Books by David R Tanis

A DIABOLICAL LAST WILL CREATES CHAOS IN THE COMMUNITY RESULTING IN THE MOST HILARIOUS SPOOF SINCE A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES. The assets of the surprisingly valuable estate of a small time, eccentric lawyer become the target of the unscrupulous and greedy in the bucolic town of Pine Ridge, North Carolina, setting off a chain of events no one could ever have even dreamed of, let alone imagined. It's almost as if the wily old lawyer is playing one last trick, resulting in a rollicking and unpredictable ending. When the opposing attorney's masterful oration was over, Jimmy G was actually sweating. His nervousness was palpable."Do you wish to respond to that argument?"the judge asked him. "Nah, Judge, I can't touch that. Even I gotta a'mit it was pretty good. But Judge, ya know, it'sall fluff. Smoke and mirrors. Judge in dis here courtroom we got a Bible." He made a show of picking it up. "But Judge, we got a different Bible here too. You an' me. We got dis one here." Jimmy picked up an unobtrusive green soft cover book and held it high for the judge and everyone else to see. "Judge, dis is de general statyoots of our state." He opened it and made a show or reading to himself, his lips quivering. No one coughed, rustled, or even burped., as if the courtroom had been evacuated. Praise for O'Halloran's Will A barely successful street lawyer dies but puzzles the townfolk by leaving an unexpectedly large estate to either a church he never attended or to his dogs. David Tanis uses his experiences of almost half century as a judge and a trial lawyer to craft this story of greed and stupidity by those trying to get their hands on the antique gold coins, the winning lottery ticket and an ancient stock certificate now worth millions. The usual suspects are right out of central casting for a 1930's court house drama. A quick read. This well crafted story will educate and leave the reader smiling and laughing out loud.-Tom Keith, District Attorney (Ret), Forsyth County, NC.David Tanis gets it just right. The small Southern town of Pine Ridge comes alive, and so do the characters.- living and dead. Tanis, a lawyer and former judge, makes the courthouse crowd come alive with a light touch of authenticity. There's plenty of wry humor in this fine novel, along with plot twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued. Oh, yes, there's an element of dark mystery that has one wondering. A wonderful story that readers will find totally engaging. Sit back and enjoy.-Joseph L.S. Terrell, author of the Harrison Weaver Mysteries."Tanis has crafted a fascinating legal tale. He has constructed a riveting legal thriller that is both smart and funny. Engaging from the beginning until the end, Tanis left me wanting more."-William B. Reingold, Chief District Court Judge (Retired), Twenty-First Judicial District, North Carolina

BUMBLING SMALL-TOWN SOUTHERN LAWYER HAMISH O'HALLORAN, WHOSE SHIP HAS LONG SINCE SAILED, MUDDLES HIS WAY THROUGH ONE CLOSE CALL AFTER ANOTHER TO SOLVE A BIG TIME DRUG CRIME."David Tanis knows...every last molecule of a court room...vintage small town hijinks at its best."-Joseph Bathanti, Poet Laureate of NC, Prof of English, Appalachian State Univ.The cozy village of Pine Ridge, North Carolina is beset by an epidemic of the dangerous new drug Murti-Bing which renders its users automatons. After being ostracized from Federal Court for twenty years, Hamish O'Halloran, a sad sack lawyer, is appointed to represent a "notorious drug dealer." Thus begins his sordid involvement in a conspiracy involving numerous oddball characters. An inept investigator, he finds himself in dire straits, as his suspicions bounce from one potential conspirator to another."... brings vividly to life the small North Carolina town and the characters..."-Joseph L.S. Terrell, author of Not Our Kind of Killing, and other Harrison Weaver mysteries."...completely unpredictable ending...compelling, and fun read..."-Henry ("Hank") P. Van Hoy, II, Martin & Van Hoy, LLP, Attorneys at Law, Mocksville, NC."...characters right out of a gritty small town Southern court room...a fun read..."-Tom Keith, Forsyth County N.C. District Attorney, Retired.