Murder at Black Oaks: A Robin Lockwood Novel
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- Create Date：2022-09-22 11:21:50
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Phillip Margolin
- ISBN：125086710X
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Reviews
Maggie Fahy-Pepper
，
I sat down with this at about 11 PM read till 11:30 AM the following day and finished。 This is a read that grabs you immediately and just wouldn't let me quit。 The characters are rich， the plot inventive， and the writer really knows what he is doing。 I have never been a great mystery buff， but I believe I am now， this says it is the 6th Robin Lockwood novel， although it is a stand-alone it won't be for long on my bookshelf， I will be reading more of Philip Margolin's creative writings。 Thank you I sat down with this at about 11 PM read till 11:30 AM the following day and finished。 This is a read that grabs you immediately and just wouldn't let me quit。 The characters are rich， the plot inventive， and the writer really knows what he is doing。 I have never been a great mystery buff， but I believe I am now， this says it is the 6th Robin Lockwood novel， although it is a stand-alone it won't be for long on my bookshelf， I will be reading more of Philip Margolin's creative writings。 Thank you for this gift。 。。。more
Sandy
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Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book， in exchange for a fair and honest review。I've enjoyed all of the Robin Lockwood series， and this was no exception。 It is a little different from the previous books in the series - we do get the courtroom action， and a lot of clever legal action， both from Robin and her associates and from two earlier cases handled by Francis Hardy， a former prosecutor and defense attorney。 I always enjoy the legal action in these books， and this forms the back story f Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book， in exchange for a fair and honest review。I've enjoyed all of the Robin Lockwood series， and this was no exception。 It is a little different from the previous books in the series - we do get the courtroom action， and a lot of clever legal action， both from Robin and her associates and from two earlier cases handled by Francis Hardy， a former prosecutor and defense attorney。 I always enjoy the legal action in these books， and this forms the back story for this book。But， Margolin decided to have some fun with this one as well， by offering an homage to classic mystery writers - we have a locked room mystery， the setting is a creepy mansion at the top of a mountain， with secret tunnels， and it's always raining while Robin drives to the mansion。 You know that we're looking to earlier classic mysteries， when we head up the mountain and pass a creepy insane asylum along the way！ There is a curse， there are references to werewolves - it's all there！Despite all of this， however， it's a real mystery - not played as a slapstick。 And， you still have the pleasure of figuring out who-dun-it and why， along with Robin and her investigator。 You also have the ethical issue that is troubling to the characters and to the reader - what happens when an attorney learns from a client that he actually committed a murder and framed someone else for it - and now that other person is on death row。 What does the attorney do when he knows， beyond any question， that an innocent man is on death row， and he can't figure out a way to save the man？Well worth reading - I'm enjoying this series considerably， and am looking forward to the next book in the series。 。。。more
Margot Frye
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I received this book as an ARC and this is my review。 Wow！ Phillip Margolin is in top form in this incredible “locked room” mystery。 The setting is an isolated， cursed mansion with characters flawed and filled with strong emotions。 Margolin is the King of the twist and this story is loaded with them。 I always love his books and this one does not disappoint。 I totally recommend this book to readers who enjoy a psychological thriller with amazing， surprising outcomes。
Mehva
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This was a quick read with several storylines。 I liked the legal ones and helping get innocent people out of prison， more than the locked room mystery。 So for me， this was a mixed bag。 If you like locked room mysteries in haunted houses， you will probably like this book。 3。5
Elisa
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I liked some parts of this story with a passion。 A Gothic mansion， built brick by brick to resemble a historied European castle， a curse， werewolves， legends and a lot of creepiness made me pick up this book to find… a lot of chapters devoted to a legal thriller with redundant information and endless recaps。 I liked the first part， which lays the background to the story， but I’m not a fan of legal thrillers so the main chapters didn’t capture my attention as much as the locked room murder myster I liked some parts of this story with a passion。 A Gothic mansion， built brick by brick to resemble a historied European castle， a curse， werewolves， legends and a lot of creepiness made me pick up this book to find… a lot of chapters devoted to a legal thriller with redundant information and endless recaps。 