The Laws of Attraction


Fiction - Mystery - Sleuth
344 Pages
Reviewed on 05/14/2015
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Ioana Marza for Readers' Favorite

The Laws of Attraction by Howard Reiss is a very insightful and quirky legal thriller following the trial in which the sons of the recently deceased 88-year-old Ben Everett are challenging his will, as he’s left his fortune (the whole $50 million of it) to his new 24-year-old wife, Susannah. But if anyone thinks this is the typical ‘old man falls for saucy young woman’ story, think again, as in this novel nothing is what it seems at first. Susannah’s extraordinary claim that she is the reincarnate of Ben’s first wife, and so entitled to everything he has, throws the whole town and country into commotion. The strange testimonies discussing the eternal soul and reincarnation, the various revelations about Susannah’s past, and the way everybody’s beliefs are tested all make for a page-turner.

The Laws of Attraction happens mainly in a court room, but it is not at all one-dimensional or boring because of that. The fact that Howard Reiss graduated law school is obvious, not only in the court procedures described, but also in the way he details the rationale behind everything the attorney says or does in court, and I personally found that very interesting. When choosing the words or even describing the facial expressions, there are so many things to consider - the judge’s awareness that the trial is on TV, the jurors’ own personalities and agendas, the reaction of the witnesses, the new ideas one might give them, and so on. The storyline itself is quite unusual and from what could have been a risky subject Howard Reiss builds a very believable and professional trial, skilfully allowing for doubt until the end. The last chapter contains a final surprise which will either excite or disappoint the reader. For me, this intelligent mystery was a bit of a guilty reading pleasure.