Under Duress: (David Brunelle Legal Thriller Series Book 18)

By Stephen Penner

THE DEFENDANT CLAIMS HE HAD NO CHOICE. BRUNELLE CHOOSES NOT TO BELIEVE HIM.

Homicide prosecutor David Brunelle's latest case has an unexpected twist: the victim is alive -- barely.

A wealthy plastic surgeon attempts to murder his business partner, sending him into a coma with a life-threatening gunshot wound. The surgeon calls 911 himself, then tells police he had no choice but to shoot the victim. He spins a tale of anonymous stalkers from the dark web and bone-chilling threats against his own family. A high-profile defense attorney takes the case and convinces an overly intellectual judge to allow the defendant to claim the legal theory of duress, a total defense -- to every crime except completed murder.

The best thing that could happen to Brunelle's case would be for the victim to die, thereby precluding the duress defense. It's an outcome Brunelle has to resist wishing for. Instead, he teams up with his favorite detective and his best co-counsel to dig into what really happened, and more importantly, why. Brunelle needs to convince the jury the defendant is lying. If he fails, the jury will wrongly acquit a would-be murderer for acting Under Duress.

STEPHEN PENNER IS AN AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR WITH OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD

Under Duress is Book 18 in the top-rated legal thriller series featuring Seattle homicide D.A. David Brunelle and a recurring cast of cops, defense attorneys, and forensic experts. Each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone novel, but also follows the personal and professional growth of Brunelle and his friends and foes.

"David Brunelle may or may not win his case, but Stephen Penner has definitely created a winner here." --Amazon Reader Review

If you're looking for an authentic legal thriller with plenty of twists and turns, Under Duress is for you

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FYX4JCF7
• ISBN13: 9798218849177
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: Stephen Penner
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"