I liked the first part， which lays the background to the story， but I’m not a fan of legal thrillers so the main chapters didn’t capture my attention as much as the locked room murder mystery。 It is my fault， since this is part of a series， I should have checked the previous volumes to learn more about it。 A rich retired prosecutor put a man on death row and later learned that he was innocent。 After much maneuvering， Defense Attorney Robin Lockwood frees the wrongly convicted man and they all go to the titular Black Oaks， to celebrate。 Instead， murder ensues。 This part doesn’t happen till the middle of the novel， but then， there are more chapters afterwards with more legal shenanigans。 Finally， the conclusion， which I saw coming。 Fans of the series will probably enjoy it， as will readers of legal thrillers。 Murder mystery fans will enjoy that part of the plot， but， in my case， it was too short and predictable。 I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased。 Thank you， #NetGalley/#St。 Martin's Press， Minotaur Books！ 。。。more
Vickie
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Phillip Margolin’s latest Robin Lockwood book is riveting as well as quite different from what I expected or had read in the past。 Robin is a successful attorney who works tirelessly until she finds a solution and the truth。 In this book， the setting of an old home in the backwoods of Oregon is personified and is a big part of the book， thus accounting for the significant difference that I noted in this book as opposed to other Lockwood novels。 The setting is a main characters， overshadowed only Phillip Margolin’s latest Robin Lockwood book is riveting as well as quite different from what I expected or had read in the past。 Robin is a successful attorney who works tirelessly until she finds a solution and the truth。 In this book， the setting of an old home in the backwoods of Oregon is personified and is a big part of the book， thus accounting for the significant difference that I noted in this book as opposed to other Lockwood novels。 The setting is a main characters， overshadowed only by Robin Lockwood and her tenacity to overcome and reveal its secrets。 Owned by a former DA named Francis Hardy， Black Oaks has a legend and supposedly a curse， but that does not stop Robin from taking a case that Hardy desperately wants her to pursue， that of proving that a man he put into prison is innocent。 There are a lot of twists in this novel as well as an unexpected murder （in spite of the title， the murder was surprising to me）， and characters that are credible if somewhat secretive。 The secrets are the key to the story and the truth that Robin has to unravel。 Her methodical exploration of the case and all that was happening had me captivated， as she and her investigator Ken try to get to the truth of who is who as well as the how and the why of the crimes committed。 This is a legal thriller， wrapped up in atmosphere and just enough creepiness that gives it a tone of darkness and evil that is ever present。 I enjoyed getting to know how Robin would handle a case that is completely different than what she usually takes on as well as getting to know how skilled Ken is at assisting her。 Robin Lockwood does not change her tactics， but she is great at adapting to the challenges of this case。 The action is fast-paced and the characterization is layered and dynamic。 Fans of legal thrillers will enjoy this book and Margolin’s journey into an Alfred Hitchcock-like world。 DisclaimerDisclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley。 I was not required to write a positive review。 The opinions expressed are my own。 I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR， Part 255， “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising。” 。。。more
Likestotravel
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Murder at Black Oaks by Phillip Margolin was a good， entertaining， quick read。 It stars Robin Lockwood as the legal heroine in a multi-storyline mystery。 I’m rating at three （would do 3。5 if I could） stars since I thought some of the storylines aren’t brought to conclusion， some storylines leap around a bit awkwardly and the characters aren’t deeply developed。 The setting is well-described and contributes to the spooky entertainment factor。 This book is part of an ongoing mystery series but can Murder at Black Oaks by Phillip Margolin was a good， entertaining， quick read。 It stars Robin Lockwood as the legal heroine in a multi-storyline mystery。 I’m rating at three （would do 3。5 if I could） stars since I thought some of the storylines aren’t brought to conclusion， some storylines leap around a bit awkwardly and the characters aren’t deeply developed。 The setting is well-described and contributes to the spooky entertainment factor。 This book is part of an ongoing mystery series but can easily be read as a standalone。 Many thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for providing me the opportunity to read this ARC。 。。。more
Sandie
