Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

“Merchants Bridge” is the first book in J.D. Trafford’s new Dark River series. Trafford is known for his legal thrillers and this is yet another addition to his plethora of works. I am not previously acquainted with this author’s work and this is the first book of his I have ever read.

The story begins with a shooting when two men are walking on the road, leading to one man getting killed with the other, Graydon Wendt, gravely injured. However, Graydon’s life is saved and he only has fragments of memories of the day of this attack. After his recovery, Graydon tries his best to get back to his normal life but is unable to cope with the trauma he has undergone. 

This already tough situation gets more difficult,  following a series of events that wreak havoc on his personal and professional life. Just when Gray thinks it can’t get any worse, it does: He is implicated as the co-conspirator of a crime his murdered coworker was involved in. The rest of the story follows Gray as he struggles to understand the crime he is accused of committing and tries to find the original perpetrator, while he tries to prove himself innocent in front of the courts.

The story is adequately thrilling and the writing style of the author engaging. The story travels primarily along with Gray and the readers are kept as much in the dark as he is. However,  the story is not completely engrossing. It was a challenge to stay interested in the story, particularly during the first half of the book. 

I felt it is a fairly enjoyable read that could have been much better.  Nevertheless, you should read this book if you are interested in legal thrillers.

This book gets 4 out of 5 stars.