The Rose Conspiracy by Craig Parshall

I read a lot of styles of writing, but my all time favorite are suspense and thrillers--and courtroom dramas are in that top five. Even better--Craig Parshall is in my top five favorite courtroom drama authors, and when you read his upcoming release, you'll see why!

"The Rose Conspiracy" tackles The Smithsonian Institute, Freemasonry, cults, and murder--and does it extremely well. Think "National Treasure" style in a novel...believe me, this is MUCH better, but highly similar.

When a murder takes place at the Smithsonian, the Federal government gets involved quickly. They have a suspect--Vinnie Archmont, artist and all around goofy girl.

But is her goofiness a cover for something more sinister?

Seriously, she is GOOFY--and she drove me nuts! If she'd been MY client....but she wasn't mine, she was J.D. Blackstone's--criminal law professor and attorney of the highest caliber.

If only he took God a bit more seriously. Thank heaven for Reverend Lamb! He was my favorite of all the well-defined characters of this story. Not only do we get a thrill ride of criminal defense, but some wonderful historical information is packed into this fast paced novel.

Chapters are short, writing is crisp, and the speed the pages fly is astounding. Craig does give a tad more information than I needed on the Freemasons, but it was worth reading--just slowed down the pace a smidge.

Overall, Craig Parshall's new novel, "The Rose Conspiracy" is reminiscent of "The DaVinci Code", without the heresy. With pulse pounding pace, Craig gives you a lesson of historical value amidst a who-done-it thriller that will have you craving more of J.D. Blackstone and company.

I'm giving this one five out of five bookmarks, with a judge's gavel as a charm...when you're in court with the great J.D. Blackstone, you'll need one! The Rose Conspiracy releases January 15 from Harvest House--don't miss it!

Happy Reading!