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Often justice hides in dark and deadly places and Phillip Margolin’s latest yarn connects defense attorney Robin Lockwood， retired D。A。 Francis Hardy， a former death row inmate， a has-been movie idol and a score of other players as they come together at Black Oaks， a manor house located in the mountains of Oregon that is a replica of an English mansion built in 1628。 Philip Margolin is a master craftsman and IMHO one of the best authors in the business。 His creation， Robin Lockwood and her assoc Often justice hides in dark and deadly places and Phillip Margolin’s latest yarn connects defense attorney Robin Lockwood， retired D。A。 Francis Hardy， a former death row inmate， a has-been movie idol and a score of other players as they come together at Black Oaks， a manor house located in the mountains of Oregon that is a replica of an English mansion built in 1628。 Philip Margolin is a master craftsman and IMHO one of the best authors in the business。 His creation， Robin Lockwood and her associates “get them job done” without resorting to gimmicks and glitz found in many of today’s TV dramas。 His books provide an admirable protagonist， a winning supporting cast， a taste of Agatha Christie and a dash of humor - - what more could one want in their reading material？ 3 1/2 stars 。。。more
Gloria Sereduck
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Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy。 Robin Lockwood is a favorite character of mine and although different then previous Lockwood stories， I did enjoy Murder at Black Oaks。 I especially enjoyed it because it centered on the freeing of an innocent man。 What developed at Black oaks afterwards kept the pages turning。
Kimberly
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I won an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway。 I am happy I did。 The story grabs you from the beginning。 The next thing you know you’re surrounded by liars， murderers， lawyers， escaped mental patients， the wrongfully condemned， and gold diggers。 Throw in a reproduction of a cursed 17th century English mansion secluded on top of a mountain， and a locked room style murder， and you have Murder at Black Oaks。 This novel is an easy read。 I finished in， somewhere between， 5-6 hours。 I understand I won an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway。 I am happy I did。 The story grabs you from the beginning。 The next thing you know you’re surrounded by liars， murderers， lawyers， escaped mental patients， the wrongfully condemned， and gold diggers。 Throw in a reproduction of a cursed 17th century English mansion secluded on top of a mountain， and a locked room style murder， and you have Murder at Black Oaks。 This novel is an easy read。 I finished in， somewhere between， 5-6 hours。 I understand this is the 6th book in the Lockwood series。 The reader of this book does not need to have read the previous publications as this book stands alone。The story will keep you guessing as several mysteries unfold in the course of the telling。 I will be buying this book as soon as it is released。 As I mentioned I received an ARC and noticed that the name of one of the characters is different from the same character’s name mentioned in the synopsis of the Goodreads giveaway。 I am interested to see if other revisions have been made。 In conclusion I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery。 。。。more
Keila
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I didn’t realize when I requested a copy of this book from @netgalley and the publisher @stmartinspress that this was book 6 in a series。 I typically do not read series， let alone one so far in， but I was intrigued and decided to read it after all。Robin Lockwood is a well respected and sought after attorney in Portland Oregon。 One day she receives a call from retired district attorney Francis Hardy to meet him at his home， Black Oaks。 Black Oakes is cloaked in superstition and Hardy believes it I didn’t realize when I requested a copy of this book from @netgalley and the publisher @stmartinspress that this was book 6 in a series。 I typically do not read series， let alone one so far in， but I was intrigued and decided to read it after all。Robin Lockwood is a well respected and sought after attorney in Portland Oregon。 One day she receives a call from retired district attorney Francis Hardy to meet him at his home， Black Oaks。 Black Oakes is cloaked in superstition and Hardy believes it。 Since retiring Hardy has dug deep trying to free wrongly convicted people and he believes one of the people he helped put away is actually innocent。 Intrigued Lockwood takes the case and works to set the convicted man free。 Along the way people start dying， including Mr。 Hardy。 Lockwood works hard against the clock to not only free the man， but to figure out who has killed Hardy。 Will she be able to figure it all out before falling victim herself？This book hooked me from the start。 I was a little put off with how much was going on， and how nicely things were wrapped up as the book went on。 Things almost went too fast for me， and that’s saying something since I often find things too slow。 I appreciated the legal aspect of this thriller， and how the author was just technical enough for me to get it。 I’m no legal expert but I’ve watched enough Law & Order to get the gist of what was going on！ I rated this one 3。75 but rounded up to a 4 for rating purposes。 While the story of Robin Lockwood was interesting and entertaining， I probably wont be reading more of the series。 I want to extend my deepest thanks to @netgalley and the publisher， @stmartinspress， for my advanced copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review。 This book is out November 8th and if you’re looking for a solid legal thriller – look no further。 。。。more
