Book Review | "An Insignificant Case" by Phillip Margolin
Even the Best-Kept Secrets Have a Way of Being Revealed
“An Insignificant Case” by Phillip Margolin is a thriller set in and out of the courtroom, starting with a case of a stolen painting.
Our main character, Charlie Webb, is a lawyer who can only be described as mediocre and second-rate. He is assigned to defend Guido Sabatini, born Lawrence Weiss, a man claiming to be reborn as a Renaissance painter who worked with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Webb and most others assume Guido is severely mentally ill, but Charlie begrudgingly takes on the burglary case.
Sabatini has a history of selling paintings to paying customers, becoming incensed by how they choose to display his art, and then stealing his work back due to their “disrespect” of his craft. It’s safe to say that Weiss—I mean Sabatini—is not taken seriously. That is until it surfaces that his latest crime includes the theft of a thumb drive and a body count piles up, pointing the blame directly at Guido.
With the burglary case as the reader’s entry point, the door bursts wide open and reveals an underworld of sex trafficking, abuse of power, and murder. No one can be trusted and lackluster Charlie Webb is tasked with getting to the truth and defending his unique client.
What seems like a straightforward case explodes into a media frenzy akin to the likes of Diddy and Jeffrey Epstein.
Although complex, Margolin delivers the plot in an organized and comprehensible manner, drawing the reader in with the charismatic story of Guido Sabatini and an on-air sex trafficking arrest at the Oscars. There is a lot of meat on that bone and the readers are hungry!
Margolin successfully meets the reader where they’re at in terms of knowledge of the law and criminal court cases, translating jargon and procedure into digestible pieces so the reader can sit back and enjoy the entertaining ride.
Along the journey, the author introduces interesting characters, all pieces of the larger picture with several mysteries baked in and connected in unexpected ways. Even though Guido is giving unhinged, the reader can’t help but root for this endearing character who was merely advocating for his art. Additionally, the character of Charlie Webb feels accessible in an everyman way, exhibiting the hallmarks of someone trying to do their job but getting distracted by his penis, as the common male stereotype dictates.
You root for him and Sabatini but the male diversions are my only grievance with the book. It was clearly from a male perspective with the male characters losing focus to their primal desire for the female body, reinforcing the idea that men cannot think clearly when an attractive woman is in the room. Yawn. That narrative is a bit dusty and could use some polishing. Even with this tired depiction, it may invoke a swift eye roll from the reader but should not detract from the larger story being told, but be ready for that. Also, as a warning, there are deeply traumatic and potentially triggering topics interspersed related to SA and trafficking.
As the reader reaches the three-quarters mark of the book, the story feels like it is organically drawing to a close but then a new court case emerges with Charlie Webb at the helm once again. At first, I found this to be clunky and I was mildly exasperated by the extended storylines but then was captivated by the additional material. When I thought the book was over, I wanted more—ask and you shall receive I guess! Although the transition felt slightly empty, the finale added more depth and intrigue and is a welcome conclusion.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced audio copy of the book, narrated by Peter Ganim, who did an outstanding job bringing life to every single one of the characters. Ganim’s performance is inspired, authentic, and engaging.
I typically prefer a female narrator but Ganim is one of my new favorite audiobook narrators, male or female, and I will be seeking out more of his work as well as more of Margolin’s writing.
Overall, “An Insignificant Case” is a tasty thriller calling upon wildly popular real-life crime themes popular in the current zeitgeist but with Margolin’s distinct twist. If you liked “The Firm” by John Grisham, then you will want to grab a copy of “An Insignificant Case.”
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.