the police had obtained a warrant to take a hair sample from Angel, or whatever her name was, and one from Erlene. That meant DNA evidence would probably be involved, and DNA almost always proved to be devastating to defendants. The police obviously had witnesses or some other evidence or they wouldn't have been able to get the warrants. And she said something about the police searching for a missing Corvette.
But Erlene was adamant about the girl's innocence, and if she was telling the truth, it certainly didn't sound like Angel had either the motive or the opportunity to commit a murder. I was tempted, but not so tempted that I was willing to take on a murder case that would probably wind up going to trial. I didn't want to waste any more of her time, and I didn't want to just flat-out refuse her, so I decided to set the bar so high she'd either be unable or unwilling to jump it.
"Erlene, do you have any idea how much it would cost you to hire me on a case like this? A first-degree murder. I heard something about the death penalty on the radio, you know. And it'll most likely go to trial."
"Mr. Dillard, my husband provided well for me, both while he was alive and after he passed. Money isn't something I'm concerned about."
She shouldn't have said that. The price I had in mind immediately doubled.
"I'm going to be honest with you, ma'am," I said. "I'm planning to get out of this business sometime in the next year. If I took on this case, it would mean I might have to stay a lot longer than I want to."
"Please, Mr. Dillard. I'll pay you whatever you want. You're the best lawyer around here. I've been hearing about you and reading about you for years. You've even represented some of my girls - just piddly stuff years ago - but they all spoke so highly of you. I wouldn't want anyone else to defend my sweet little Angel. Why don't you look at it as your last hurrah? You can go out with a great big bang."
I took a deep breath. "You've only known this girl a month. Are you telling me you'd be willing to put up a quarter million dollars for her defense?"
She didn't bat an eye. "Angel didn't kill anybody, Mr. Dillard. I swear it. I'll do whatever I have to do."
"That's the only way I'll do it. Two hundred fifty thousand, cash, up front, nonrefundable. And that's just for me. You'll also have to pay the expenses. We'll need an investigator, and we may need experts. They're not cheap."
"Tell you what, sweetie," she said, "why don't you go down to the jail and meet Angel. When you get finished, you give me a call and I'll have your money."
From the Back Cover
"Joe Dillard is a worthy, more down to earth alternative to the heroes of Child, Thor, Flynn et al."
"If you like John Grisham or Lee Child (Jack Reacher series), you'll like Scott Pratt's Joe Dillard series."
"Fabulous read. If you like John Grisham, James Patterson, Lee Child, John Sanford, etc. you will love Scott Pratt."
"I had read all the Harry Bosch, Mickey Haller and Jack Reacher books at least twice and was looking for something along the same lines, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised with Joe Dillard, who turned out to be everything one wanted, and more! I am on Book 3 now. If you like action, detective, lawyer-type novels, Joe Dillard is for you!"
"Joe Dillard is a kinder, gentler 'could have been' Jack Reacher!!!!!"
"Scott Pratt has created a character worthy of movies. Not since Jake Brigance has an attorney made such a great debut. Read this. It's fantastic."
"As good as Grisham."
"Dillard is a great character, on the order of Grisham's Jake Brigance. And who would have thunk that setting a novel in rural Tennessee would be as enthralling as it turned out to be."
"I had read all the Harry Bosch, Mickey Haller and Jack Reacher books at least twice and was looking for something along the same lines, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised with Joe Dillard, who turned out to be everything one wanted, and more! I am on Book 3 now. If you like action, detective, lawyer-type novels, Joe Dillard is for you!"
"I am very impressed with this author & with this book. I plan to buy the 2nd in the Dillard series today before I go in for surgery tomorrow. . I read all the great series... Harry Bosch, Lucas Davenport, Mickey Haller, Alan Gregory etc etc & I am a stern critic of bad writing. The plot was excellent. The story flowed without a flaw. The characters came alive & Earline was one of the most memorable people I ever met in fiction. I will definitely tell readers that they will not be disappointed & urge them to read this first novel & enjoy an excellent story."
"I'm so GLAD I happened across Scott Pratt's Joe Dillard series. "An Innocent Client" is a really good, well-written story and I'm looking forward with much pleasure to reading the whole series. Highly recommended for fans of courtroom intrigue and for readers like me who are fans of good-guy protagonists like Robert B. Parker's Spenser, Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, J.A. Jance's J.P Beaumont, and William J. Coughlin's Charley Sloan."
"I'm a Bosch fan and got a suggestion to read "Dillard" series and bit. Damn good reading. As per another review I read, I would agree that characters are somewhat dysfunctional and while that can sometimes turn me off, the storyline and character depth overcame that for me. Started with Dilliard #1 so excited to keep reading!"
"A quick read with a character who has his own problems but manages to overcome them. Joe Dillard is to defense attorneys as Harry Bosch is to police detectives."
"Fast and interesting read. I love the cynical main character. Fans of Harry Bosch will love this book."
"Loved the characters. As entertaining as my favorite Grisham thriller. Recommend to anyone that likes Grisham or Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch."
"Very smart, gripping until the end."
"I was looking for a new series and came across this one. The story was really good, the main character seemed very real as he dealt with pressure, family, his job, and terrible events from his past. There was good humor and some nice twists to keep you guessing. I will certainly purchase more of the Joe Dillard series, and the price was another big plus. If you are a Grisham, Lincoln Lawyer, or Bosch fan, this is a good addition for your collection."
"Very enjoyable and well-written book. I enjoyed it as much as Michael Connelly's 'Harry Bosch' series. I will be reading Pratt's next book for sure."
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B009WQ9YMS
- Publisher : Phoenix Flying LLC (December 13, 2013)
- Publication date : December 13, 2013
- Language : English
- File size : 5808 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 372 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,068 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #4 in Legal Thrillers (Books)
- #8 in Murder
- #10 in Legal Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

