A two-time winner of Georgia Bar Journal’s annual fiction competition, lauded attorney and judge Lori B. Duff was fed up with novels detailing unrealistic courtrooms scenes with settings that misrepresented the South. So the acclaimed humor author pivoted from essays to fiction to pen “Devil’s Defense,” (Nov. 12, She Writes Press), a gripping courtroom drama full of personal discovery and the first in her Fischer at Law series. Duff is a true voice of authority: Her lengthy legal career in a small southern town (not unlike the novel’s setting) gave her the experience to produce thrilling, authentic legal drama and client interactions, which are based on her real-life experiences.
Jessica knew that in the town of Ashton, Georgia, the order of worship was first Jesus, second America, and third the high school football coach, with the second two interchangeable if it were a winning season. It was often a winning season.
Jessica Fischer wants nothing more than to break into the male-dominated legal scene and build her law practice in small-town Georgia. And she’s well on her way when the local town hero and football coach, Frank “Tripp” Wishingham III, hires her to represent him in a paternity suit. The coach is everything Fischer despises: arrogant, sexist and entitled. But it’s her job to make him look good in public, which is made doubly difficult when her burgeoning relationship with a local reporter gets in the way of telling the truth. Are things as black and white as Jessica thinks? And can she find a way to succeed without compromising her own personal values or her personal life?
Fans of “Miracle Creek” by Angie Kim and “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens will be intrigued by “Devil’s Defense.” And the book will appeal greatly to Southern readers hungry for authentic stories set in the South, as well as professional women desperate for a relatable protagonist — it’s only the beginning for Jessica Fischer.
“Duff scores with a winning protagonist and a captivating courtroom procedural.”
“Devil’s Defense: A Fischer at Law Novel”
Lori B. Duff | Nov. 12, 2024 | She Writes Press | Legal Fiction
Paperback, 9781647427368, $17.99
“Sweet, savvy, and sharp, Devil’s Defense is a pitch-perfect beach read about gender and sexual politics in a small town. Duff writes with an authentic and witty hand, creating multi-faceted characters and a timely plot that will have readers questioning preconceived notions of right and wrong. Perfect for fans of Katherine Center and Meg Mitchell Moore.”
— Marisa Rae Dondlinger, author of “Come And Get Me” and “Gray Lines”
“A fast-paced plot with deft and effortless dialogue, Devil’s Defense will have you rooting and wondering late into the night. It’s a damn fantastic read.”
— V. C. Chickering, author of “Twisted Family Values”
“Devil’s Defense is a funny, warm, and wise study of a small southern town and culture, wrapped in a legal mystery and love story. Lori Duff writes with great empathy and heart. She finds the depth and complexity of even the most problematic characters, while making you laugh out loud and think.” — Sheri T. Joseph, author of “Edge of the Known World”
“Lori B. Duff deftly manages to invest thirty years of legal experience into Devil’s Defense. In this well-balanced debut, she proves that her writing chops are first-rate. No doubt, Duff will be a force in the legal fiction genre moving forward.”
— Joseph Reid, bestselling author of the Seth Walker series
“A page-turner that’s both playful and provocative, Devil’s Defense grabbed me from the jump. I had to find out if Jessica, a smart attorney who’s still learning on the job, would ultimately prevail—in the courtroom and the bedroom. As a lawyer herself, Duff’s insider perspective enriches every page.”
— Jude Berman, author of “The Die and The Vow”
“Lori Duff delivers a compelling tale about the intersection of the football field, the courtroom, and the heart. ‘Peyton Place’ meets ‘Friday Night Lights.’”
— Lance McMillian, author of the Atlanta Murder Squad series
About the Author
Lori B. Duff is a two-time winner of the Georgia Bar Journal’s fiction competition and a popular humor blogger. Her humorous essays have earned multiple awards, including the Foreword Indies Gold Medal for Humor, as well as first place in the National Society for Newspaper Columnists annual contest in the humor category. In addition to her writing, Duff is a graduate of Duke University and the Emory University School of Law. She serves as the Managing Partner of Jones & Duff, LLC, and is also a municipal court judge. Duff has been president of the Georgia Council of Municipal Court Judges and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and has served in various leadership roles in those and other legal and writing organizations. Learn more at her website loriduffwrites.com.
Facebook: @loribduffauthor | Threads: @loriduffwrites | Instagram: @loriduffwrites | Twitter: @loribduff
In an interview, Lori B. Duff can discuss:
- How her passion for depicting accurate yet equally thrilling courtroom scenes and cases led her to writing her own courtroom drama
- The real-life cases and client interactions over her 30+ years in law and how she decided on what details, if any, to include in the series
- How the novel touches on the #MeToo movement and addresses the outsized power that men hold in many communities despite their obvious shortcomings
- The book’s appeal to viewers of female-centric courtroom shows like “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight,” as well as popular legal dramas like “Law & Order”
- How the novel satisfies those looking for small-town drama displayed in media such as “Friday Night Lights” and Fredrik Backman’s Beartown series.
- Her transition and “slow retirement” from attorney and municipal court judge to writer and published author
- The misconceptions of small towns in the rural South and how she’s addressing and breaking down those tropes
- How she plans to develop Jessica’s character across the series and a sneak peek into book 2
An interview with Lori B. Duff
1. You’ve had a long and successful legal career as an attorney and municipal court judge. How and why did you transition to writing?
I had to even out my karma somehow. Lawyers wage war all day and bring turmoil — even when you win a battle, you still come away with battle scars; writers entertain and bring joy. I also find great personal satisfaction in living a creative life.
2. Most of your previous books were collections of humorous essays, as were most of your columns and blog posts. Why did you decide to pivot to writing fiction?
After my children left the house to go to college, I had more time to focus on myself and what I thought about the world. And I realized I had more to say. I could explore ideas that weren’t my own through fictional characters. Why do people think such things? Well, let me get into their heads and find out.
3. What were some of the difficulties you encountered when writing fiction? Were there some things that came easier than with nonfiction?
It’s a lot easier to write and edit a 500-800 word first-person opinion essay than a 95,000 word book. Keeping everyone’s personalities intact — and remembering that they didn’t think the way I do — was a huge adjustment. Oddly enough, I found that the people I disagreed with the most were the most fun to write.
4. What sets “Devil’s Defense” apart from other courtroom dramas or legal thrillers?
The author is better looking and smarter. Ha ha ha. Seriously, I think it’s more true to what the actual life of a lawyer is like. You don’t have one case at a time. Cases take months, if not years, to resolve. More often than not, you don’t get to represent the good guy, and your client doesn’t often do what you want them to do. They keep secrets from you. You have to make arguments in public that make you sick to your stomach. You get emotionally involved when you don’t want to. And you can’t talk about the details of what’s upsetting you to the people who are closest to you. I wanted to write a novel that reflected that.
A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.
Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.