Jen
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Well。 I didn’t love it， didn’t hate it。 Having read the other books in the series， I found this one to be a disappointment。 The legal parts felt skipped over， and were kind of a summary。 The suspense was fantastic， and ramped up throughout。 This will make a great Halloween book but for a legal thriller， I found it lacking。 2。5 ⭐️
Stanley McShane
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Read his full review on Rosepoint Publishing。Attorney/client privilege is a cornerstone of American jurisprudence。 In the course of defending his client， a young district attorney learns of the other attorney’s inability to disclose certain facts in a case， resulting in the client being sent to death row for a crime he did not commit。 Jose Alvarez spends over thirty years on death row- an innocent man。Robin Lockwood is contacted 30 years later to help resolve the case with the then much older d Read his full review on Rosepoint Publishing。Attorney/client privilege is a cornerstone of American jurisprudence。 In the course of defending his client， a young district attorney learns of the other attorney’s inability to disclose certain facts in a case， resulting in the client being sent to death row for a crime he did not commit。 Jose Alvarez spends over thirty years on death row- an innocent man。Robin Lockwood is contacted 30 years later to help resolve the case with the then much older district attorney。 He resides at Black Oaks Manor， a desolate mansion in an even more desolate region of Oregon。 Jose is released because papers have surfaced that proved he was innocent。Who is responsible for these untimely deaths at Black Oaks Manor？ Throughout the novel’s plot line， the story leads to false trails and impossible outcomes。This novel harkens back to some of the older great mystery writers。 As the body count mounted， I found myself on quicksand trying to ferret out the culprit。 Facts are not presented until the end which exposes the killer and still I found myself in disbelief as to the capacity of the exposed killer。Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book。 4 stars – CE Williams 。。。more
AndiReads
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While this book is the 6th in a series， but fine as a stand alone！Robin Lockwood is looking into an old case for a new client。 Years ago， the lawyer had no choice but to defend a guilty client。 He believes that someone else is paying for the crime and hopes that Robin can help。 The lawyer， believes he is cursed and lives in a haunted mansion！ There is murder and mayhem and the homage to Agatha Christie is apparent。 The first half is legal thriller and the second is murder mystery！ If you are a P While this book is the 6th in a series， but fine as a stand alone！Robin Lockwood is looking into an old case for a new client。 Years ago， the lawyer had no choice but to defend a guilty client。 He believes that someone else is paying for the crime and hopes that Robin can help。 The lawyer， believes he is cursed and lives in a haunted mansion！ There is murder and mayhem and the homage to Agatha Christie is apparent。 The first half is legal thriller and the second is murder mystery！ If you are a Phillip Margolin fan， Agatha Christie Fan or just love a good legal thriller， you will love Murder at Black Oaks！ #STMARTINS #Minitaur 。。。more
Randi
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Alright， this one was a smidge better than the last two， but partly because it was such a quick read。 I truly can’t get over how the exposition is so repetitive and superfluous。 The writing feels very sophomoric， and I laugh how every person needs to be described down to their skin color， multiple times。 Is it really necessary？ I’m sure I’ll tune in to the next one， but Robin’s antics seem to be getting a little dull， especially since she’s still in mourning。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publishe Alright， this one was a smidge better than the last two， but partly because it was such a quick read。 I truly can’t get over how the exposition is so repetitive and superfluous。 The writing feels very sophomoric， and I laugh how every person needs to be described down to their skin color， multiple times。 Is it really necessary？ I’m sure I’ll tune in to the next one， but Robin’s antics seem to be getting a little dull， especially since she’s still in mourning。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
V
