“Margolin establishes characters that might have stepped out of a grainy Western . . . [and] allows passions to sway his heroes, and generates empathy toward his crooks . . . [On] the courtroom floor, where Margolin is clearly at home, [there is] a satisfying, white-knuckle climax.” - Publishers Weekly
“Margolin. . . [and] allows passions to sway his heroes, and generates empathy toward his crooks . . . . [On] the courtroom floor, where Margolin is clearly at home, [there is] a satisfying, white-knuckle climax.” - Publishers Weekly
“Margolin shines in recreating pioneer life .. . . there’s legal wrangling, murder and romance, set against the backdrop of race and frontier life. . . . his scene-setting, knowledge of the frontier and relating of the hard task of the law make for an appealing read.” - Kirkus Reviews
“Worthy Brown’s Daughter reads something like Deadwood meets Twelve Years a Slave. The finale in the courtroom is as brilliant and exciting as any great legal drama…. [A] beautifully written story rooted in America’s brutal history of slavery and racism.” - Iron Mountain News
“The action is brisk and the villains are shifty, as Margolin fans have come to expect. The author has done some homework when it comes to recreating 19th century scenes, from the informal courtrooms to the makeshift jail to the streets of Portland and San Francisco…[t]his energetic tale does cover interesting regional history for readers who might be averse to picking up a book of nonfiction, but who are willing to follow Margolin in his break from the regular routine.” - Bellingham Herald
“The action is brisk and the villains are shifty…[t]his energetic tale does cover interesting regional history for readers who might be averse to picking up a book of nonfiction, but who are willing to follow Margolin in his break from the regular routine.” - Bellingham Herald
“A historical legal thriller inspired by Holmes vs. Ford, about a freed slave family in 1850s Oregon trying to get their children returned to them... [that] might appeal to fans of the acclaimed movie 12 Years a Slave.” - USA Today
“Phillip Margolin explores intriguing new territory in Worthy Brown’s Daughter, a compelling historical drama, set in nineteenth-century Oregon, that combines a heartbreaking story of slavery and murder with classic Margolin plot twists.” - Bookreporter.com
“With plenty of action…the lively narrative will keep readers engrossed.” - Library Journal
“Worthy Brown’s Daughteris a fast and absorbing read, and Margolin’s law expertise makes the book’s climax…an exciting moment indeed.” - Seattle Times
“Margolin weaves the facts of this story into a compelling tale of justice for sale. He creates vibrant characters who help to bring the West to life and to make the issue of slavery one that dominates all else. It is a fictional story based on some true facts. The fiction enhances the facts and makes the story move quickly from incident to incident. It is rare that we get a good western adventure but Margolin has the right stuff to make this one a classic. He takes us back to that time in our country’s history when men were quick to fight for the dreams of wealth, a woman’s love, or a matter of honor. If you like westerns or legal thrillers you will get both in Worthy Brown’s Daughter.” - Huffington Post
“[A] compelling tale of justice for sale… vibrant characters…bring the West to life…. If you like westerns or legal thrillers you will get both in Worthy Brown’s Daughter.” - Huffington Post
“Throw in a money-grubbing beauty, a smitten judge, a few loudmouth hotheads, and at least two legal beagles willing to bend the law, and the Old West comes alive in heart-wrenching, violent, and wicked racist color…. Legal thriller and western fans will stay with it to the last page. Both a psychological western reminiscent of The Ox-Bow Incident and a sharp critique of Oregon’s early legal process, Margolin’s novel offers a compelling portrait of small town justice done right.” - Booklist
“The Old West comes alive in heart-wrenching, violent, and wicked racist color…. Legal thriller and western fans will stay with it to the last page.… Margolin’s novel offers a compelling portrait of small town justice done right.” - Booklist
“In New York Times bestselling author Phillip Margolin’s first historical, recently widowed attorney Matthew Penny has come to newly-settled Oregon to start fresh. He stumbles into the most challenging case of his career when a former slave, Worthy Brown, asks him to save his teenage daughter.” - Huffington Post, “Books I Want to Read Most in 2014” by Wendy Webb, author of The Vanishing
“Margolin captures both the haphazard legal theater—when judges ride the circuit, Portland’s ‘courthouse’ is a loft on the third floor of the Coleman Barrel Company—and the daunting racism of the times.” - Oregonian (Portland)
“This departure for best-selling thriller writer Margolin might appeal to fans of the acclaimed movie 12 Years a Slave.” - USA Today, “New & Noteworthy”