Michael Stagg Books In Order

Publication Order of Nate Shephard Legal Thriller Books

Michael Stagg
Michael Stagg has worked as a trial attorney for over 25 years. He has tried cases to juries and has won and has lost and has argued over it in the court of appeals after. He still practices law so he writes the Nate Shepherd books under a pseudonym.

Michael and his wife reside in the Midwest. Their sons are all grown so time that was spent going to band concerts and football games now is spent on writing. He enjoys sports of all kinds, grilling, reading, with the order being dependent on the day.

Michael’s debut novel, called “Lethal Defense”, was released in the year 2020. His work is from the thriller genre.

“Lethal Defense” is the first novel in the “Nate Shepherd Legal Thriller” series and was released in the year 2020. A client brutally murders a man to keep a friend safe, and a lawyer with some secrets has to prove that it was justified.

Attorney Nate Shepherd left the big firm so he could go out on his own. He doesn’t see anything but opportunity when some out-of-town lawyer wants to hire him on as local counsel on a high profile homicide case. Even though his family worries that this case hits much too close to home, he joins the defense team.

Nate, once circumstances force him to take on a much larger role, ignores his family’s fears and throws himself into the defense of his client. However while he digs deeper, each aspect of this case raises up memories of a horrible event which Nate has done his best to keep buried.

Battling against an aggressive prosecutor in court and a dogged reporter out of court, he struggles to prove that his client’s bloody and brutal slaying of the evil victim was proper. However when Nate’s own tale gets exposed, it threatens the freedom of his client, and Nate’s carefully built life. Can he fend off his demons just long enough to save this client?

This novel hooks you right from the start and does not let go, and the twists and turns leave you wondering what is going to happen next. Michael’s writing flows tremendously, and the characters are all strong. The dashes of humor serve to keep things interesting at all times.

“True Intent” is the second novel in the “Nate Shepherd Legal Thriller” series and was released in the year 2020. When a billionaire passes away, an innocent woman gets blamed for it. A lawyer has to battle a wealthy family to get justice.

It all seems straightforward to Nate Shepherd. A middle-aged billionaire dies while attending a wedding reception. The grief stricken family lashes out, however, and blames the billionaire’s date for him dying. The family brings all its powers to bear, and the wheels of local justice threaten to overwhelm her.

While Nate steps in to help her out, he attempts to deflect some of the misplaced anger which is being directed her way for this tragedy. However while the investigation carries on, a tangled history starts unraveling, which includes some unexpected connections to Nate’s life. With each secret that gets uncovered, the stakes begin rising until Nate finds he is battling for the woman’s freedom in a trial for her very life.

Can he keep an innocent client safe from a family that is attempting to buy its own kind of justice?

Nate is a well developed hero, and one that is very flawed, very human. The back and forth exchanges the defense and prosecution share are entirely believable and this novel has an ending that is pretty unpredictable.

“Blind Conviction” is the third novel in the “Nate Shepherd Legal Thriller” series and was released in the year 2020. A savage attack leaves one woman at death’s door. The evidence points to just one guy. There’s only Nate standing in the way of the conviction.

Nate Shepherd does not want to take this attempted murder case on, however when people that he trusts ask for his involvement, he agrees to represent the hardworking farmer that has been accused of attempting to kill his brother’s fiancee.

By the time he is able to step in, law enforcement’s already gathered up quite a bit of evidence to bury Nate’s client. With the aid of one dogged investigator, one diligent associate, and a dangerous bail bondsman, he unearths a web of motives and money which just raises even more questions. However as he continues digging deeper to prove his client is innocent, the zealous prosecutor proceeds to steamroll forward to a conviction, ruthlessly putting a case together to put Nate’s client in prison for life.

While he battles for his client, friends become endangered, a family fractures, and a farm tough victim struggles to even recover. All the while, there is a hard truth gnawing at Nate: if his client is innocent, then who is guilty?

“Fales Oath” is the fourth novel in the “Nate Shepherd Legal Thriller” series and was released in the year 2021. Two brothers, one of which is accused of a grisly crime. The other one pursuing a golden future, and one attorney attempting to navigate them both.

Nate, fresh off his recent case, takes some local high school football in, hoping that spending a Friday night under the lights is going to give him an opportunity to just relax with his family. It does. Until the quarterback’s brother gets arrested during the game.

Nate jumps in to represent the brother, who is accused of a crime that is much worse than anybody ever imagined. While the Internet rains fury down upon his new client and a relentless prosecutor works to put the young man in prison, Nate is able to only scramble to figure out what exactly happened and why. However nobody, anywhere, appears to be telling him the full truth.

Nate battles to put a defense together, unraveling a spool of facts which threaten to spill over into the lives of his own family. And with each new revelation, the conflict continues growing until one new danger pops up: are their secrets going to tear these brothers apart?

2 Responses to “Michael Stagg”

1. Alberta Loomis: 2 years ago

   Are these books available in a regular book store? Or on line only?

   Reply
   • Graeme: 2 years ago

     There are physical editions of the books but you may have to request a book store to get them in.

     Reply