“The Mediator” by Robert Bailey

The stakes in a rogue divorce mediation couldn’t be higher—life and death for both the shaky mediator fresh out of rehab and the desperate husband who has never confronted an ethical line he will not cross. With that set-up, award-winning, best-selling Alabama attorney Robert Bailey is back with a new one, The Mediator (Max Ringo, Book One) (Thomas & Mercer 2026). It’s another engaging, riveting, fast-paced legal thriller with Bailey’s trademark surprise twist at the end. Yet this time, he offers something different from his prior legal thrillers—a female lawyer protagonist and mediation instead of litigation.

Bailey’s novels have sold more than a million copies, and it is easy to see why as one avidly turns the pages in The Mediator, waiting to see what happens next. But as with his other books, it’s not just the plots, furiously fast-paced and suspenseful as they are, but also the characters that drive the story and give the novels their power and zing. The edgy, flawed protagonist, Max Ringo, and the ruthless, manipulative antagonist, Perry Strassburg, are not just worthy adversaries but fascinating character studies. Both are driven and equally determined, but their goals differ immensely. Perry wants unimaginable riches and power while Max wants to redeem herself in the face of her past shame.

Max, once a top litigator in a prestigious Huntsville, Alabama, law firm, is on the comeback trail as a mediator after a long stint in rehab. While at the top of her game, a serious automobile accident put her in the hospital with severe and agonizing injuries. By the time she left the hospital, she was addicted to the prescribed oxycodone. Her life as an addict unraveled rapidly: her marriage failed, her only son lost respect for her, and her law firm kicked her out. Now, just months out of rehab, she lands a prime mediation job, courtesy of a judge who used to be a close friend. Her task as the mediator is to bring about a settlement between Perry and his wife, Stephanie. Perry is a powerful, unethical lawyer who wants 100 percent of a family corporation he shares ownership of with Stephanie and her father, Dagger Richardson. Perry will do anything to achieve this result as he needs absolute control of the company for nefarious reasons.

Bailey does what Bailey does so very well in his prior books as he quickly stacks the deck against Max, increasing the tension with every page. She’s trying hard to regain her former toughness, for sure, but how tough she truly is remains to be seen. When her teenage son is kidnapped, her world narrows to a single focus: saving him. But his safety is tied to the divorce mediation. The ransom demand for the teen’s life is that Max settle the case by giving Perry gets control of the company. Yet Stephanie resists because her father, Dagger—himself a ruthless lawyer and businessman with hidden agendas—stands firm against letting Perry ever gain control. Stephanie has her own devastating secret, and Max is pulled and pushed between the secrets and the power struggles while, behind it all, unbeknownst to her, someone else is pulling strings. Meanwhile, Max’s kidnapped son is tied in a barn and facing a medical crisis.

Jason Rich, a character that Bailey brought to full literary life in the legal thrillers Rich Blood, Rich Waters, and Rich Justice, appears in the novel as Max’s rehab mentor and counselor and a cautious friend. Jason introduces her to a former military operative who stands ready to help, albeit in wholly unorthodox ways—ways that could further endanger Max and her son.

The book offers an insider’s look at the process of mediation, which differs from a trial in that the goal is a settlement both parties agree to rather than a jury verdict. The mediator’s role is developed and explained in the book in ways that enrich the plot and never bog it down. Bailey knows the legal world, and he conveys the inherent tensions with accuracy and authenticity in fascinating detail. One will finish reading The Mediator not only fully entertained, but also educated.

As he has done so well in prior novels, Bailey adds a final twist in The Mediator. Just when readers exhale and think it’s over—it is not. This surprise last chapter creates a whole new wave of suspense and cries out for a sequel. One can hope Bailey is already hard at work drafting the next book in the Max Ringo series. For the many legions of Bob Bailey fans, reading The Mediator is a delightful no-brainer. For those who have yet to discover him, what are you waiting for? Dive right in.

Robert Bailey

Bailey is a Wall Street Journal best-selling author and a trial attorney who lives in Huntsville, Alabama, with his wife and three children.