T.L. Bequette is a criminal defense attorney with degrees from The University of the Pacific and Georgetown Law School. He serves annually on faculty of the Stanford Law School Trial Advocacy Clinic.  Located in Oakland, California, most of his practice involves defending Oakland youths accused of murder. His writing is fueled by the criminal justice system’s need for reform and two decades of defending America’s youth on the front lines. Bequette’s writing is inspired by his time in the courtroom where he has tried more than 20 murder cases. His skill in delivering closing arguments and presenting the stories of his clients to the jury make him a master storyteller. “Good Lookin’” is his debut novel and weaves his expertise from the courtroom into the pages of a thrilling mystery. “Good Lookin’: A Joe Turner Mystery” will be out on May 24th, 2021 and is written from the protagonist’s first-person perspective and will hook readers with its storyline, authenticity, and unexpected twists and turns. It is available for pre-order in paperback and digital formats on Amazon. (Black Château, 2021)

“Good Lookin’” – From the gang-ravaged streets of inner-city Oakland to the rolling hills of Berkeley, California, attorney Joe Turner defends the most hardened criminals. Yet his latest case, representing Darnell Moore, a 19-year-old accused of a drive-by murder, seems impossible to unravel. Joe believes in his client’s innocence, but the defense is baffled by the snitch culture of the Oakland streets. Darnell refuses Joe’s pleas to name the actual shooter for fear of reprisal against his family.

A parallel story from twelve years ago follows the struggles of the identical twins Damon and Jesse, who suffer under the thumb of an abusive foster dad. The boys are forced to work, forage for food in dumpsters, and endure the random shoulder-punches of their beer-swilling guardian. They are reluctant to report the abuse for fear they will be separated, but eventually, retribution proves deadly. Over a decade later, the twins’ path crosses Darnell’s and the two tales merge into a rousing denouement of self-defense and vigilante justice.

At the heart of Bequette’s debut novel is a decade-old murder and a tangled web of family, loyalty, and devotion that has the trial hanging in the balance. “Good Lookin’,” the shorthand street term for “good lookin’ out,” examines the challenges of protecting a loved one in the snitch culture of the streets—all through the prism of the unique bond of twins.

“Good Lookin’” is a “zesty, addictive tale that incorporates plenty of criminal hijinks and courtroom melodrama and will satisfy fans of suspense novels and literary crime dramas.” – Kirkus Reviews