Her First Gamble

“The answer lies somewhere in it. My gut told me there was more to the story. I’ve always prided myself on being able to read people,” writes Mary Vassallo Slinkard in her debut suspense novel Her Final Gamble. The book, a legal thriller set in Philadelphia’s elite suburbs, explores secrets, betrayal, and intrigue through the eyes of protagonist Jacqueline Stone. An attorney and author, Mary Vassallo Slinkard serves as a unique example of how skills developed in one field can powerfully shape success in another. After all, Mary V. Slinkard brings more than 20 years of legal experience to her work as both a commercial litigation attorney and a novelist. She previously served as a partner at Kleinbard LLC in Philadelphia and later as general Counsel for Northeast Cardiology Consultants. In many ways, Slinkard’s own journey reflects the premise of her own work: an intelligent woman trusts her instincts enough to leave one field behind and pursue her dream in another.

Jacqueline Stone is a brilliant criminal defense attorney battling personal demons and epilepsy after a tragic car accident kills her husband and son. Exiled from her firm, she risks her career to defend Ryan Mitchell, navigating a web of high society secrets and a traumatized child witness to final redemption. Though Jacqueline’s struggles unfold on the page, the character herself is deeply rooted in Slinkard’s own experience as a woman lawyer. Mary Slinkard created Jacqueline Stone as an outlet for her frustrations, and the character serves as a manifestation of her own personal journaling and reflection. Slinkard stated, “I wanted to be Jacqueline Stone, she was the portrait of a good female lawyer.” According to Slinkard, “People always have an image of this huge guy who they want to defend them. Many people do not want a small, petite woman. It was sometimes difficult to convince clients that you were capable and extremely effective.” Ultimately, the catalyst for her novel was her first evaluation as a young lawyer. According to Slinkard, “When I went in for my first evaluation, I was thinking, ‘I am going to get a glowing evaluation.’ However, the partner, an older gentleman, looked at me and said, ‘You smile too much.’ That was when I came up with Jacqueline Stone.”

Slinkard was initially inspired to pursue a career in law by a politician named Gary Hart. Mainly, she was moved by his emphasis on civic responsibility and his message that community involvement can strengthen and uplift a society. Initially, Slinkard was enrolled at Boston College to become a doctor but heard Hart speak and left the talk with a vision to change the world. Slinkard practiced law for about 15 years, and after she had her third child, she stopped working. According to Slinkard, “I loved law, but I wanted to change the world. The whole time I was working, I loved to read mystery books, so then I started to dabble in writing.” Thus, writing a book served as a way for her to transition from using her law degree in a traditional fashion to using her law degree in a more unconventional nature.The book served as Slinkard’s “Covid-project,” and she found a traditional publisher to put her book into circulation. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from the book is being donated to the Epilepsy Foundation, for, when she was about 30-years-old, Mary herself discovered that she was epileptic. During her interview, Slinkard reflected, “What I have learned is that people with epilepsy don’t really like to talk about it. It was really important to me to depict a woman with epilepsy because a lot of people suffer from it in silence.” In the future, fans of Slinkard’s book can expect a second novel, centering on character Jack’s backstory. Fans can also expect Her Final Gamble to be adapted to the screen.

At the end of her interview, upon being asked what words of wisdom she could impart on any readers of her novel or followers of her work, Slinkard stated, “What happens to Jacqueline is that she learns to trust herself again. Everything that happens to you happens for a reason and you have to trust yourself that you can do better and get through it and by listening to yourself you can solve any problem.”