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Number six in the Robin Lockwood legal mystery series takes a road trip from Portland to a cursed mansion， the Black Oaks on Solitude Mountain。 The creepy European replica Black Oaks castle plays a significant part in the plot。 The curse will rear its ugly head with another murder。Robin is going to meet the former deputy district attorney， now retired， Frank Melville。 Thirty years ago he tried the case which convicted and sentenced to life Jose Alvarez。Jose was accused of murdering his girlfrie Number six in the Robin Lockwood legal mystery series takes a road trip from Portland to a cursed mansion， the Black Oaks on Solitude Mountain。 The creepy European replica Black Oaks castle plays a significant part in the plot。 The curse will rear its ugly head with another murder。Robin is going to meet the former deputy district attorney， now retired， Frank Melville。 Thirty years ago he tried the case which convicted and sentenced to life Jose Alvarez。Jose was accused of murdering his girlfriend。 The primary eye witness testimony is now in question。 Archie Stallings was a witness who testified about seeing Jose at the scene。 There are statute of limitations in play along with attorney-client privilege information。 It is a complicated legal dilemma。Frank now works on the opposite side， trying to free the wrongfully convicted through an innocence project。 His daughter， Nelly， and his assistant， Sheila， also lives at Black Oaks。 There are many interesting staff members living on site as well。The legal aspects of the case were intriguing， thought provoking and timely。 It was a compelling case。 You will find yourself holding your breath for justice for Jose。 The castle was a bit over the top， but made for a fun and easy read。 There were plenty of well described suspects with opportunity， making it difficult to guess who committed the crime。 This could be read as a standalone but， background from previous books is always helpful。 This is an author I've read before and will again。Thank you to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of "Murder at Black Oaks" by Phillip Margolin， and to Minotaur Books。 These are my honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily。 。。。more
Christine Piepmeier
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The sixth Robin Lockwood book finds Robin trying to clear the name of a wrongly imprisoned man。 30 years ago， Frank Hardy helped put away Jose Alvarez for murder。 Soon after， he heard the confession of the true culprit but it was protected by attorney-client privilege。 Robin is successful and goes to Frank's supposedly cursed home with Jose to celebrate。 However， Frank ends up murdered。 What follows has a locked room mystery， an escaped psychopath， and more murders！ This was my first Robin Lockw The sixth Robin Lockwood book finds Robin trying to clear the name of a wrongly imprisoned man。 30 years ago， Frank Hardy helped put away Jose Alvarez for murder。 Soon after， he heard the confession of the true culprit but it was protected by attorney-client privilege。 Robin is successful and goes to Frank's supposedly cursed home with Jose to celebrate。 However， Frank ends up murdered。 What follows has a locked room mystery， an escaped psychopath， and more murders！ This was my first Robin Lockwood book but I really enjoyed it！ I was surprised the mystery didn't really start until halfway through the book （the first half was getting Jose out of prison and more like a legal thriller）， but I ended up enjoying both parts。 I definitely will go back and read more of these！I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Sandra Pipitone
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This will have you on edge of your seat！ But the strange things happen。 Forgiveness is hard to earn after years！ Not everyone is what they seem？ Family does the most harm sometime。
Dianna
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Thank you #NetGalley and #PhillipMargolin for this ARC， in the closed door tradition of an Agatha Christie murder mystery。 Definitely， a page turner of the first order。 。 Again， we meet Robin Lockwood and her team as they investigate the conviction of a death row inmate hoping to exonerate and free him。 Their client， a disabled former prosecutor and a bit of a recluse， has them at his unconventional and spooky home where murder and mayhem ensues。 By the time Robin and her investigator untangle t Thank you #NetGalley and #PhillipMargolin for this ARC， in the closed door tradition of an Agatha Christie murder mystery。 Definitely， a page turner of the first order。 。 Again， we meet Robin Lockwood and her team as they investigate the conviction of a death row inmate hoping to exonerate and free him。 Their client， a disabled former prosecutor and a bit of a recluse， has them at his unconventional and spooky home where murder and mayhem ensues。 By the time Robin and her investigator untangle this complicated knot of a mystery， you’ll be completely tied up in the story。 。 Phillip Margolin is a master craftsman never failing to surprise and entertain。 He writes Robin particularly well and has crafted her back story in a unique， but believable way。 I don’t know about you， but I’ve never heard of an MMA fighter turned attorney。 It makes for an Interestingly tough， but sympathetic character。 You need to give this and other Robin Lockwood cases a read。 They’re worth the time。 A solid slap on the back to PM and RL for a job well done。 。。。more
Jessica Palacios
