A law office descends into a frenzy as a series of crimes points back to one of their top lawyers.

Wednesday Night Whites follows a group of residents in the small but charming Chester, Nova Scotia, as an investigation uncovers murders, human trafficking, and illegal weapons deals that have been festering under the surface for years through a group of white supremacists. When lawyer Azalea “Zale” Augustine is asked to help with a case that points to her colleague, and a partner at her firm, Ruben Hollywood, everyone starts questioning everything around them, trying to find out what has really been going on as the chaos ramps up. Both these characters are extremely well written, and metaphorical fireworks are going off every time the two of them share space, even just near each other on the page. Although they are pivotal characters, there aren’t really standout antagonists/protagonists, and it is the great hooks that end the chapters, as the bodies and twists stack up, that will keep you engaged. This balanced approach to which character is narrating pays off in the resolution as we dance around the various points of view, letting the investigation and the rich history that brings this all together be the star.

A gleefully delicious masterclass in deception forms the backbone of this compelling crime thriller.

5 stars!

Marci Lin Melvin is a retired Family Court Judge in Nova Scotia, Canada. Her experience with law offices and legal proceedings shines through in spades, and this novel is absolutely deserving of its Grand Prize in Fiction from the Reader Views Literary Awards. Congratulations Marci!

If you recognize any of these movies, you will probably enjoy this:
Primal Fear & American History X – These are two of the movies that made Edward Norton into a star. Primal Fear is a legal thriller built on deception, much like how Marci has a ton of deception in her story, then with American History X, we have probably the most mainstream movie that prominently features a neo-Nazi plotline, which has obvious ties here.

Presumed Innocent – The case in this movie is full of some of the same twists we have in our book.

The Pelican Brief – The body count keeps stacking up as the legal team closes in on the truth.

What I am getting at is that the early 1990s were the golden age for legal thrillers at the movies, and if you are a fan of those 1990s-era legal thrillers, grab Marci Lin Melvin’s take on what those stories could have looked like had they been made now.