The Deposit Slip

Back Cover

$10,000,000 is missing.

Erin Larson is running out of options. In the wake of her father's death, she found a slim piece of paper - a deposit slip - with an unbelievable amount on it. Only the bank claims they have no record of the money, and trying to hire a lawyer has brought only intimidation and threats. Erin's last chance is Jared Neaton.

When Jared wearied of the shady ethics of his big law firm and went out on his own, he never expected the wheels to fly off so quickly. One big loss has pushed him to the brink, and it's all he can do to scrape by.

He's not sure if Erin's case is worth the risk, but if the money is real, all his problems could vanish. When digging deeper unleashes something far more dangerous than just threats, both Jared and Erin must decide the cost they're willing to pay to discover the truth.

How far will one lawyer go to find the money? And how far will someone go to stop him?

Review

Jared Neaton is getting rather down in his luck.  He took a big chance on a potential “breakthrough” case, and unfortunately the scales of justice did not tip in his favour.  Now collection notices are a daily occurrence and his current clients are getting anxious and impatient about being neglected.  The last thing Jared needs is another sketchy “breakthrough” case to lose more money and resources on.

But then his former mentor refers him to Erin Larson.  Erin is just trying to determine if the deposit slip she found in her deceased father's safety deposit box is actually legitimate, and if so, where did the money go?  It’s not even about the money – she just wants some answers.  Being rebuffed at every turn, undergoing daily threats and vandalism to her property, and with her case coming close to being dismissed, Jared is her last hope.

As Jared reluctantly takes the cash, it becomes increasingly clear that the more Jared and Erin push for answers, the more convoluted and shady things appear.  With time and money running out, it becomes a round the clock race to find the truth. 

A debut novel for trial lawyer, Todd M. Johnson, The Deposit Slip, shows a promising second career for Mr. Johnson.  The plot was quite unique, and story had several twists and turns.  While I wasn’t as immersed in this novel as I would in a John Grisham work, it was a decent read.  You can tell that Mr. Johnson enjoys courtroom drama and theatrics, and I equally enjoyed reading the verbal parrying between the lawyers.  While this novel has made no mention of being the beginning of a series, there is definitely potential for one. 

Given this promising debut, I will be looking forward to Mr. Johnson’s next work!


Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.