The Lawyer’s Game

by Cole Baxter

Genres: Literary Fiction; Domestic Thrillers; Legal Thrillers

Synopsis

In a room full of strangers, the only thing more dangerous than the truth is the person who knows it...

James Arnold, a cocky tech mogul, owes his wealth to secrets he’d rather keep buried. But when his best friend and corporate lawyer, Bertram Caulfield, invites him to an exclusive ski resort for a getaway with colleagues, James sees it as an opportunity to indulge his ego—and seduce Helen, a beautiful young woman who happens to be someone else’s girlfriend.

A sudden snowstorm locks the group in, and Bertram proposes a game: a mock courtroom where they’ll reexamine famous legal cases. James, eager to charm Helen, volunteers to play her “defendant.” What starts as a harmless diversion quickly spirals into something sinister.

As the group delves into James’s life, the “trial” turns uncomfortably personal, peeling back the layers of his past. His deepest secrets are exposed, and he realizes too late that this isn’t just a game. It’s a reckoning—and the people in this room might just be his judge, jury, and executioners.

James has always used his fortune to escape consequences. This time, there’s nowhere to run.

The Lawyer's Game – the gripping psychological thriller perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Daniel Hurst, and K L Slater.

 

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Release date: December 15, 2024

Print pages: 359

Sample

James stared out at the dark expanse of trees from the balcony, the cold biting at his skin. Helen had left moments ago, her polite smile and careful words lingering in his mind longer than he cared to admit. Something about her calm demeanor made him want to unravel her carefully constructed walls piece by piece.

Behind him, the glass door slid open. "What are you doing out here?" Bertram’s voice was low, but the tension in it sliced through the cold.

"Enjoying the view," James replied, not bothering to turn around. "You should try it sometime, Bert. Stop worrying about everyone else for once."

Bertram stepped closer, his breath visible in the frosty air. "This isn’t Boston, James. People here aren’t pawns in one of your games."

James chuckled, finally turning to face him. "Oh, Bert. You know better than anyone—everyone’s a pawn if you’re clever enough."

"Not Helen." Bertram’s voice dropped, his fists clenched at his sides. "She’s not part of this."

James raised an eyebrow, amused. "You’re awfully protective of her. Should I be worried about the competition?"

"This isn’t about me." Bertram’s jaw tightened. "I’m warning you, James. If you go after her—"

A sharp crack echoed from the woods below, cutting Bertram off mid-sentence. Both men froze, their eyes snapping to the treeline. The sound came again, louder this time, followed by the unmistakable crunch of branches underfoot.

James leaned over the railing, his smirk fading. "What the hell was that?"

Bertram didn’t answer, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the darkness. The faint sound of something moving—something big—grew louder, closer.

Then, a low growl rippled through the air, deep and guttural. James’s grip on the railing tightened. "Bert," he said, his voice no longer mocking, "tell me you hear that."

Bertram’s only reply was a sharp inhale as a shadow shifted at the edge of the woods.