🎧False Witness by Phillip Margolin @philmargolin #TheresePlummer @minotaurbooks.bsky.social‬ ‪@macmillanaudio.bsky.social‬ #LoveAudiobooks @MinotaurBooks @MacmillanAudio

Posted November 11, 2025 by Anne - Books of My Heart in Book Review / 14 Comments

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


🎧False Witness by Phillip Margolin @philmargolin #TheresePlummer @minotaurbooks.bsky.social‬ ‪@macmillanaudio.bsky.social‬ #LoveAudiobooks  @MinotaurBooks @MacmillanAudioFalse Witness by Phillip Margolin
Narrator: Therese Plummer
Published by MacMillan Audio, Minotaur Books on November 11, 2025
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 304
Length: 10 hours, 48 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: NetGalley
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two-half-flames
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

Defense Attorney Karen Wyatt exposed corruption in the police force and the District Attorney's office while getting her client exonerated in court. But in doing so, she put a target on her back and she was set-up on fake drug charge, imprisoned and disbarred until the conspiracy unraveled and her innocence was proven. Now reinstated to the bar, Wyatt is still interested in finding out who ordered her to be set-up - but the key figures were either killed or are in Witness Protection.

In the meantime, Wyatt is a practicing defense attorney, whose current client is either guilty of a heinous murder, or is a too-trusting patsy for an acquaintance set-up for a crime he didn't commit. It will take all of Wyatt's genius to defend her client successfully but that's just one piece of an increasingly complex puzzle.

I discovered this author earlier this year when I was looking for lawyer series.  I LOVED his Robin Lockwood series and hope to continue reading it soon. When I saw this new standalone, I was thrilled to read it.

False Witness has several plots and mini plots with different legal cases.  I guess Karen Wyatt is mostly the main character. She was set up and wrongly imprisoned. Now she is out, has some wealth from her false incarceration, and notoriety as well.  She was and is a talented criminal defense attorney with compassion for others.

One of her cases is a young guy accused to killing a wealthy businessman. There’s also a congressman who disappeared and is fuzzy on what happened to him, as well as a corrupt lawyer in the DA’s office.  There are police and federal authorities investigating these crimes or possible crimes, of course.

It’s fun to learn Karen’s smart legal strategies and see the clever work of her investigator.  I really enjoy this author and hope to read more of his books.  Karen could even be the foundation for a new series as I’d happily read more about her and her firm.

 

Narration:

Therese Plummer is an all time favorite.  Her performance was enjoyable for both male and female voice. They had emotional tones that felt appropriate  and kept me in the story.  I listened comfortably at my newer 1.75x speed.

Listen to a clip: HERE

About Therese Plummer

Therese Plummer is an actor and voice over artist living and working in New York City. Favorite roles to date include TV: Rose Nerrick, The Good Wife, Andy in Law and Order SVU. Stage: Celebrity Row; New York Theatre Workshop, Under Tillage, The Irish Repertory Theatre. Off-off Broadway credits include The Vagina Monologues, Suzanne in Twilight of the Gold’s and Madeline in the Award Winning Samuel French Short play The Sweet Room. Comedy Credits include Improv at Upright Citizens Brigade and Stand-up at Caroline’s Comedy Club. Therese also performed her one woman show, Ribbons Undone, at the Here Arts Center.

Therese records audio books for Audible.com, Recorded Books and Talking Books, Inc. As an adolescent counselor, Therese spent five years utilizing Drama therapy techniques in individual and group settings before moving to New York. She shares a passion of creating, helping and entertaining and feels incredibly lucky to do all three.

About Phillip Margolin

I grew up in New York City and Levittown, New York. In 1965, I graduated from The American University in Washington, D.C. with a Bachelor’s Degree in Government. From 1965 to 1967, I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia, West Africa. In 1970, I graduated from New York University School of Law. During my last two years in law school I went at night and worked my way through by teaching junior high school in the South Bronx in New York City. My first job after law school was a clerkship with Herbert M. Schwab, the Chief Judge of the Oregon Court of Appeals. From 1972 until 1996, I was in private practice specializing in criminal defense at the trial and appellate levels. As an appellate attorney I have appeared before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the Oregon Supreme Court and the Oregon Court of Appeals. As a trial attorney, I handled all sorts of criminal cases in state and federal court and I have represented approximately 30 people charged with homicide, including several who have faced the death penalty. I was the first Oregon attorney to use the Battered Women’s Syndrome to defend a battered woman accused of murdering her spouse.

Since 1996, I have been writing full-time. All of my novels have been best sellers. Heartstone, my first novel, was nominated for an Edgar for best original paperback mystery of 1978 by the Mystery Writers of America. My second novel, The Last Innocent Man, was made into an HBO movie. Gone, But Not Forgotten has been sold to more than 25 foreign publishers and was made into a mini-series starring Brooke Shields. It was also the Main Selection of the Literary Guild. .

From 1996 to 2009 I was the President and Chairman of the Board of Chess for Success. I am still heavily involved in the program and I returned to the Board after a one year absence in 2010. Chess for Success is a non-profit charity that uses chess to teach elementary and middle school children in Title I schools study skills. From 2007 to 2013, I was on the Board of Literary Arts, which sponsors the Oregon Book Awards, The Writers in the Schools program and Portland Arts and Lectures. Phil was married to Doreen Stamm for 39 wonderful years until she passed away in 2007. In 2013 he met Melanie Nelson, another wonderful woman, and were married in 2018.

Rating Breakdown
Plot
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Writing
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Characters
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star
Narration (Audio)
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Overall: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Anne - Books of My Heart

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 25-Audio
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Posted November 11, 2025 by Anne - Books of My Heart in Book Review / 14 Comments


14 responses to “🎧False Witness by Phillip Margolin