Series ✦ Penny’s Take
Old City Hall
Robert Rotenberg · 2009
78/100
👍 Worth It
Robert Rotenberg's debut leverages his real criminal-defense background to deliver a legal thriller that feels procedurally honest, morally complex, and genuinely unpredictable — the rotating narrators keep the Kevin Brace mystery alive right up to the end. Critical validation from CWA and Publishers Weekly is earned, and the Toronto setting is specific and vivid rather than generic backdrop. An excellent pick for legal drama readers who want substance alongside their suspense.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
⚠ Parent note — our reviewers flagged: murder/courtroom violence (genre-standard) · moral ambiguity themes. We still scored it 78; these are context for your family, not an automatic skip.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety72
Substance / usefulness74
Craft & writing79
Originality72
Evidence & accuracy82
Hype vs delivers75
Age-fit76
👁 Human-eye gut-check79
Penny’s verdict78
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