THE COMMON LAWYER
Synopsis and Review (From the book jacket)

Andy Prescott is the most laid-back young lawyer in Austin, Texas. Specialising in traffic law, he operates from a small room above a ramshackle tattoo parlour. He rides a trail bike and spends way too much time drinking beer in the sunshine. Ambition has never been Andy’s strong point—he prefers to take it easy.

That is, until one of Texas’s wealthiest men walks into his office. On the spot, billionaire Russell Reeves retains Andy as his lawyer and, in exchange for some easy legal work, pays him more money than he has ever earned before. Andy’s life is transformed.

But nothing comes for free. Russell is a desperate man whose sole aim is to save his sick seven-year-old son, Zach. He is prepared to do anything—even if it means putting Andy’s life in danger . . .

From REVIEWERS:
"The Common Lawyer is about an overpowering need to right a shocking wrong, and it contains violence, romance and some heart-warmingly managed ethical dilemmas....The pace is perfect; the style clean and transparent; the emotional manipulation, effective; and you can see the film from here. It will entertain many people."
Times Literary Supplement (UK)

"Mark Gimenez writes colloquially smart dialogue but plots like an old master."
The Australian

THE PERK
Synopsis and Review (From the book jacket)
City lawyer Beck Hardin hasn't been back to the small town in Texas where he grew up for more than twenty years. He has history there. Bad memories.

But when his wife dies, Beck decides to return to Fredericksburg with his two young children. Leaving the rat race behind, he re-enters a beautiful but troubled small town simmering with ancient feuds, class rivalries and racial tensions.

As he tries to reconcile with his tough, stubborn father, and adjust back to the pace of small-town life, Beck learns of an unsolved case that has haunted Fredericksburg for the past five years. The statute of limitations on the case is fast approaching, and although Beck vowed to leave the law behind him, he can't resist the opportunity to seek justice.

Yet in taking the case on, Beck has made one of the most dangerous decisions of his life . . .

From REVIEWERS:
"Gimenez returns to the complex legal thrillers where he seems to be at his best. The Perk has mystery, humour and history along with well-drawn characters that the reader will actually care about. As is often the case in legal thrillers, there is a mix of those characters that take the moral high ground and those who seem just out for their own good. Unusually, there are also a few comic and slightly caricatured figures here as well - but they all fit well together in the plot. Together with great characters and a strong plot there is also lots of interesting historical information. The ending may not be what is expected but it is all the better for it and proves to be a good finish to an excellent book. As ever, Gimenez is highly recommended, impossible to put down and definitely not to be missed."
CrimeSquad.com (UK)

THE ABDUCTION
Synopsis and Review
"John R. Brice should be on top of the world: he's brilliant, has a beautiful family, and his company's about to go public, which will make him a multimillionaire. But when his ten-year-old daughter is kidnapped, which exposes fractures in the Brice family, John would give it all up in a heartbeat to get her back. More than just a kidnap-for-ransom, though, Gracie's abduction is part of a plot that threatens the White House. When the FBI and local law enforcement close the case, it's John's father, Ben, a Vietnam vet, who helps the Brice family unravel the long-held secrets that hold the key to Gracie's return. In his dynamic follow-up to The Color of Law , Gimenez has written a startling, multilayered thriller in which complex characters and a fast-moving plot grab the reader immediately. Smart dialog and a spunky Gracie, who never loses her cool, make for a memorable read that twists and turns until the final, cinematic conclusion."
Starred Review, Library Journal

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My fourth novel, THE COMMON LAWYER, is now on sale in the UK, Ireland, Europe, and South Africa, and will be on sale in April in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.

My third novel, THE PERK, is now available in paperback in those markets as well.

TO MY U.S. READERS AND FRIENDS: Unfortunately, I do not know when THE PERK or THE COMMON LAWYER will be published in the U.S., but I will keep you posted. I am looking into importing the overseas editions of both books, so if you are interested please let me know.

