The Local by Joey Hartstone

Published by Doubleday on June 14, 2022

The Local is a courtroom drama that stars a patent lawyer. Patent law offers little drama to anyone other than inventors who believe their inventions have been stolen. Since patent infringement trials are snoozeworthy, fans of courtroom dramas will be pleased to learn that patent disputes give way to a murder trial early in the novel.

James Euchre has a patent law practice in the Eastern District of Texas. Judge Gardner has earned a reputation that makes him favored by lawyers who want to file patent infringement lawsuits. Big firms from all around the country file suits in Marshall, Texas and some of them hire Euchre as their local counsel. Euchre often delivers the closing statement because jurors relate to him. He also gets along well with Gardner. The judge has been Euchre’s mentor.

Euchre is hired as local counsel to represent an American of Pakistani ancestry. The client, Amir Zawar, has a negative experience with Gardner at their first court appearance. Zawar scuffles with Euchre (who is trying to stop Zawar from confronting the judge) and says “I’ll kill you,” perhaps to the Marshal who is twisting his arm but perhaps to the judge. In any event, someone murders the judge in the courthouse parking lot and circumstantial evidence points the finger of guilt at Zawar.

Euchre ends up agreeing to represent Zawar in a state murder prosecution. It seems like terrible judgment for a patent lawyer to take on a murder prosecution as his first criminal case, but that’s the premise so the reader needs to roll with it to enjoy the story. I understand Zawar’s desire to be represented by local talent, but one wonders why he didn’t ask about local lawyers who might be familiar with criminal law. Euchre is at least second chaired by a patent lawyer who used to be a federal prosecutor.

Most of the novel is devoted to trial theater. Euchre develops a couple of alternative suspects, including a Magistrate who benefits from Gardner’s death by gaining a nomination to replace him on the bench. In the tradition of courtroom dramas, the reader wonders who actually committed the murder. The reveal is surprising and tolerably credible, making the novel a success from the perspective of plot development, which is generally the most important element of a courtroom drama. There’s also enough action at the end to justify classifying the novel as a thriller. To his credit, Joey Hartstone underplays the action. Euchre might have played cornerback in high school, but patent lawyers aren’t credible action heroes.

Some of the novel’s characterization is based on Euchre’s connection to Marshall, the town where he grew up and where he played high school football (on a team that was a rival of the prosecutor’s). That works because it’s Texas, where high school football reigns supreme. Euchre lives in the shadow of his father, a successful criminal defense lawyer. Euchre’s guilt about his relationship with his bipoplar dead wife is a bit forced but it isn’t overplayed. Hartstone gives Euchre the psychological burdens that make characters interesting. A female private detective who used to be a star high school field goal kicker is a bit sassy, making her the best collateral character.

At times, Euchre becomes philosophical. The novel’s interest comes from the plot, not from Euchre’s musings about life. Still, the plot is sufficiently strong to make The Local a novel that fans of courtroom thrillers should enjoy.

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