Professor John F. Dobbyn Releases Third Novel in Legal Thriller Series
Lawyers Michael Knight and Lex Devlin return in Villanova Law Professor John “Jack” Dobbyn’s latest legal thriller, “Black Diamond,” published by Oceanview Publishing on October 3.
“Black Diamond” is Dobbyn’s third book starring the two Boston lawyers who, in the latest novel, agree to defend a jockey accused of murdering a fellow jockey during a race at Boston's Suffolk Downs. Michael's expertise in the machinations of the horse racing game is expected to serve them well. But a personal attachment to the murdered jockey thrusts Michael and Lex into the midst of conflict between Boston's Irish mafia and remnants of the terrorist branch of the Irish Republican Army.
“What a joy to write about two subjects so near and dear to my heart: Horse racing and the Boston Irish mafia,” said Dobbyn. “If a writer can’t get sparks to fly with that combination, he should go into the dry cleaning business. May you enjoy it, God willing.”
Novels in Dobbyn’s thriller series include “Neon Dragon” (2007) and “Frame Up” (2010). Plans are in motion for the making of a major motion picture by Amber Entertainment, a production company located in Los Angeles and London, of “Neon Dragon,” and “Frame Up” has been honored as the Gold Medal Award Winner of the Best Book of 2010 in the fiction and Literature: Thriller/Adventure Category sponsored by USA Book News.
Boston native Dobbyn joined Villanova Law as a professor in 1969. His scholarly interests focus on insurance and criminal law. He received his J.D. from Boston College Law School, where he was Casenote Editor on the Law Review, and his LL.M. from Harvard Law School. Following graduation from law school, Dobbyn was a law clerk to United States District Judge Anthony Julian. He then worked in private practice at Burns & Levinson in Boston before going into teaching.
For more information, visit Dobbyn on the web at: www.johndobbyn.com.