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''Defense Attorney Robin Lockwood is summoned by retired District Attorney Francis Hardy to meet with him at Black Oaks， the manor he owns up in the Oregon mountains。 The manor has an interesting history - originally built in 1628 in England， there's a murderous legend and curse attached to the mansion。 Hardy， however， wants Lockwood's help in a legal matter - righting a wrongful conviction from his days as a DA。 A young man， Jose Alvarez， was convicted of murdering his girlfriend only for Hardy ''Defense Attorney Robin Lockwood is summoned by retired District Attorney Francis Hardy to meet with him at Black Oaks， the manor he owns up in the Oregon mountains。 The manor has an interesting history - originally built in 1628 in England， there's a murderous legend and curse attached to the mansion。 Hardy， however， wants Lockwood's help in a legal matter - righting a wrongful conviction from his days as a DA。 A young man， Jose Alvarez， was convicted of murdering his girlfriend only for Hardy， years later when in private practice， to have a client of his admit to the murder and to framing the man Hardy convicted。 Unable to reveal what he knew due to attorney client confidence， Hardy now wants Lockwood's help in getting that conviction overturned。''This was the first book I've read telling the story of Robin Lockwood and I'm absolutely interested into knowing more from this character so you don't really have to have read all the previous books to enjoy this one which is great and it shows how good of a story it is。 This book starts a little slow but trust me stick to it because it keeps getting better and better。 The story has a lot of elements that makes a great suspense/murder mystery: an old mansion in a creepy area with a very sooky history， a murder， a family/enemies reunion in the middle of a rainy night and the feeling that something really bad will happen - it does happens。The story it's fast paced， filled with interesting characters （which at this point anyone can be the killer） and with one narrator only （my favorite kind）。 It was spooky， catching， page turner and the ending is a plot twist that you won't guess！ I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review。 My thanks to Minotaur Books and to Phillip Margolin for the opportunity。 。。。more
Rhonda Hendrick
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This book is an homage to the nostalgic movies and books of Agatha Christie and Ellery Queen。 It involves a spooky mansion， an escaped madman from the local psychiatric hospital and a locked -room mystery。 As you read this book， you can hear the creaky doors， smell the damp， moldy secret passageways and see the shadows lurking just around the corner。 And just like in the horror movies， the killer is inside the house！ I have read most of the Robin Lockwood series。 This one is quite different than This book is an homage to the nostalgic movies and books of Agatha Christie and Ellery Queen。 It involves a spooky mansion， an escaped madman from the local psychiatric hospital and a locked -room mystery。 As you read this book， you can hear the creaky doors， smell the damp， moldy secret passageways and see the shadows lurking just around the corner。 And just like in the horror movies， the killer is inside the house！ I have read most of the Robin Lockwood series。 This one is quite different than the others， but it was a fun， quick read。 Thank you to author Phillip Marjolein， St。 Martins Press and NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC for my honest opinion and review。 。。。more
Jeremy Reppy
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"Murder at Black Oaks" was a good locked-room murder mystery。 There were some pretty obvious plot twists， but also some rather creative and surprising twists。 Having the story involve the exoneration of a man on death row who was wrongfully convicted， as well as investigations into other possible wrongful convictions， was an interesting twist。 Frank Melville （who is the murder victim at the heart of the story）， was the prosecutor who helped convict Jose Alvarez， who was then sentenced to death。 "Murder at Black Oaks" was a good locked-room murder mystery。 There were some pretty obvious plot twists， but also some rather creative and surprising twists。 Having the story involve the exoneration of a man on death row who was wrongfully convicted， as well as investigations into other possible wrongful convictions， was an interesting twist。 Frank Melville （who is the murder victim at the heart of the story）， was the prosecutor who helped convict Jose Alvarez， who was then sentenced to death。 Years later， while in private practice， he learned the identity of the real killer but legally could not say or do anything about it （attorney-client privilege）。 As a result， Jose spent thirty years in jail， when the travesty of justice， if circumstances had been different， could have been rectified years earlier。 The author does a good job of portraying Jose's anger at his situation， including his anger at Frank Melville， who wants to make amends， as well as Jose's confusion being back in society， as so much has changed in the thirty years he was incarcerated and as he has spent the last thirty years with his days regimented and almost all decisions made for him （when to eat， sleep， shower， exercise， etc。）， so being able to make his own choices is unsettling。 The cast of characters is rather eclectic -- including attorney Robin Lockwood， who used to be an MMA fighter。 This is actually the sixth book in a series featuring Robin Lockwood， although it is the first book in the series that I have read so far。I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Jo Dervan
