Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from Lone Star Literary.

The novel starts with a courtroom scene and the beginning of a murder trial with Byron Douglas, who we will later come to know as Quinton. Quinton is a confident, successful lawyer. The pivotal case will determine the tragedy of the rest of his life and force him to make quick changes to survive as he finds himself being hunted. Quinton flees from New York to Houston and starts a life as a criminal lawyer. He must work to continue to stay hidden in plain sight and try not to jeopardize his life and the lives of those around him. As the novel progresses we are encompassed in many twists, turns, and surprises. How far will someone go to get the justice they feel they deserve?

The author does a great job with this novel. She meticulously develops each character and allows the reader to feel like they are watching the story unfold right in front of them. You can tell the author did extensive research and allowed some of her true passion to shine throughout the text. Manning was descriptive with her writing style and encompassed what courtrooms are like. You can tell the author’s life as a lawyer shined through the pages as the mystery unraveled and the plot thickened. The novel reveals the extent the author took to make unfamiliar legal terms easier to understand. Manning does a great job of setting the scene in each chapter and makes any Houstonian feel nostalgic with references to the city. I enjoyed the lightheartedness of each character and the developed interactions. Dead by Proxy is one of the first legal thrillers I have read thus far and this book is such a great way to for me to jump into a new genre. This series debut novel is a winner and I look forward to the next titles in the series.

Since the book ends on a cliffhanger, you want more. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a thrilling legal mystery. The book would be great for teens and older since the author works hard to keep the language clean.