Title:	An Insignificant Case
	Author:	Phillip Margolin
	Published:	November 5, 2024, Minotaur Books
	No. of Pages:	226
	Cover Price:	$29.00 Hardcover, $14.99 Kindle

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When it comes to legal thrillers, Phillip Margolin is one of the best. His standalone thriller, An Insignificant Case finds Charlie Webb, a non-superstar, average lawyer who normally tries easy, unimportant cases, defending, Lawrence Weiss, who insists he is Guido Sabatini a artist who trained centuries ago, and is arrested for the umpteenth time for stealing a painting of his that hasn’t been displayed where it can be seen by enough people. Unfortunately, several murders that are related to his latest theft land him in jail on murder charges. He wants Charlie to represent him even though Charlie has never tried a murder case.

Margolin is a favorite author and is an expert at weaving a good legal story. This novel is no exception. There are dozens of twists and turns, as Charlie’s investigation opens up possibilities that are related to much bigger crimes. Guido’s obvious mental illness adds to the novel, as well as Lawrence Weiss’s number skills which makes him a gambler that has the capacity to win big (and has, leading to him being kicked out of big gambling establishments). The characters are very well developed and relatable; they seem real, albeit not the run of the mill underdogs that win in the end. The fact that Charlie’s skills are just average, adds to the suspense because readers will be sure he can’t win. A trial lawyer joins him in the trial, which helps his chances.

All told, this novel is well-written and keeps readers on the edge. It is also a fast read since it isn’t as long as most novels.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.