Goodlove and Shek

Garrett Goodlove used to be an arrogant criminal defense attorney with a drive to win at all costs. But a pair of tragic events threw him into a bottomless depression, and he retreated into the practice of family law. Now he tries to settle cases in ways that make everyone happy. He’s a nicer person, but has he lost his edge?

Garrett Goodlove hates liars. As a lawyer, he’s forced to deal with more than his fair share of cheats and con artists, but lately, he’s been getting fed up. Goodlove suspects that his latest client, a jolly babushka by the name of Aksana Ivanova, is a grandmaster of deception. His law partner disagrees. But how can they be sure?Soon after they get her weapons-possession charge dismissed on a technicality, the Redwood Point DA arrests her on a charge of first-degree murder. Apparently, the weapon found in the trunk of her car was used in an assassination.

Attorney Garrett Goodlove never thought he'd prosecute a medical malpractice case. Doctors swear an oath to help people, and those cases are usually honest mistakes blown up by ambulance chasers. But when he learns of a woman bodybuilder who went into the ER with a case of heartburn and came out in a wheelchair, he starts paying attention. It appears the doctor who saw her frequently orders open-heart surgery for patients who don't need it, sometimes leading to disability or death.

Attorney Garrett Goodlove thought that after his firm brought in a multi-million-dollar settlement, the depression he'd been fighting would disappear. That didn't happen. Because he no longer has to struggle to keep Goodlove and Shek afloat, he has too much time to obsess over his moods. When a new client brings in an envelope labelled "Open only if something happens to me", Goodlove puts it in the firm's safe and goes back to neglecting his practice. But when the client disappears, Goodlove knows he must overcome his problem and take charge. But beating depression is hard.

Attorney Garrett Goodlove’s newest client is only 15. The boy asks for help because he thinks his older sister may be some kind of vigilante. Belinda, 18 and way too sexy for her own good, has been missing for five months. The police are convinced that she’s just another runaway. Her bullheaded stepdad agrees. But the younger brother found Belinda’s secret stash of chatroom texts. Goodlove promises Belinda’s family that he’ll help her. But first, he has to find her.