Under Duress
THE DEFENDANT CLAIMS HE HAD NO CHOICE. BRUNELLE CHOOSES NOT TO BELIEVE HIM.
Homicide prosecutor David Brunelle's latest case has an unexpected the victim is alive -- barely.
A wealthy plastic surgeon attempts to murder his business partner, sending him into a coma with a life-threatening gunshot wound. The surgeon calls 911 himself, then tells police he had no choice but to shoot the victim. He spins a tale of anonymous stalkers from the dark web and bone-chilling threats against his own family. A high-profile defense attorney takes the case and convinces an overly intellectual judge to allow the defendant to claim the legal theory of duress, a total defense -- to every crime except completed murder.
The best thing that could happen to Brunelle's case would be for the victim to die, thereby precluding the duress defense. It's an outcome Brunelle has to resist wishing for. Instead, he teams up with his favorite detective and his best co-counsel to dig into what really happened, and more importantly, why. Brunelle needs to convince the jury the defendant is lying. If he fails, the jury will wrongly acquit a would-be murderer for acting Under Duress.
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Stephen Penner
Stephen Penner is an author, artist, and attorney from Seattle, Washington.
Born and raised near Detroit, Michigan, Stephen was writing murder mysteries and fantasy adventures while still in elementary school. In college, he studied languages and spent a year living in Europe. He attended law school at the University of Michigan and moved to Seattle after earning his law degree.
Stephen began his legal career as a criminal defense attorney in downtown Seattle, appearing in federal, state, and municipal courts throughout the State of Washington. After several years of defense work, Stephen 'switched sides' and became a prosecutor. He has been prosecuting cases for over 25 years, working his way up from misdemeanor offenses, to felonies, and finally to homicides. He has conducted over 100 criminal trials and now trains other prosecutors.
As an author, Stephen pens several series of legal thrillers. The Rain City Legal Thrillers deliver the adventures of attorney Daniel Raine and his unlikely partner Rebecca Sommers. The David Brunelle Legal Thrillers feature Seattle homicide D.A. David Brunelle and a recurring cast of cops, defense attorneys, and forensic experts. And the Talon Winter Legal Thrillers showcase tough-as-nails Tacoma criminal defense attorney Talon Winter and her closest allies. Stephen is also the author of the Maggie Devereaux Paranormal Mysteries, recounting the exploits of an American graduate student in the magical Highlands of Scotland, and several other stand-alone works.
In his spare time, Stephen enjoys painting, drawing, and spending time with his family.
David Brunelle Legal Thriller Series
David Brunelle Legal Thriller Series consists of eighteen primary books, and includes two additional books that complement the series but are not considered mandatory reads. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
