To say that Maxine Justice (fka Eufemia Kolpak), Attorney-at-Law, is struggling would be a severe understatement. She's not had a paying case in forever, her struggling law practice's one employee hasn't been paid in weeks and she's not even sure she has enough money to feed her stray cat. All of which is why she takes a shift rotation in the lower court acting as a public defender - think night court, but even more desperate. Once there she finds herself facing an auto-judge who hates her - and yes, since he's an android/robot, that shouldn't be possible, but Max knows what she knows and Wentworth hates her. And to add true insult to injury, the attorney operating as the prosecutor for the night is her former employer (and harasser, btw). But a job's a job and representing her clients to the best of her abilities is what matters. And though her night court stint ends badly, there may be a silver lining. A couple of men who watched Max in action approach her with a too good to be true deal. They will pay her a lot of money, set her up in offices, etc. and all she has to do is get them an agreement from the UN to pay for a life-changing/world-changing serum. Sound a bit crazy? Well Max certainly thinks so. But even crazy people need attorneys, right? And if she's skeptical about the validity of all that they're telling her? Doesn't matter. Max will do her very best to get them everything they want - even after she's kidnaped and some of the serum is stolen.
I came across a mention of this book in a tweet linking to a review from Publishers Weekly and boy am I glad I did. This sf/dystopia/legal thriller mashup hit all the right notes. The plot builds nicely, there are great courtroom scenes, and Max is a great character. Certainly she screws up, but she also cares a whole lot. And as she battles big business, the government and aliens (?), she wears her heart on her sleeve every step of the way. Fun, fun stuff. I hope there are many Maxine Justice books to come.