The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

Release Date: October 14, 2008 (pre-order here)

The Brass Verdict is one of the very best books I have read in the last few years , bar none. The premise is simple yet very intricately woven throughout its easily read pages. The main character, a well loved character from several other novels, inherits a law practice and a big big time case from a murdered lawyer. The novel follows the main character as he masterfully defends all his new clients, balances his personal life, ex wives, little daughter, rehab, and a detective that is trying to keep him alive for several professional and personal reasons.

I will not give too much away in that it will ruin the suspense and the very unpredictable ending. The author has written around 20 novels all in this genre and over the years has developed the characters as well as any author I have come across, even better than my favorite author, Tom Clancy. I have already ordered the Lincoln Lawyer, the book before the brass Verdict because I am so involved with the characters this author has developed for my reading enjoyment.

The Brass Verdict is all about story telling on the harsh streets of LA, there are no punches pulled and you will get a dose of reality, violence and a touch of humor in the pages as they unfold before you. I am now a fan of Mr. Connelly and the novels he writes are now going to be permanently on my reading list.

Double or Nothing: How Two Friends Risked It All to Buy One of Las Vegas' Legendary Casinos

Double or Nothing by Tom Breitling and Cal Fussman

Imagine building an Internet business during the dotcom boom/bust and selling it to Microsoft for millions. Now imagine buying the famous Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas and selling it in less than a year and half for hundreds of millions. Now imagine you are barely in your 30s and you are doing all this with your very best friend. This is the story of one of Las Vegas' most dynamic duos, two young guys from different backgrounds coming together to own the world.

The Book tells the story in autobiographical form of Tom, a simple hard working boy from Minnesota, and his friendship with Tim, a local Vegas boy who has gambling in his blood. The two formed a bond that has lasted throughout the last 20 years and will be around till one of them passes on to the big casino in the sky. The pages of the book offer the reader an insight to a world that most of us will never be in: a world of fast cars, movie stars, corporate jets and millions of dollars wrapped in cellophane being bet on one roll of the dice.

I enjoyed this book and I would have loved to have been a part of the world written in this book. The authors tell this story at about an 8th grade reading level which allows the book to be finished in a few hours. The book is not just about Vegas, it is about a time in financial history that was exciting and may never be duplicated, I hope you enjoy this book.