the award-winning Monica spade Trilogy
Book #1 - A thriller with a twist
★★★★★ “An impeccably well-written legal drama with a slow burn romance front and center. Look for a surprise twist at the end of this book, too!” Goodreads 5 stars – Gayle
Trevor McKnight, a young, white male, is charged with the murder of Abdul Seif, a Saudi Arabian foreign exchange student.
Attorney Monica Spade's physician clients plan to testify at trial that Trevor's punch to Abdul's head killed him. Monica is shocked when her bosses at her all-male law firm warn her not to cross the powerful McKnight family.
Facing death threats and career-ending consequences, Monica must decide whether to expose the truth in a bigoted environment.
In her personal life, Monica joins a CrossFit box to work off stress. During class, she meets Shelby St. Claire, a high school art teacher. For the first time in her career, Monica considers coming out of the closet for Shelby.
★★★★★ "A witty legal tale intermingled with murder, bigotry, loyalty and an intelligent and honest lawyer finding love and friendship. Not to mention a rogue monkey causing some chaos. Alexi Venice gives the reader a brilliant and engaging story with some harsh reality and honest focus on our world today. I can't wait to read the next one!" Amazon Reviewer - 5 Stars - December 2020
monica spade book #2
An award-winning standalone legal thriller
★★★★★ Winner of the 2020 Lesfic Bard Awards in Mystery
★★★★★ Named "The Best Legal Thriller of 2021" by BestThrillers.com "A sexy legal thriller that deftly blends an international terror plot with romantic obsession. Highly recommended.” BestThrillers.com
★★★★★ Over 400 ratings and reviews on Amazon and Goodreads
Monica Spade insists she isn't a trial lawyer, much less one who represents dangerous criminals. Despite her protests, Judge O'Brien orders Monica to serve as standby counsel for a young woman accused of repeatedly stabbing her boyfriend.
Setting aside her abject fear, Monica drags herself to jail to meet her new client, Stela Reiter. A demure Romanian, Stela looks more like a meek librarian than a person capable of overpowering and stabbing a young man to death. Unlike Monica's other clients, Stela is coy and secretive during their interview. Meanwhile, Monica's girlfriend, Shelby St. Claire, is keeping secrets of her own, forcing Monica to question the foundation of their relationship.
Monica uncovers sexual innuendo and layers of international intrigue, then deadly forces come after her in the form of a Ukrainian thug who will stop at nothing to get what he wants and two suspicious federal agents who put the squeeze on her. Stuck between an unrelenting judge and a killer in a pink cardigan, Monica pursues the truth in court while fighting to keep Shelby and herself out of harm's way.
★★★★★ “Among legal thrillers, Standby Counsel excels in its depth of characterization. The chapters devoted to Monica’s romantic life are no less gripping than those devoted to the primary plot. While Standby Counsel is the second book in the Monica Spade Series, it’s a perfect entry point for new fans. Highly recommended.” BestThrillers.com
★★★★★ "This is one action-packed, keeps you guessing, can't put it down, legal thriller! Alexi Venice knows how to write engaging and complex courtroom dramas. Standby Counsel is an exceptional tale of crime, drama and romance. Venice leaves her readers captivated till the very end!" -5 Stars-Goodreads-The Lesbian Book Blog
★★★★★ I loved this book…The drama, intrigue and courtroom suspense are off the chart. Like the first book it’s also peppered with romance and not an inconsiderate amount of humour. I hope there will be much more of Monica Spade to come. Goodreads Reviewer - United Kingdom
★★★★★ "I love a good courtroom drama, but this is a great courtroom drama! In fact, there is some intense drama outside the courtroom that will keep you involved and wanting to know what happens next, too." -5 Stars Goodreads Reviewer
★★★★★ "Read this book - I believe you will be very happy you did. And by the end of this book, I think you'll be very attached to Monica Spade!!" -5 Stars Goodreads Reviewer
standby counsel wins the 2020 lesfic bard award in mystery
★★★★★ Lesfic Bard Awards
"ALEXI VENICE is the 2020 Lesfic Bard Awards winner in the category MYSTERY for her novel Standby Counsel. The Lesfic Bard Awards were created to celebrate Lesbian literature and award authors for excellence in writing and storytelling."
Monica spade Book #3
A standalone Crime Thriller with thrills, chills, and an HEA
★★★★★ "A highly original LGBTQ+ crime thriller with eye-popping doses of murder, mystery and romance. Highly recommended this mashup of crime thriller and lesbian romance." BestThrillers.com
Recharged from a romantic spring break, Attorney Monica Spade is hired to represent a plastic surgeon whose patients are being murdered and spray-painted with a sinister message.
An impending deadline forces Monica to take matters into her own hands while closing her law firm during a pandemic. She dives into the serial murder case, dissecting clues from surgeries, chasing down leads from smarmy nightclubs, and drawing criticism from the police for interfering.
In her personal life, Monica discovers her fiancée, Shelby St. Claire, hanging out with a former flame, Coco Rivelli, the yogi sensation. Can Monica keep a lid on her hot temper when provoked by Coco?
Fighting for life and love during a pandemic, Monica transforms her legal practice into an action-packed, killer ride through the lake country north of Apple Grove, Wisconsin.
★★★★★ “This is one heart-thumping, page-turning suspense thriller no dramatic crime mystery enthusiast will want to miss. Make room on your shelf for this one. The Monica Spade novels are one exciting series; I can’t get enough!” The Lesbian Book Blog
★★★★★ “I loved this book. Ms. Venice does a wonderful job with her characters, they are so believable, I expect them to jump off the page. I got drawn into the story early and I couldn't put it down!” Goodreads Reviewer 06-17-21
★★★★★ "Excellent thriller. The lawyer turned sleuth MC is a perfect mixture of action and cool-headed intellect. I definitely recommend all three books in this series. And I hope the author intends to continue this series!” Amazon Review 07-02-21
★★★★★ “Great read with suspense and romance!! When’s the next Monica Spade novel due to be released?!?! I can’t wait to read the next one!!” Goodreads 07-07-21
★★★★★ “I loved this! Monica is a likable and relatable protagonist and I just loved how the author made me really walk in her shoes from beginning to heart-stopping end. The murder mystery builds quickly as the real-life events of the pandemic surround the investigation and complicate things in a way that really resonated. My favorite are the bits of wry humor littered throughout the story. It keeps the tough subject from getting too dark. The mystery really kept me guessing until the end! 10/10 recommend!” Amazon 07-07-21
