Keeping Counsel

Our Review:

I picked up Keeping Counsel expecting a solid thriller, and what I found was something more carefully constructed than that—a story that understands how professional obligation can become a kind of trap. The setup alone is genuinely clever: a lawyer finds herself legally bound to represent someone her best friend is now dating, someone who sets off every warning bell she possesses. It's the sort of premise that makes you wince in recognition because you can feel the impossible position immediately.

Tara Linley is the kind of protagonist who makes these stories work. She's intelligent and principled, which is exactly what makes her situation so claustrophobic. Watching her try to protect her friendship, her career, and her own sense of safety all at once creates real stakes. The New Mexico backdrop adds texture too—it's not just window dressing but feels integral to the world she's navigating. And Bill Hamilton, the boyfriend in question, is unsettling in a way that creeps up on you rather than announcing itself loudly. There's something effective about how Forster builds that discomfort gradually.

That said, I did notice the pacing dip occasionally. There are stretches where the momentum softens, particularly around some of the legal details, and I found myself wanting the story to press forward more insistently in those moments. It's not a dealbreaker—the character work and tension are strong enough to carry you through—but it's worth knowing if you prefer your thrillers to move at a breakneck pace.

If you enjoy suspense that takes its legal and ethical complications seriously, and you appreciate protagonists who feel genuinely constrained by their own principles, this one's worth your time. It's the kind of book that makes you think about loyalty and self-preservation in ways that linger after you've finished.