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Frank Melville was an assistant DA in Portland Oregon and one of the best in the office。 So when he was assigned the case of the state vs Jose Alvarez， he thought it would be an easy one to prosecute。 He was successful and Jose was sentenced to the death penalty。 Frank eventually left the DA’s office and was in private practice。 Archie Stallings， one of the prosecution’s witnesses in the Alvarez case， confessed to Frank that he and not Jose had killed Margo Prescott。 However Frank was Archie’s a Frank Melville was an assistant DA in Portland Oregon and one of the best in the office。 So when he was assigned the case of the state vs Jose Alvarez， he thought it would be an easy one to prosecute。 He was successful and Jose was sentenced to the death penalty。 Frank eventually left the DA’s office and was in private practice。 Archie Stallings， one of the prosecution’s witnesses in the Alvarez case， confessed to Frank that he and not Jose had killed Margo Prescott。 However Frank was Archie’s attorney and could not breach attorney-client privilege to disclose this information to authorities。Years later Frank ended up in a wheelchair after a car accident。 He retreated to his estate， Black Oaks， a reconstructed manor house in that was said to be cursed。 It had been transported from Scotland to an isolated area of Oregon。 Frank began to spend his fortune trying to free unjustly convicted criminals。 When he learned that Archie was dead， he hired Robin Lockwood to try to get Jose released from the jail where he had been on death row for the last 30 years。 Robin was successful and Jose was released。 So Frank decided to celebrate by inviting Jose and Robin and a few others to Black Oaks to celebrate。 That night after dinner， Frank was found dead in an elevator in the manor house。 Robin and her associates have to solve the mystery of who among them， murdered Frank。 The true murderer was not revealed until the last few pages。 Margolin is a good storyteller and fans of legal thrillers will enjoy this， the 6th book in the Robin Lockwood series。 I received this ARC from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Roxanne Spencer
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Unfortunately this book didn't do much for me。 I found the writing style to be more expository than descriptive （more telling than showing）， and never felt drawn into the story。 Unfortunately this book didn't do much for me。 I found the writing style to be more expository than descriptive （more telling than showing）， and never felt drawn into the story。 。。。more
Joan
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Review of Uncorrected Digital GalleyFormer Portland district attorney Frank Melville knows Jose Alvarez， sentenced to death for murder， is innocent。 Bound by attorney-client privilege， he was obligated to remain silent until the death of the man who’d confessed to the crime。 He stepped away from his law practice and began working to free wrongly convicted and incarcerated individuals。 He hires attorney Robin Lockwood to find a way to free the man。Robin and her investigator， Ken Breland， do indee Review of Uncorrected Digital GalleyFormer Portland district attorney Frank Melville knows Jose Alvarez， sentenced to death for murder， is innocent。 Bound by attorney-client privilege， he was obligated to remain silent until the death of the man who’d confessed to the crime。 He stepped away from his law practice and began working to free wrongly convicted and incarcerated individuals。 He hires attorney Robin Lockwood to find a way to free the man。Robin and her investigator， Ken Breland， do indeed find a way to free Alvarez。 But while they are at Black Oaks on Solitude Mountain， Melville’s creepy recreation of a haunted English manor， Frank is murdered。 But the “how” of the murder is a puzzle since the victim was in his wheelchair inside an elevator at the time of his death。As the investigation into his murder proceeds， they discover another body。Has the curse of Black Oaks claimed more lives？ Will it reveal its secrets or will Robin become the next victim？=========Sixth in the author's Robin Lockwood series， this book works well as a stand-alone。 Designed to pay tribute to the detective novels of Ellery Queen， Agatha Christie， John Dickson Carr， and other great writers from the Golden Age of mysteries。 Along with the haunted mansion， readers will discover other ingredients from those early mysteries， including secret passages， a werewolf curse， and an impossible locked-room murder。The inventive plot keeps the suspense building; the characters are interesting and diverse。 Its strength lies in its homage to the Golden Age authors and the clever incorporation of those early elements into the telling of this tale。 A surprising twist near the end is sure to catch readers off-guard。 The eerie tale is fun， spooky， and unpredictable， giving readers an intriguing mystery to solve。Recommended。I received a free copy of this eBook from St。 Martin’s Press， Minotaur Books and NetGalley #MurderatBlackOaks #NetGalley 。。。more
Jennifer M H。