***Click the FOLLOW button for notifications from Amazon to keep you in the loop on all things Scott Pratt.
Scott Pratt is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose books have sold more than five million copies. He was born in South Haven, Michigan, and grew up in Jonesborough, Tennessee. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from East Tennessee State University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee. He lived in Johnson City, Tennessee.
CONNECT WITH SCOTT ONLINE
Website: scottprattfiction.com
Email: scott@scottprattfiction.com
Email List: https://mailchi.mp/scottprattfiction/mailing-list-sign-up
Facebook (Scott Pratt): facebook.com/scottprattfiction
Facebook (Joe Dillard fans): facebook.com/groups/196640251521065
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2419708.Scott_Pratt
Twitter: twitter.com/prattbooks
Instagram: Instagram.com/scottprattauthor
JOE DILLARD SERIES
An Innocent Client
In Good Faith
Injustice for All
Reasonable Fear
Conflict of Interest
Blood Money
A Crime of Passion
Judgment Cometh (And That Right Soon)
Due Process
DARREN STREET SERIES
Justice Redeemed
Justice Burning
Justice Lost
BILLY BECKETT SERIES
Deep Threat
Divine Strike
Ripcord
Break Point
MILLER & STEVENS SERIES
The Sins of the Mother
STANDALONES
River on Fire
CHILDREN'S BOOKS
An Elephant's Standing in There
A Ride on a Cloud
*A Note From his Family After his Passing*
Honor and duty. In Dad's mind, these were among the most important foundational pillars in becoming a man, and he instilled these values deeply into me from a young age. As a family dealing with Mom’s cancer, we’ve been staring death in the eyes for a long time. Because of this, Dad often talked to me about my responsibility to our family after he was gone. He was adamant that it was my duty to continue driving his work, further cementing his legacy and what he’s left behind for our family. I will continue doing that. I also feel it’s my responsibility to finish out the projects he was working on. Here are those projects: two more books co-written with Mark Stout which he had already spent considerable time working on, two books co-written with Kelly Hodge which he had already worked on, and finally, Dad’s younger brother, Dan, and I will be finishing the solo novel, and possibly the three-book series, for Audible Originals that he was working on. We’ll also be completing the tenth installment in the Dillard series, a book we anticipate will be the last in the Dillard saga. I’m writing to let you know this because I don’t want anyone to feel like there’s any sort of profiteering occuring. It’s a matter of honor, of finishing what he started. I will never publish anything under Dad’s name that he wasn’t directly involved in conceptualizing and working on. So, once these are finished, there won’t be any more titles released under Scott Pratt. At that time, I’ll evaluate which way I feel is best to move forward, and we’ll go from there. At some point, there will be a biography written about Dad. He was an extraordinary man that led an extraordinary life. When the time is right, I’ll make sure whoever writes it does him justice.
-Dylan Pratt
Customer reviews
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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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While i enjoyed the book, the writing, and the main character, Joe Dillard, along with some of the other very colorful characters peopled throughout this story, I found some of the storyline to be difficult to believe, such as Dillard's happy marriage despite almost no trust or any ability for the main character to reveal his deepest thoughts and true nature to his own spouse, a woman he supposedly loves and trusts. Healthy relationships don't work that way.
There are severall formatting and editing mistakes that would not have existed if a good editor had cast her eyes over the copy. I hate to see this type of amateur mistake. It cheapens the quality of the book as a whole. I recommend Scott Pratt find himself an impartial and good editor who will correct the problems before publication. One example of such a mistake is in the events that took place in the victims hotel room where he fully undresses twice, and in cleaning up the crime scene, a vital piece of evidence that was mentioned and so, important, was left behind. These are editing mistakes that would not exist with a good editor. I would be happy to do that job and be exceptionally good at it. ( I loathe my Kindle keyboard so much that it keeps me from leaving reviews). I faced the keyboard for you, Mr Pratt, because you asked so nicely and I hope one day you will do the same for me.
Overall, a solid book. I looked forward to reading it when i was doing other things. I thought about it outside of my usualreading time, and those are sure signs of a story that has hooked me and that is not an easy feat, says the girl who has read 100,000 books.
Ill read from this author again. Nice job, Mr Scott Pratt. I recommend this book, suggest reading his other work and giving this author some of your reading time. You won't regret it . Time well spent.
Enjoyable and believable! I liked the blend of first person and third person narration. Worth reading!
Top reviews from other countries

