If Trees Could Testify is an exciting crime novel about a cold case involving the murders of two well-off, elderly siblings. After police received a tip of dubious origins, a father and two sons are arrested for the murders. The story follows Alex Reynolds and his legal team in rural North Carolina and the surrounding areas as they try to untangle the details of the decades-old case. We meet quite a colorful cast of characters ranging from a biker with hooks for arms to an overeager, over-green public defender to an old Sheriff who may not have been all that he seemed.

The author, William D. Auman, just so happens to be the defense attorney who worked on the actual case on which If Trees Could Testify is based. The tale is laid out extremely well, giving the reader a period of discovery through flashbacks and pithy legal banter. The author also adds a nice bit of history for the locations, such as Madison County, Asheville, and the French Broad River, really bringing them to life.

The dialog is snappy but sometimes falls into the trap of having too much legal-ese. Auman blunts these moments with the author’s notes, which some may find helpful, but it breaks up the flow for me. The dialog seems a little too idealized at times, where the good guys are overly good, and the bad guys are really bad. Sometimes I felt like the author may be too close to the material. However, he is very passionate about the law and adequately defending people who are innocent until proven guilty.

If Trees Could Testify is an intriguing legal drama that offers readers suspense and some surprising moments. Actual crime readers will enjoy this thrilling novel as they follow along with Alex and his team to get to the bottom of this mysterious murder.

Pages: 286 | ASIN : B099KT1PBR

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/01/if-trees-could-testify/