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Murder At Black Oaks is a legal/whodunit/locked-room mystery that lures you in from the beginning。 The story isn’t fast-paced， but it isn’t quite the slow burn either。 It’s paced just right with a storyline that captured my attention from the beginning and kept me guessing the next steps throughout the book。Attorney Robin Lockwood was hired by former prosecutor， Frank Melville。 Frank prosecuted Jose Alvarez， who was sentenced and put on death row for the murder of his girlfriend。 Seven years lat Murder At Black Oaks is a legal/whodunit/locked-room mystery that lures you in from the beginning。 The story isn’t fast-paced， but it isn’t quite the slow burn either。 It’s paced just right with a storyline that captured my attention from the beginning and kept me guessing the next steps throughout the book。Attorney Robin Lockwood was hired by former prosecutor， Frank Melville。 Frank prosecuted Jose Alvarez， who was sentenced and put on death row for the murder of his girlfriend。 Seven years later， the real murderer visits Frank and confesses to the crime of Jose’s girlfriend。 After the confession， Frank isn’t able to free Jose due to the Attorney-Client privilege contract in place。 Frank wants Attorney Robin Lockwood to help him find a way to free Jose from death row， despite the Attorney-Client Privilege。 The story takes off when Robin investigates and researches a strategy to free Jose。 As the story continues， you learn that the mansion which Frank Melville resides in has an eerie story behind it。 When Robin and and other guests are invited to Black Oaks， murders occur that keep you wondering how the characters and the mansion’s history will intertwine and reveal the cause of the murders at Black Oaks during that rainy and stormy night。 Although Murder At Black Oaks is book #6 of the Robin Lockwood series， it can be read as a standalone。 It is a quick， suspenseful and entertaining read which I enjoyed up to the very end。 I didn’t expect it to end the way it did， which to me， made the story that much more enjoyable。 Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC。 。。。more
Heather
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This ARC was provided to me via Kindle， from St。 Martin's Press and #NetGalley。 Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review。 Opinions expressed are completely my own。A story you won't want to put down。 Fast-paced， a story that's vibrant with characters， scenarios， and imagery。 This ARC was provided to me via Kindle， from St。 Martin's Press and #NetGalley。 Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review。 Opinions expressed are completely my own。A story you won't want to put down。 Fast-paced， a story that's vibrant with characters， scenarios， and imagery。 。。。more
Diogenes
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A loving and clever homage to Agatha Christie， Ellery Queen and the many great mystery scribes of the past， this tale has all the ingredients: a closed-room murder， house guests in a 'haunted' mansion on a remote mountain top， a curse， a madman and more with lots of misleading clues to finally reveal a surprising culprit。Added to the enjoyment are a couple of legal anecdotes of satisfying redemption。 A loving and clever homage to Agatha Christie， Ellery Queen and the many great mystery scribes of the past， this tale has all the ingredients: a closed-room murder， house guests in a 'haunted' mansion on a remote mountain top， a curse， a madman and more with lots of misleading clues to finally reveal a surprising culprit。Added to the enjoyment are a couple of legal anecdotes of satisfying redemption。 。。。more
Kaceey
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3。5⭐Are you looking for a light， legal-thriller this weekend？ Well， this one should fit the bill perfectly！Book six of the Robin Lockwood series but can easily be read as a stand-alone。Robin is an attorney in Oregon hired by a former prosecutor and one time defense attorney， Francis Hardy。 Her new assignment will be looking into one of his previous cases。 Years ago he prosecuted a young man Jose Alvarez for the murder of his girlfriend。 And Jose has been sitting on death row ever since。 But hit 3。5⭐Are you looking for a light， legal-thriller this weekend？ Well， this one should fit the bill perfectly！Book six of the Robin Lockwood series but can easily be read as a stand-alone。Robin is an attorney in Oregon hired by a former prosecutor and one time defense attorney， Francis Hardy。 Her new assignment will be looking into one of his previous cases。 Years ago he prosecuted a young man Jose Alvarez for the murder of his girlfriend。 And Jose has been sitting on death row ever since。 But hit the brakes。 Now someone else may be guilty of that murder！ Can Robin get Jose off death row before it’s too late？I loved the beginning and was all in。 But about midway the author veered off on a detour into the somewhat eerie and haunted home of Francis Hardy。 Suddenly turning this read into a locked room mystery。I wasn’t ready for the abrupt change in direction and personally would have preferred the focus stay on Jose。 But hey。。。 that’s just me！💁🏻♀️Overall， another great addition to the series。 And I always enjoy any book Phillip Margolin releases。Hope you will too！Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books 。。。more
Libby Reidy
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