By: Andrew Neiderman
ISBN: 9781476792934
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: 6/15/2015
Format: e-book
My Rating: 5 Stars
The e-Novel Judgement Day will contain a free e-Novel of The Devil’s Advocate during its first weeks on sale.
Andrew Neiderman’s JUDGEMENT DAY—the prequel to the bestseller and blockbuster movie The Devil’s Advocate—is coming to readers this summer and will include with purchase, for a limited time, a free ebook version of The Devil’s Advocate. Revealing the story of how the law firm of John Milton & Associates came to be, this will change forever how you think of the original book and the major motion picture that starred Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves, and Charlize Theron. When the promising young attorney of a prestigious law firm is found dead on the sidewalk twenty stories below his posh New York apartment, everyone rules it as a suicide. Everyone except Lieutenant Matthew Blake—a detective with a legendary track record and a notoriously unorthodox style. Blake sees something more nefarious in the attorney’s death, and he slowly uncovers a murder plot so twisted that it could only have been concocted by the devil himself. Coincidentally (or perhaps not) John Milton—a handsome, charming, and unflappable defense attorney—strolls into the grieving law firm with a mind to replace the unfortunate attorney. Little does the firm know that Milton’s plan extends far beyond just becoming a partner.
My Review
A special thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. In JUDGEMENT DAY, Andrew Neiderman blows open the doors of The Devil’s Advocate, (1997) his original book, and the explosive major motion picture (amazing), starring Al Pacino (Satan), Keanu Reeves (attorney), and Charlize Theron (wife),with a riveting and twisted prequel, starring an impressive lineup of characters. Satan (John Milton), is disguised as a good-looking, charming, intelligent attorney, taking over a New York law firm, representing only "the guilty" —and never loses a case. Ironically, with the help of his thugs, an ex-dirty FBI agent, sexy women, and a few supernatural resurrections; he destroys any person who gets in his way, with a devilish smile. Now he is faced with Matthew Blake, a determined clever detective, deeply philosophical, with a religious background, and unusual spiritual insights, determined to bring him down, while saving the beautiful ADA and NYC. Warner Murphy, GQ, attorney, father and husband; young and driven, is about to become a partner at one of the most prestigious law firms in New York City – Simon and James. He has waited his entire life for this day. He had become something of a New York Star as a trial attorney, and even the DA was trying to get him to change sides. With celebration plans made for the evening, his wife and young daughter leave the twentieth floor Manhattan Upper East Side apartment for the day. However, a few minutes later, a disguised deliveryman has a forty-five turned on him, forcing him on the patio to jump, making it appear as a suicide. John Milton has a plan in mind, and quickly takes over the dead Murphy’s spot and works his devilish ways into the law firm and the courtroom. He rides around in his black limo with the driver, Charon, always lurking with death in the city, with an array of low life criminals to assist in his evil deeds. Matthew Blake (what a character), is mysterious, highly intelligent, with legendary track record and a notoriously unorthodox style. He is paired with Detective John Fish (not the sharpest tool in the shed), amazed by Blake’s style and continuously shaking his head, wondering who is this guy, like no other he has ever met. This guy is too well traveled and cultured to be a cop. Feeding on crime day and night, age thirty-four, handsome, Matthew Blake, is known in the NYPD as the famous Sherlock Holmes when it comes to his determination to solve crimes and bring down the evil in NYC. Matt continued to turn down promotions to take him off the streets; however, Saint Matthew possesses a passion for solving crimes and bringing closure to those who suffers loss. In addition, his religious fervor, left many second guessing his style and his maddening pace. He was like someone who wanted to leave through the fire escape and not the front door. Blake has psychic powers, and lives and breathes his job. Fish is blown away, and continues to question Blake’s line of questioning and thinking. Matthew knows Warner’s death was no suicide, and shortly thereafter a string of deaths occur, always at the exact time something big is coming down. Warner was the defendant’s attorney of a high profile case about to go to trial. Someone hated Warner for defending the accused killer. Matthew knows John Milton has to be Satan himself and he will not stop until he is destroyed. In the meantime, ADA, Michele Armstrong has only been on the team for more than three weeks with some impressive convictions under her belt. Her driving ambition was supported by her parents; however, when she moved to the big city she decided to move in with her aunt Eve, her mother’s eccentric older sister. Widowed with no children, she owned a loft apartment in SoHo and she was quite entertaining. Ever since she and her husband had been in a horrendous car accident, which took her husband’s life and left her in a coma for nearly two weeks, she had been quite spiritual, and for the last four years she had been a practicing psychic. Michele loves living with her as she was always full of positive energy to ward off evil. When Michelle goes up against the new attorney John Milton, he destroys everything she has done to build a case. She turns to Matthew for help and strategy. However, when an inside source at the law firm winds up dead, the same funeral parlor handles all the cremations and some mysterious person is picking up the urns, and Michelle takes off in a limo with the devil himself, Matthew will not stop until he gets to the bottom of the mystery and murders. There is a dark spirit lurking and Eve and Matthew seem to be the only one on the right track. Will Milton’s sadistic ways, get to Michelle, before he destroys her and will Matthew arrive in time to stop an assignation? Everything Milton does in one way or another is a mockery of scripture. Does everyone think Matthew is paranoid and cynical when he continues to reiterate: “The devil’s greatest asset is the fact that so many don’t believe he literally exists?” JUDGEMENT DAY, a psychological suspense crime thriller of good versus evil, leaving you dying to see this spine curling scene, played out on the big screen--a thriller you will never forget. Matthew, a dynamic new character will be an exciting new addition for the upcoming TV series for NBC. Looking forward to seeing the cast of stars. Fans of legal, crime, psycho, mystery, horror, and the supernatural will enjoy the suspenseful prequel, as well as fans of The Devil’s Advocate and The Godfather. Look forward to reading The Terrorist’s Holiday 3/10/15.
Review Links:
The Devil's Advocate
Aspiring Florida defense lawyer Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) accepts a high-powered position at a New York law firm headed by legal shark John Milton (Al Pacino). As Kevin moves up in the firm's ranks, his wife, Mary Ann (Charlize Theron), has several frightening, mystical experiences that begin to warp her sense of reality. With the stakes getting higher with each case, Kevin quickly learns that his mentor is planning a far greater evil than simply winning without scruples.
Release date: October 17, 1997 (USA)
Director: Taylor Hackford
Story by: Andrew Neiderman
About the Author
Andrew Neiderman is the author of over 45 thrillers, including six of which have been translated onto film, including the big hit, 'The Devil's Advocate', a major Warner Bros feature film. Andrew Neiderman became the ghostwriter for V.C. Andrews following her death in 1986. He was the screenwriter for Rain, a film based on a series of books under Andrews name. Between the novels written under her name and his own, he has published over 100 novels, making him one of the most successful ghost writers in American and international publishing. Seven of his titles have been adapted into films, both for feature and television.
Currently Mr. Neiderman is working on the stage musical version of THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE with the Mclean-Williams Management agency in London, and a stage play in the Netherlands, and is being developed as an NBC television series. The Terrorist’s Holiday out March 10, 2015.
Neiderman lives in Palm Springs, CA with his wife, Diane. They have two children and three grandchildren. He is the former chairman of the English department of Fallsburg High School, where he taught for over twenty-three years. Website
