Second book in series - new crime author for me

Fifteen years have passed since the events in Black Water Rising, when lawyer Jay Porter was anticipating the birth of his first child. Now, grieving his wife and caring for two kids while his law practice falls apart, Porter is barely scraping by. That's when he agrees to represent murder suspect Neal Hathorne. Neal's the nephew and campaign manager of a black mayoral candidate whose opponent just happens to be the DA whose office is prosecuting Neal. With nuanced characters, shifting and manipulative political allegiances, and a powerful black community, this is a sophisticated and satisfying legal thriller; it was shortlisted for the Gold Dagger Award in 2015.

wsj nolan best 2015

An entertaining beach read, but nothing more than that. Cardboard characters, desultory pace and predictable plot. The oddest thing is that the author sets the novel in a specific town and era, then labours mightily to connect the story to that time and place -- and fails miserably. There is no sense of how people speak or feel or eat or live in any respect. Can Houston really be that bland?

I see from the cover blurb that the author is a script-writer for TV series. Maybe that's all this book is meant to be and it needs lights, cameras and action to pump some life into it.