Select Reviews and Awards
“Phelan ... vividly evokes the Arizona desert and thrills with convincing legal detail ... Hannah [Dain] makes a sympathetic and appealing heroine likely to have an interesting future.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Phelan creates appealing characters and paints a vivid portrait of the Arizona desert. A nice alternative for legal-thriller fans tired of the Grisham high-concept steamroller.”
—Booklist
“Phelan’s writing has a spare toughness and lack of sentimentality that barrels you through the rough spots like a good road bike. Best of all are the legal details, those tiny moments of advice and decision that fill a lawyer’s day.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Satisfying, well-plotted mystery.”
—Florida Sun-Sentinel
“This book sizzles and it’s not just the Arizona heat!”
—Sue Grafton, Edgar Award-winning author
“Twist Phelan knows of what she writes. FAMILY CLAIMS is as full as a lawyer’s briefcase with character and good storytelling. Phelan is on her way!”
—Michael Connelly, Edgar Award-winning author
“Keenly drawn characters and a plot that ticks along like a time bomb make Phelan’s novel a standout.... Phelan’s original angles and attention to detail make this story one to savor.”
—RT Bookclub
“Fans of extreme sports will admire Phelan's protagonist, lawyer and athlete Hannah Dain, but even those more at home on the couch will still enjoy the brainy heroine.... The sports angle makes an intriguing frame, but it's not really necessary to the success of this series, which boasts a nice mix of desert atmosphere and appealing characters.”
—Booklist
“Hannah Dain could probably whip any wimpy lawyer hero created by the likes of John Grisham or Lisa Scottoline with one arm tied behind her back.... [Phelan] keeps us a few breaths short of hyperventilation once again.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Phelan's third mystery [features] winningly brassy Hannah Dain.... With enough plot for two or three novels, the finished product is dizzying....”
—Publishers Weekly
“Another winner! ...Phelan expertly combines the legal, the physical, and the emotional for a completely satisfying drama.”
—Margaret Maron, Edgar Award-winning author
“Convincing reality ... filled with surprising twists and convolutions.... Rich characterizations provide an abundance of suspects that will keep readers guessing... Very highly recommended.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Enjoyable.... A story worth reading.”
—RT Bookclub
“Vivid descriptions of the desert.... Lively, swiftly-moving tale of corporate corruption and tangled, touching family relationships.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Worthy heroine, harrowing adventures, and a satisfying mystery.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Suspenseful and twisty.”
—Library Journal
“[FALSE FORTUNE] continues to showcase Twist Phelan’s skill as a writer...She grows more skillful with each book, weaving the seemingly disparate elements of extreme sports and law together into a very readable and enjoyable whole. Phelan is becoming one of the best. Case closed.”
—Deadly Pleasures Magazine
A Stab in the Heart
Time Will Tell
A Trader's Lot
Strange Bedfellows
Appearances →
—Publishers Weekly
“Phelan creates appealing characters and paints a vivid portrait of the Arizona desert. A nice alternative for legal-thriller fans tired of the Grisham high-concept steamroller.”
—Booklist
“Phelan’s writing has a spare toughness and lack of sentimentality that barrels you through the rough spots like a good road bike. Best of all are the legal details, those tiny moments of advice and decision that fill a lawyer’s day.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Satisfying, well-plotted mystery.”
—Florida Sun-Sentinel
“This book sizzles and it’s not just the Arizona heat!”
—Sue Grafton, Edgar Award-winning author
“Twist Phelan knows of what she writes. FAMILY CLAIMS is as full as a lawyer’s briefcase with character and good storytelling. Phelan is on her way!”
—Michael Connelly, Edgar Award-winning author
“Keenly drawn characters and a plot that ticks along like a time bomb make Phelan’s novel a standout.... Phelan’s original angles and attention to detail make this story one to savor.”
—RT Bookclub
“Fans of extreme sports will admire Phelan's protagonist, lawyer and athlete Hannah Dain, but even those more at home on the couch will still enjoy the brainy heroine.... The sports angle makes an intriguing frame, but it's not really necessary to the success of this series, which boasts a nice mix of desert atmosphere and appealing characters.”
—Booklist
“Hannah Dain could probably whip any wimpy lawyer hero created by the likes of John Grisham or Lisa Scottoline with one arm tied behind her back.... [Phelan] keeps us a few breaths short of hyperventilation once again.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Phelan's third mystery [features] winningly brassy Hannah Dain.... With enough plot for two or three novels, the finished product is dizzying....”
—Publishers Weekly
“Another winner! ...Phelan expertly combines the legal, the physical, and the emotional for a completely satisfying drama.”
—Margaret Maron, Edgar Award-winning author
“Convincing reality ... filled with surprising twists and convolutions.... Rich characterizations provide an abundance of suspects that will keep readers guessing... Very highly recommended.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Enjoyable.... A story worth reading.”
—RT Bookclub
“Vivid descriptions of the desert.... Lively, swiftly-moving tale of corporate corruption and tangled, touching family relationships.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Worthy heroine, harrowing adventures, and a satisfying mystery.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Suspenseful and twisty.”
—Library Journal
“[FALSE FORTUNE] continues to showcase Twist Phelan’s skill as a writer...She grows more skillful with each book, weaving the seemingly disparate elements of extreme sports and law together into a very readable and enjoyable whole. Phelan is becoming one of the best. Case closed.”
—Deadly Pleasures Magazine
A Stab in the Heart
(Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine)
- Winner, Best Short Story of the Year (International Thriller Writers Association)
- Finalist, Derringer Award (Short Mystery Fiction Society)
- Winner, Best Short Story of the Year (International Thriller Writers Association)
- Finalist, Derringer Award (Short Mystery Fiction Society)
Time Will Tell
(MWA PRESENTS THE PROSECUTION RESTS)
- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
- BY HOOK OR BY CROOK AND 30 MORE OF THE BEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR selection
- Finalist, Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story of the Year (Crime Writers of Canada)
- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
- BY HOOK OR BY CROOK AND 30 MORE OF THE BEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR selection
- Finalist, Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story of the Year (Crime Writers of Canada)
A Trader's Lot
(WALL STREET NOIR)
- "A standout," Publishers Weekly (starred review)
- Finalist, Derringer Award (Short Mystery Fiction Society)
- "A standout," Publishers Weekly (starred review)
- Finalist, Derringer Award (Short Mystery Fiction Society)
Strange Bedfellows
- "A wise and funny story" (Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune)
Appearances →
