Reviews on Joel Goldman crime novels

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“Well, at least in this section I get to write about a Kansas City fellow who got himself published by a New York press. Goldman has done well, producing several suspense books over the last few years that have gotten good notices. This one is no exception. Publishers Weekly has praised the “surefooted plotting.” A KC drug dealer is murdered, and the FBI agent trying to deal with the case is dealing with a physical malady of his own.
Here’s why Kansas City mystery lovers should put Shakedown on their nightstands: Goldman, a “nuthin’ fancy” kind of writer, tells a story at a breakneck pace—but better yet, you can trust him to get our geographical details right: “Quindaro, a rundown quadrant in northeast Kansas City, Kansas.” Or his observation that KCK, despite its history as “the disrespected punch line to jokes told by people living south in Johnson County,” has “turned the corner” with its NASCAR track and attendant development.”
Kansas City Star, Editor’s Choice of Spring Books

“A killer identified via a fleeting facial expression and behavioral cues turns a middle-aged FBI agent dealing with a disruptive disability into an unexpected hero in Goldman’s latest terrific thriller (after Deadlocked). After the brutal murder of Marcellus Pearson, a notorious Kansas City drug dealer, the collateral damage includes his cronies; his young son, Jalise; Jalise’s mother (and Pearson’s girlfriend); and an older woman who witnesses the killer fleeing the crime scene. The shooter is Pearson’s mild-mannered neighbor, Latrell Kelly, who harbors more than a few dark secrets behind his soft-spoken ways. FBI Special Agent Jack Davis understands secrets—he has seizures he’s been able to hide until the Pearson crime scene makes him erupt into visible tremors. Davis must take medical leave, but conducts a private investigation that connects to another chilling puzzler involving his missing daughter, Wendy. Is her significant other, Colby Hudson, an undercover and possibly corrupt FBI agent, responsible? Davis’s new girlfriend, jury consultant Kate Scranton, helps him deal with both cases by teaching him how to “read” faces using the Facial Action Coding System. Goldman’s surefooted plotting and Davis’s courage under fire make this a fascinating, compelling read.”
Publishers Weekly

“Joel Goldman has written another fast-paced legal thriller. The plotting is tight, the dialogue is realistic and the characters are compelling. Find a comfortable chair and plan to stay up late.”
Sheldon Siegel, Author of The Special Circumstances and Criminal Intent

“Fast, furious and thoroughly enjoyable, The Last Witness is classic, and classy, noir for our time, filled with great characters and sharp, stylish writing. We better see more Lou Mason in the future.”
Jeffery Deaver, author of The Vanished Man and The Stone Monkey

“The Last Witness is an old fashioned, ’40s, tough guy detective story set in modern times and starring a lawyer named Lou Mason instead of a private eye named Sam Spade. There’s a lot of action, loads of suspects, and plenty of snappy dialogue. It’s a fun read from beginning to end.”
Phillip Margolin, author of The Associate and Wild Justice

“The Last Witness is a legal thriller written the way criminal law should be practiced: from the gut. Author Joel Goldman captures in Lou Mason the perfectly conflicted defense attorney, torn between a homicide detective and an accused client, one a surrogate father to Mason, the other a surrogate brother. Add crackling dialogue and an elegiac evocation of Kansas City in the dead of winter, and The Last Witness becomes one of the premier crime novels of the year.”
Jeremiah Healy, author of Turnabout and Spiral

“Wanted for good writing: Leawood author Joel Goldman strikes again with Cold Truth. Kansas City trial lawyer Lou Mason doesn’t shy away from the hard cases. Always working close to the edge, he worries that he ‘was taking the dive just to see if he could make it back to the surface, gulping for air, beating the odds, wishing he had a reason to play it safe.’”
Leslie McGill The [Kansas City] Star

“Joel Goldman is the real deal. In Cold Truth, Lou Mason goes his namesake Perry one better, and ought to make Kansas City a must-stop on the lawyer/thriller map.”
John Lescroart, bestselling author of The First Law

“Joel Goldman’s Cold Truth offers us a fast-paced legal thriller… This one’s a paperback that makes good beach reading.”
The Pilot Southern Pines, N.C.

“It’s a suspenseful, gritty story that keeps the reader engrossed till the very end.”
The Facts Brazosport, TX

“In his fourth novel, attorney-turned-author Joel Goldman delivers a well-plotted legal thriller that takes an insightful look at capital punishment and questions of guilty. Deadlocked’s brisk pace is augmented by Goldman’s skill at creating realistic characters and believable situations. Goldman is among the legion of strong paperback writers whose novels often rival those in hardcover.”
Oline H. Cogdill, Orlando Sun Sentinel

“A certain death penalty case and execution is the catalyst in Joel Goldman’s legal thriller Deadlocked. The fourth Lou Mason case is the best and most thought provoking and when the action starts it is a real page turner delivered by a pro.”
Mystery Scene Magazine

“Lou Mason’s best outing…very satisfying and highly recommended.”
Lee Child (NYT Best Selling Author)

“The latest Mason case is a terrific investigative thriller that makes a clear plea on the use of capital punishment”
Harriet Klausner, reviewer