Book Review: Conscious Bias by Alexi Venice

Monica Spade Book 1

From Amazon Bestselling Author Alexi Venice Conscious Bias, A Monica Spade Novel

A legal thriller that explores visceral bias, cultural alliances, and the power of love in Apple Grove, Wisconsin. The crime- A month ago, in a drunken stupor, Trevor McKnight--son of the prominent McKnight family--punched Abdul Seif in the face at a college bar and left him unconscious on the sidewalk. Even though Abdul was rushed to the hospital, he died a few days later. Now, Trevor is on trial for the felony murder of Abdul, a Saudi foreign exchange student. The client- Monica Spade is a rising star among lawyers in her small city of Apple Grove. When the president of the hospital asks Monica to prepare high-profile physicians to testify at Trevor's trial, she eagerly agrees, thinking their heroic attempts to save Abdul's life will be straightforward testimony. The defense- Trevor's slick defense lawyer deploys a number of deceptive tools to obscure the facts and shift the focus of the prosecution, including taking aim at Monica's physician clients. The bias- Monica is shocked to find  herself in the middle of a ferocious courtroom battle that uncoils demons of bias against a Muslim with dark skin who isn't from Apple Grove. Faced with death threats and her career in jeopardy, Monica is forced to make a choice--help the hospital and DA or succumb to the pressure of her law firm and the powerful McKnight family. The romance- While in the public eye, Monica develops romantic feelings for Shelby St. Claire, a sexy art teacher who dazzles Monica with pantherine grace at CrossFit class. Struggling with her fear of being outed at her sexist, all-male law firm, Monica must decide whether to risk her career for love and justice.

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My Review:

There’s a lot going on in this book and it’s very detailed. For the average lay-person it’s too detailed in the medico-legal jargon. There’s a lot of repetition within the story. I understand that’s probably very accurate in a court setting, but for a reader, it’s quite frustrating. The most notable occurrence is a piece of evidence that’s repeated word for word, that could have been summarized the second time around without losing any of its impact. I also thought this book got lost in the weeds a lot of the time as we experienced the minutia of Monica’s day. While this went too in depth for me on the legal side, I felt that the Saudi culture and customs got oversimplified. I can’t call this a thriller. To me, a thriller indicates that there is some life-threatening peril to the story’s lead. In spite of some actions to the contrary, I never got that sense of malice off any of the cardboard cut-out villains. What I absolutely loved about this book is that it shows fierce LGBTQ+ characters in powerful leading roles. There’s not enough in mainstream media showing this so I’m very happy when I find it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley.