Longtime Georgia judge, attorney returns with
second installment in lauded legal thriller series
ATLANTA – A two-time winner of Georgia Bar Journal’s annual fiction competition, lauded attorney and judge Lori B. Duff was fed up with novels detailing unrealistic courtrooms scenes with settings that misrepresented the South. So the acclaimed humor author pivoted from essays to fiction to pen her Fischer at Law series, whose second book “Devil’s Hand” (Oct. 7, 2025, She Writes Press) will be released this fall.
Attorney Jessica Fischer is back, and this time she feels good about helping her client. Susan Wolan is the wife of a county commissioner and the victim of domestic violence. Jessica knows the abuse happened — she’s seen the handprints on Susan’s body. But she also suspects her client is holding something back from her. What is it — and can she help save Susan from her powerful and connected abuser without damaging her own career?
As if all this weren’t enough, Jessica is simultaneously forced to deal with her estranged father, who has just come back into her life with secrets of his own. After a fall lands him in the emergency room, Jessica realizes that he and her paralegal, Diane — a person she depends on to keep her sane — might be falling for each other. She wonders if she’ll be able to stop herself from falling … apart.
For fans of the new Matlock reboot, a legal thriller featuring an idealistic young lawyer who believes her bruised and abused client … even after discovering that client is keeping secrets that are beyond belief.
“Devil’s Hand: A Fischer at Law Novel”
Lori B. Duff | Oct. 7, 2025 | She Writes Press | Legal Fiction
Paperback, 9781647429843, $17.99
“Fast-paced and packed with unforgettable characters, this gripping legal thriller will keep you hooked until its unexpected ending.”
— Zelly Ruskin, author of “Not Yours to Keep”
“With brilliantly witty dialogue and quirky characters you’ll love—or in some cases, love to hate—Lori Duff keeps speculation at a fever pitch until the ingenious final pages. Building on its prequel, this intelligent read is both fun and socially relevant.
— Jude Berman, author of “The Vow,”
named a 2024 Kirkus Reviews “Best Indie Book of the Year”
“An intriguing story filled with important and difficult topics handled with empathy, grace, and a smart sense of humor.”
— Lisa Roe, author of “Welcome to the Neighborhood”
“A sharp and compelling legal drama that masterfully intertwines humor, heart, and high stakes. … Whether unraveling a legal mystery or exploring matters of the heart, Duff’s insider perspective and keen empathy make this story a standout. A must-read for lovers of sharp, savvy, and thought-provoking fiction.”
— Andrea Ezerins, author of “Again and Again Back To You”
“Duff scores with a winning protagonist and a captivating courtroom procedural.”
“Devil’s Defense: A Fischer at Law Novel”
Lori B. Duff | Available Now | She Writes Press | Legal Fiction
Paperback, 9781647427368, $17.99
Georgia Independent Author of the Year Awards winner Legal Thriller
Interview
Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself!
I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but I consider myself a child of Long Beach, NY. My parents grew up in Long Beach and we moved back there when I was little. It’s a beach town near NYC. I don’t think I realized what an amazing place it was to grow up until I was older. I now live in Loganville, GA, which is about 45 minutes east of Atlanta.
Tell us about your book? How did it get started?
Devil’s Hand is the second in the Fischer at Law series, though it works (I hope!) as a stand alone. When I finished Devil’s Defense (the first) I didn’t feel done with Jessica Fischer and her story. Since she’s a lawyer who is just starting out and the book(s) focus on her practice, there’s an unlimited number of cases she can take on. There were some characters from the first book I didn’t want to let go of, and so I didn’t. I’m a lawyer myself, though at the opposite end of my career. I’ve worked with so many victims of domestic violence and I wanted to explore that topic. It’s not as simple as it seems superficially, especially when you live in a religious community like I do. I don’t condone any sort of violence, and I don’t know anyone who does, but at the same time I recognize a number of folks in small communities who are more than willing to cover it up in certain circumstances. Why? How do they twist that logic? Why do the women go along with it? I wanted to answer all those questions for myself as well as my readers in this book.
How do you create your characters?
Some come to me fully formed. Jessica did, as did her faithful paralegal, Diane Myers. Some come more slowly. Susan Wolan, the DV victim character, started out more as a stand-in character. But the more time I spent with her, the more she started speaking to me, telling me what she would and wouldn’t say and do. Then I had to go back and correct what I’d written when she was more two-dimensional. I know I’ve gotten a character right when I start hearing their voices in my head, when writing their dialogue feels more like transcribing than writing.
What inspires and what got your started in writing?
I think I’ve been writing as long as I’ve known how to form letters into words. I never remember not writing. I have notebooks from way back when I was in kindergarten with some truly awful (and adorable) stories written in them. I’ve always lived as much in my head as outside of it. Just about all my stories start with me asking myself a “what if” question and then trying to answer it, or “I wonder what makes her….” So often I see people behaving in ways that baffle me, and I puzzle it out best by writing a story about it. I make them a character and try to get into their heads. It helps me understand the different ways people think. Which is why, I think, studies show that the more fiction you read the more empathetic you are. Because when fiction is done well, you can really get into the head of someone who is unlike you.
Where do you write? Is there something you need in order to write (music, drinks?)
Generally, I write in one of two places: my desk at home (located in what used to be my son’s bedroom, but which I have taken over as my office) or my desk at work. I need silence. I’m very sensitive to noise, especially music, and it will distract me. I also need something to drink: coffee before noon and water afterwards.
How do you get your ideas for writing?
One of my favorite things to do, which I don’t always get to do, is to lie in bed when I first wake up and take a wander inside my head. That’s the best time of day for thinking, because I’m not fully awake and so my conscious brain is not directing my thoughts. It’s a very free-form thought storm. Some image or incident will form itself, and I’ll ask myself “I wonder why or what?” and then it will spin out into a story. I get so many and such good ideas this way, that I honestly don’t understand the concept of writer’s block. The only block I have is the number of hours in the day and the speed at which I can type. I have so many ideas that I simply don’t have time to get down on paper.
What do you like to read?
Anything I can get my hands on. I really don’t limit myself to genre—I’ll read anything that’s written well. Story is story, good writing is good writing.
What would your advice to be for authors or aspiring in regards to writing?
Two things:
- Read. It drives me batty when I hear people call themselves writers say that they don’t have time to read. Reading is writing. I don’t know how you can write if you don’t read. It’s like saying, “I’m going to be a doctor, but I’m not going to medical school.” Reading is how you learn craft. It’s also rather selfish. It’s saying, “I’m going to put this art out there and beg you to look at it, but I’m not going to bother looking at yours.”
- Write. Just do it. Like anything, practice makes perfect. Or if not perfect, at least better. You can’t get better at something you don’t do. Every sentence you write will be better than the last one. Especially if you are open to constructive criticism. “Oh that’s great!” is lovely to hear, but it doesn’t help you improve your craft. It’s much better to hear “There’s a great idea in there, but it gets muddied because of X, Y, and Z.”
Anything else you’d like to share?
Read my books! I worked hard on them, and I think you’ll like them.
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“Sweet, savvy, and sharp, Devil’s Defense is a pitch-perfect beach read about gender and sexual politics in a small town. Duff writes with an authentic and witty hand, creating multi-faceted characters and a timely plot that will have readers questioning preconceived notions of right and wrong. Perfect for fans of Katherine Center and Meg Mitchell Moore.” — Marisa Rae Dondlinger, author of “Come And Get Me” and “Gray Lines”
“A fast-paced plot with deft and effortless dialogue, Devil’s Defense will have you rooting and wondering late into the night. It’s a damn fantastic read.” — V. C. Chickering, author of “Twisted Family Values”
“Devil’s Defense is a funny, warm, and wise study of a small southern town and culture, wrapped in a legal mystery and love story. Lori Duff writes with great empathy and heart. She finds the depth and complexity of even the most problematic characters, while making you laugh out loud and think.” — Sheri T. Joseph, author of “Edge of the Known World”
“Lori B. Duff deftly manages to invest thirty years of legal experience into Devil’s Defense. In this well-balanced debut, she proves that her writing chops are first-rate. No doubt, Duff will be a force in the legal fiction genre moving forward.” — Joseph Reid, bestselling author of the Seth Walker series
“A page-turner that’s both playful and provocative … As a lawyer herself, Duff’s insider perspective enriches every page.” — Jude Berman, author of “The Die and The Vow”
“Lori Duff delivers a compelling tale about the intersection of the football field, the courtroom, and the heart. ‘Peyton Place’ meets ‘Friday Night Lights.’” — Lance McMillian, author of the Atlanta Murder Squad series
Lori B. Duff
About the Author
Lori B. Duff is a two-time winner of the Georgia Bar Journal’s fiction competition and a popular humor blogger. Her humorous essays have earned multiple awards, including the Foreword Indies Gold Medal for Humor, as well as first place in the National Society for Newspaper Columnists annual contest in the humor category. In addition to her writing, Duff is a graduate of Duke University and the Emory University School of Law. She serves as the Managing Partner of Jones & Duff, LLC, and is also a municipal court judge. Duff has been president of the Georgia Council of Municipal Court Judges and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and has served in various leadership roles in those and other legal and writing organizations. Learn more at her website loriduffwrites.com.
Facebook: @loribduffauthor | Threads: @loriduffwrites | Instagram: @loriduffwrites | Twitter: @loribduff
