Book Review: Identity Theft

When John Abramowitz reached out to us to review his book Identity Theft, I was vaguely hesitant. A series about a young arcane defense attorney who takes supernatural clients? Paging Wolfram & Hart!

I started the first book in the series so I could be properly acquainted with the universe Hunter Gamble lives in and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Atticus for the Undead dealt with Hunter’s issues as he attempts to secure the freedom of a young zombie accused of murder. Does it give the reader a “happy ending”? Well, you’ll have to check it out to get that answer, just be prepared for the spark of lust that inflames in your chest as you claw your clothing, wishing you had the second book.

Needless to say I was excited at the prospect of not having to wait so I dove in headfirst. Identity Theft begins with a standard crime set up: a man walks into the Texas Capitol. Shots ring out. A young aide lies dead. The killer’s excuse? He was under a spell.

Sounds like a job for Hunter Gamble, right?

Wrong. After his “victory” in the trial of Samuel Pollard, Hunter has turned his back on defending oppressed supernatural clients and instead accepted a position at his father’s giant litigation firm. As Hunter plots his exit strategy, he finds himself inexorably drawn to the case of the Capitol shooter, who happens to be an old friend from law school. As he works to clear his friend, Hunter discovers that there is much more at stake in this case than whether one man was under a spell. Before long, he finds himself pulled into a magical conspiracy  with a singularly cold-blooded wizard at its heart.

The story is a quick read, perfect for someone who wants a well thought out story while they are at jury duty or maybe even waiting in line somewhere. It’s not too quick that you can enjoy it over your daily lunch break, so plan accordingly. On my Kindle, it contains three hundred pages of a well crafted story with my favorite scenes revolving around Hunter’s dad. A gruff sort of character, a reveal I was NOT EXPECTING took me by complete surprise by chapter 9, something I applaud Mr. Abramowitz at achieving. He left no bread crumbs, no hints and I’m pleased to say this was also the case as I read Atticus for the Dead.

Characters are fleshed out further in Identity Theft, and thankfully one of them was Sabrina. 19 years old and her life is defined by the fact she’s a witch. For me, it felt almost sad and when her relationship with Flynn began to blossom and led to a first date straight out of hell, I laughed out of sheer awkwardness and at how real everything played out. Well, as real as you can get when you’re on a date with a witch!

Although I felt the ending was a bit quick with the final verdict and cases being laid out, that ending…I make noises akin to “ARGH!” to the author because now I have to wait for the third book!

I will also echo a sentiment found on several reviews (although they were about Atticus for the Undead): even though this is technically “legal fiction”, something that can get boring very quickly, not once did it feel that way. This is a tale of the supernatural at its core and begs to be given a chance. The cover does not grasp me and at no point during a foray into a bookstore would it cause me to pick it up for a quick perusal. This is literally my only complaint.

Overall, I’d give the book 8/10 because I do judge a book by its cover, even if I end up loving it!

Atticus for the Undead is already available for purchase with Identity Theft becoming available on April 16th. Keep your eye on author John Abramowitz; I think we’ll see good things from him!

Leia Calderon
Editor
@ladyvader99