MWSA Review
Author David E. Grogan has created a series of page turning legal thrillers featuring attorney Steve Stillwell, who like the author is a retired Navy JAG officer now in private practice. In what should be a routine civilian law practice handling wills, trusts and real estate closings, Stillwell instead attracts clients who involve him in international intrigue and violence.

His latest novel, The Hidden Key, features a complex plot that includes the theft of ancient artifacts, Russian mercenaries, and the search for the Garden of Eden. Kudos to Grogan who ties all these disparate elements together in a story that also brings Steve Stillwell full circle in his personal life.

Characters from previous Stillwell novels Sapphire Pavilion and The Siegel Disposition grow in significance. Early readers of the series will want to tackle all three books. Grogan personally visits the multiple scene locations that he writes about, providing clear and compelling descriptions.

The Hidden Key starts in sleepy Williamsburg, Virginia, but careens across the globe to Iraq, England, India, Italy, and the isolated island nation of Bahrain. Stillwell lives a more dangerous life than your normal local attorney as he deals with threats, shootings, and car chases. At times it’s difficult to keep up with the surprising plot twists but Grogan provides a concluding scene that will make the reader scratch his head and say, “Oh yeah. I get it.”

Review by James Elsener (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

When Navy veteran Kevin Jones answers the door for two men he doesn’t know, he can’t foresee the Pandora’s Box he’s opening. One week later, attorney Steve Stilwell meets with a billionaire businessman in a London eatery. As two men burst into the restaurant, Steve’s new client cries out “I’ve sold my soul.” Moments later he is dead, leaving Steve to figure out why.

Steve finds his first clue in a package addressed to his dead client containing an ancient map etched into a clay tablet. Soon powerful people descend on him and his wounded warrior law partner, Casey Pantel, to take the tablet from them. Not knowing who can be trusted and who should be feared, they dig deeper and deeper to decipher the tablet’s secrets. Their quest takes them along a trail of murder and intrigue winding from Italy to India. With time running out and their own motives being questioned, Steve and Casey must unmask those seeking to exploit the tablet’s secrets before they, too, fall victim to its power.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 254