The book is very light on the courtroom action with the outcome very obvious from the early stages of the book. Having said that, I found it an enjoyable read and an admirable first foray into a crowded market.
The let down for me was the cliches characters, the defensive lawyer with a heart of gold and a family to match, the corrupt prosecution and police team, irascible judges, a madam straight out Dolly world and an "innocent" defendant who again from an early stage was clearly not all she seemed to be.
On the up side Mr Pratt is an entertaining writer with a lot to work with.

The plot has more twists than you would believe and I would be amazed if anyone guessed the ending. When I have finished this review I am going to look for book 2 in the series.
A great find. Something different . Thanks to the author.

The only real mystery, to me, was the very final page where the author explains that this is a self published book and he'd appreciate a review on Amazon to help promote the books. I am more than happy to do so, my puzzle is why no published has not taken up his books and promoting them in bookshops? They are certainly good enough. I have also read book #2 and have the third ready to read.

Because I'm such a picky-arse I won't let him off the hook regarding mistakes because I don't other authors. There were apostrophe errors and the odd missed word too but nothing too horrendous.
I do like his dedication the start of the book as well.
There were some highly amusing lines throughout despite the serious story which I appreciated along with the-most-bizarre-passage-in-a-book award for "after the cat found the dick" !!
I would highly recommend this new author to anyone. Give him a try.

I really enjoyed the story throughout and found it gripping and entertaining.
I would recommend this book as a very good read.