The Unbidden Truth is a serviceable legal thriller, but a serious lack of any real thrills keeps it from being anything more than an average read.

Attorney Barbara Holloway receives an unusual request from a client who demands complete confidentiality. Louise Braniff says that she is part of a group of wealthy women who make donations to worthy causes. The group’s latest pet project is Carol Frederick, a young pianist they found performing in a local club. They had planned to sponsor a trip for Carol to travel Europe performing her music. Then Carol was accused of murdering one of the club’s owners. Louise wants Barbara to take the case, without revealing who’s paying the bills.

Barbara also heard Carol play and was impressed by the young woman’s obvious talent. She decides to take the case after meeting with her. What she finds is a wary young woman with no close friends or family. Carol remembers nothing of her life before the age of eight, when her parents were killed in a car accident. She doesn’t even remember learning how to play the piano. Barbara immediately leaps to the conclusion that Carol’s past is involved in the case, and sets about proving it.

This is the kind of book that has to depend on its mystery plot to keep the reader involved, because the characters sure aren’t going to do it. Characterization is in short supply. As a protagonist, Holloway is a nonentity. After spending 370 pages with her, I couldn’t tell you anything about her except that she’s a defense attorney, and evidently a good one. She’s surrounded by a cast of characters who are likely regulars in this series. None of them make much of an impression here.

The mystery is fine, moderately complex and not much more. It’s reasonably well developed. It also contains no twists or surprises. The real killer’s identity is easily deduced and most of the secrets obvious. Indeed, Barbara figures out most of it early on and spends the rest of the book gathering the evidence, then presenting it in court. This seems more like a legal procedural than a legal thriller. There are no thrills, but there is a lot of procedure. The first half shows Barbara’s investigation, the interviews she has with witnesses, and how she puts her case together. The second half displays the trial, as each side presents their case. Readers who are interested in a more realistic treatment of a trial than most legal fiction demonstrates may like this approach. There really isn’t any big drama or theatrics on display, despite a few scenes that are likely intended to be momentous.

The Unbidden Truth is an acceptable read. There’s nothing wrong with it. There’s also nothing particularly right with it. It took me a month to read, because I kept putting it down and resisted picking it back up. Readers who are fascinated by the legal process may find it a worthwhile read. Personally, I found it all too easy to understand why most authors try to inject a little false drama in their legal fiction.