Blood on Their Hands by Robert Brink

Hiram Garbuncle is a veteran criminal defense attorney with addictions to money and liquor, augmented by sports and sex. He teeters between a dedication to jurisprudence and heeding the siren call of a whiskey bottle.

Across town, Alec Monceau derives a meager income as a computer store salesman, striving to support his daughter’s family in Trinidad. It’s 2008, and his car sports an Obama bumper sticker—a seemingly innocuous political endorsement that triggers a traffic stop which ends in a terrifying, savage police beating.

Having witnessed the incident, Garbuncle, alcoholic and cynical to the bone, faces a struggle between his compulsive miserliness and tackling a strong pro bono case defending Alec. Confident of a victory, the attorney becomes reckless, and a mistrial results. Then he discovers damning evidence against the two cops, and a new challenge is added to the mission of winning the case: keeping himself and his client alive pending a new trial.

Blood on Their Hands is reminiscent of the cinematic masterpieces Gran Torino and My Cousin Vinny, forging a mesmerizing narrative with suspense and thrills, sharp twists and turns, comic relief, and riveting courtroom drama. Amid the intense action sequences and scenes intimating lust, humor rises benevolently to temper the deep pathos of a tragic love story.

This tale teems with vibrant characters, piquant dialogue, engrossing twists and turns, and a wrenching moral dilemma, delivering a message that resonates in our time.

But at its heart, Blood on Their Hands is a poignant saga of redemption against all odds. Prepare to be enthralled, amused, and deeply moved by this remarkable novel.