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In September I did a book tour through New Zealand and participated in the Brisbane Writers Festival in Brisbane, Australia. It was a wonderful trip, and I want to thank all my readers and friends I met there for their hospitality, as well as all the folks at my publishers, Hachette Livre and Little, Brown, who made me feel so welcome. I can't wait to return (and I'm packing my golf clubs the next time).

THE PERK was released overseas last March and was a bestseller in the UK, Australia, and Ireland. It has been my biggest seller to date.

THE PERK is one of CrimeSquad.com's Top 10 of 2008.

"We read lots of thrillers and they can tend to merge into one another. The Perk stood out by a mile as an excellent example of the genre and a stunning, well told tale in its own right. Gimenez' statute continues to grow."
- Crimesquad

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THE PERK
(Sphere/Little Brown UK, March 2008)

"Remember when John Grisham exploded on to the courtroom drama market with novels of breathtaking brilliance? Lightning just struck twice." - The Daily Record (Scotland

"The Perk has mystery, humour and history along with well-drawn characters that the reader will actually care about. As is often the case in legal thrillers, there is a mix of those characters that take the moral high ground and those who seem just out for their own good. Unusually, there are also a few comic and slightly caricatured figures here as well - but they all fit well together in the plot. Together with great characters and a strong plot there is also lots of interesting historical information. The ending may not be what is expected but it is all the better for it and proves to be a good finish to an excellent book. As ever, Gimenez is highly recommended, impossible to put down and definitely not to be missed." - CrimeSquad (UK)

"Just as well I started The Perk on the weekend, as I couldn't put down this book. . . . This one's a cracker - neatly woven subplots, a taut thriller and a wonderfully current statement on American popular culture." - Kerre’s Book Reviews (UK)

"Gimenez fills the John Grisham hole in the legal-thriller genre so well there may be no room left for Grisham." - The Sunday Times (Perth AUS)

THE ABDUCTION
(Sphere/Little Brown UK, March 2007)(Vanguard Press/Perseus Books Group, September 2007)

"A cracking read." - The Times (London)

"A top-of-the-line thriller . . . Impossible to put down, the book is a nail-biter from beginning to end, as a family's dark secrets emerge during the worst event of their lives." - Romantic Times

"Another explosive thriller that is impossible to put down. . . . Plenty of twists and turns, and a plot that keeps you guessing right until the end.  Definitely not one to miss." - CrimeSquad.com/UK

THE COLOUR OF LAW
(TimeWarnerUK, March 2006)

THE COLOR OF LAW
(Doubleday/Random House, October 2005)

• Two weeks on New York Times Top 35 hardback fiction list.

• Three weeks on UK Top 20 hardback fiction list; nine weeks on UK Top 50 hardback fiction list.

• Three weeks on UK Top 20 trade paperback fiction list; twenty-one weeks on UK To 50 trade paperback fiction list.

• Two weeks on UK Top 10 mass market fiction list; five weeks on the UK Top 20 mass market fiction list; six weeks on the UK Top 50 mass market fiction list.

• Five weeks on Irish Top 20 trade paperback fiction list.

• Fifteen weeks on Australian Top 50 trade paperback fiction list.

• Nominated for “Thriller” Award for Best First Novel by International Thriller Writers, Inc.

• Nominated for “Gumshoe” Award for Best First Novel by Mystery Ink.

• No. 8 on Amazon’s Top 10 Mystery & Thrillers List for 2005, the only first novel on the list.

• Picked for Alan Cheuse’s (NPR/All Things Considered) 2005 Holiday Booklist.

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Here are the links to my publishers’ websites:

• In the U.S., THE ABDUCTION audiobooks:
  www.AudiobookStand.com and www.AudiobookStandDL.com
• In the UK and Ireland: little, brown BOOK GROUP
• In Australia: hachette australia
• In New Zealand: hachette new zealand
• In South Africa: Penguin Group

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