Law and Disorder

Mike Papantonio

SelectBooks,  September 2016

In the tradition of John Grisham, from radio talk show host and "America’s lawyer" Mike Papantonio, comes Law and Disorder, a highly suspenseful legal thriller in which a Florida attorney finds the system working against him.

Brash, brilliant, handsome Nicholas Deketomis has built a highly successful career as a lawyer protecting the rights of the innocent while winning multibillion dollar lawsuits from the powers that be. "Deke" may have come from the wrong side of the tracks but he’s built a wonderful life for his close-knit family. His wife, Terry, and two children live in a beautiful house in a seaside community along the Florida Panhandle.

But their comfortable life is endangered. In the midst of a highly contentious multimillion dollar lawsuit against a powerful pharmaceutical company, as well as publicly advocating for a liberal Florida State Senate candidate, this time Deke may have riled the wrong powerbrokers. Scheming against him are a local Bible-thumping preacher, an ambitious district attorney, and two malicious brothers running one of the country’s biggest oil corporations. A vile conspiracy is hatched to bring down Deketomis: Setting him up and attempting to convict him on a bogus murder charge would solve many of their problems.

Deke’s in the trial of his life, which quickly becomes a media circus. But this good man will not go down without a bruising fight—especially when he finds his family threatened. And just as it seems that his enemies may have him cornered, he finds help from the unlikeliest source.

Hardcover | ISBN: 9781590793671 | Publication Date: September 2016

Reviews:

"The legal maneuvering, courtroom drama, and brisk pace make this a satisfying tale of greed, corruption, lust, and murder."
Publishers Weekly

"You think you know the legal system? Mike Papantonio's Law and Disorder is an eye-opener. This is a legal thriller that edifies. Papantonio recasts the role of mass tort lawyers from villains and bottom-feeders, framing them instead as heroes and the last defense against corporate money and vested interests. In his legal career the author has walked the walk; now he successfully talks the talk in this compelling David vs. Goliath story."
Alan Russell, bestselling author of Burning Man

"The multidimensional brilliance of Mike Papantonio shines brightly through this can't-put-it-down legal thriller. For a deep dive into law and politics, power and those who fight it, and the very human conflicts that drive and tear at us all, read Law and Disorder!"
Thom Hartmann, nationally syndicated talk show host and best-selling author

"Law and Disorder is not only a legal thriller in true Grisham style—it is also an excellent window into the total dysfunction of the justice System. I literally couldn't put it down."
Mark Geragos, renowned criminal defense attorney and author of Mistrial: An Inside Look at How the Criminal Justice System Works…and Sometimes Doesn't

"Mass torts attorney Nick "Deke" Deketomis, the hero of trial lawyer and radio host Papantonio's impassioned first novel, is unafraid to take on the country's biggest companies for corporate wrongdoing. At a pretrial hearing in a Florida courtroom, Deke wishes to enter as evidence a toxicology report in the case of his 19-year-old client, Annica Phillips, who suffered a stroke and partial paralysis after taking a birth control pill manufactured by Bekmeyer, a pharmaceutical giant. Shortly after the judge announces that he can't accept the report's conclusion, Annica collapses and dies, the victim of a large blood clot. In the course of seeking justice for Annica, Deke suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of the law and discovers that he has far more enemies than he imagined, some of whom will go to any lengths to protect their secrets. Papantonio's characters can be overly preachy, especially when discussing politics, but the legal maneuvering, courtroom drama, and brisk pace make this a satisfying tale of greed, corruption, lust, and murder."
Publishers Weekly

"Probably the best compliment I can give this book is that I'm now hooked. I know (or I hope) that Deke is not done—that we have not heard the last from him. I'm waiting for the next one, to see what facet of the American legal system Deke will take on, and how he'll do it. Time to move over, Grisham."
Mark M. O'Mara, O'Mara Law Group, American criminal defense lawyer and legal analyst for CNN

"A masterpiece…this gripping story of greed, guts, corruption and the underbelly of the criminal justice system in our country is not only a page-turner, it is also a must-read for anyone who cares about human rights and truth."
Kerry Kennedy, human rights activist and writer