Goodbye Girl

A Jack Swyteck Novel

By: James Grippando

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

“This is the eighteenth Swyteck novel since The Pardon (1994), and it’s just as good as the rest. Grippando keeps coming up with complex and timely cases, and this one is first-rate.” — Booklist

A contentious intellectual piracy case leads to an unsolved murder, and Jack Swyteck’s client—a pop music icon—is the accused killer.

Piracy costs the movie and music industry billions. No one has been able to stop it. But that won’t stop Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck. His latest client, Imani Nichols, is a Grammy-winning popstar whose career has skyrocketed. Despite her success, she’s the most underpaid superstar on the planet because of an onerous record contract she signed as a teenager with her now ex-husband Shaky Nichols, who has made himself rich off her royalties.

Preferring to see thieves profit from her music than let her ex-husband pocket one more dime, Imani takes to social media and tells her millions of fans to “go pirate” and download her music illegally. Her hardball tactic leads to scorched-earth litigation, and now she needs Jack’s help.

The case takes a deadly turn when salacious allegations of infidelity send Imani and Shaky down a path of mutual assured destruction, each implicating the other in the unsolved murder of Imani’s extra-marital lover twelve years ago. Tyler McCormick died of asphyxiation, and his body was found in Biscayne Bay, chained to a piling with the words ""goodbye girl"" impressed on his chest. Despite their fierce denials, Imani and Shakey are both indicted for murder, leading to a sensational trial that exposes shocking secrets about their failed marriage, their cut-throat business partnership, and Imani’s astonishing success.

Yet as Jack discovers, uncovering the truth about the killing and the cryptic “goodbye girl” won’t just exonerate or convict his client, her ex, and their music empire. It may shape the future of the entire recording industry.

©2024 James Grippando (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

I Always Enjoy the Jack Swyteck novels!!!!

I’m a big fan of James Grippando and have enjoyed all of his books and this is a very good addition to the Jack Swyteck series. Swyteck always either seems to get roped into a case he wasn’t interested in or prepared to take on. That appears to be the case with this one. He goes from a music piracy case right into a murder case with the same client. I don’t think he believes his client is truly innocent. There also seems to be some contention between his wife’s FBI case and his client’s case overlapping and their agreement not to discuss what each is working on. It looks to me as if future books may have a little more drama if they begin sharing information that could potentially damage one or both cases they might be working on.

Jonathan Davis does a superb job narrating.

This book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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Theo’s involvement!

Theo as always fits in perfectly! His character adds humor to the drama of the story.

good plot

seemed like it was written in hopes of becoming movie. read like a screen play

Click Helpful, Shelly’s Review

This author is always hit or miss for me. This book was a home run for the author BECAUSE Jonathan Davis is Jack. This story was about the journey and getting to hear Mr Davis tell you a tale. You are not racing to the end of the story but savoring the listen. Shelly’s review is spot on.
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Another great Swyteck

Thank you James Grippando. Keep them coming. Will be interesting to see if Jack goes along with Andy’s request.

performance

complex story to follow. But really like the characters and look forward to next Swytek book

A disappointment

Unlikable characters and clear from.beginning what was going on. Messing up Jack's home life doesn't improve the story.