After juggling a decades-long career in law with family life, Dan Buzzetta found himself returning to the manuscript he had left dormant since the ’90s, transforming it into The Manipulator, the first instalment in his gripping Tom Berte Legal Thriller series.
Now, with the release of The Winter Verdict, the second entry in the series, Dan dives deeper into a world of legal intrigue, conspiracy, and high-stakes tension—drawing on over thirty years of real-life experience as a commercial litigation attorney. We here at What We Reading sat down with Dan to talk through the inspiration behind his writing, the discipline it takes to write alongside a full-time career, and what he hopes readers take away from his work.
Thanks for speaking with us, Dan! First off, tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to the world of writing.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you. First and foremost, I’m a husband, married for twenty-six years to my bride, Justine, and a dad to three wonderful children, ages 24 (second year medical student), 22 (college senior), and a soon-to-be 17 year-old high school junior. I’m a partner at a large law firm where I specialize in commercial (business) litigation cases and have been practicing law for 32 years. I also serve as an elected official on the governing body of my hometown in New Jersey, and I’m also a volunteer firefighter.
I’ve always loved books and story-telling. In 1992, during the summer between my first and second years of law school, I wrote the first three chapters of a novel that combined two greatest interests (at the time): the law and organized crime. Those three chapters then sat for almost 30 years while life took over – career, marriage, family. In 2020, when the covid-19 pandemic was gripping the world, I dusted off my old manuscript and spent the next year or so writing what became my first novel, The Manipulator, the first book in the Tom Berte Legal Thriller Series, published in 2025. The second book in the series, The Winter Verdict, was published in 2026.
Talk to us about In The Winter Verdict. What’s it about, and how was the process of writing it?
The Winter Verdict picks up five years after the end of The Manipulator. Tom Berte has left his job as second-in-command at the Department of Justice, and moved to Castle Ridge with his family to restart his career as a small-time country lawyer, where most mornings begin skiing down the groomed trails of Castle Ridge Ski resort. But when a brutal attack leaves him fighting for his life, his bucolic new life is turned upside down. Tom and his family find themselves at the epicenter of an unfolding conspiracy and a ruthless plot that could endanger millions and stretches from the ski resort to a desert compound on the other side of the world.
With his wife and daughter’s lives hanging in the balance, Tom must navigate a treacherous path of legal intrigue, corporate espionage, and looming revenge.
It took me about a year to write The Winter Verdict – while also practicing law full time. Most weekdays I wrote very early in the morning, before my work day began, and I also wrote on weekend mornings until about 11 am when I called it quits and devoted myself entirely to my family.
What is the number one goal you want your work to have with readers?
Enjoyment, pure and simple. I recognize my books won’t lead to world peace breaking out and they won’t solve the world’s problems, but if they provide a few hours of respite from day-to-day challenges people face and provide some enjoyment, I’ve done my job.
What do you think makes you stand out as an author?
I’d like to think that because I’ve been a practicing attorney for more than thirty-years, my books contain a level of verisimilitude – or the ring of authenticity and believability regarding some of the legal procedures I write about.
What would you say has been your biggest success so far?
Actually, just becoming a published author. I endured countless rejections spanning over a year just finding an agent to represent me and then, after landing an agent, even more rejections from publishers. Being a published author is a dream come true I never thought I’d achieve.
If you could go back in time to one book you read for the first time, what would it be and why?
The Great Gatsby in sixth grade. I loved the imagery and symbolism in that book and it led me to dream that I, too, could be an author.
What’s one tip you would give your younger self if you had the opportunity?
Slow down and smell the roses. I was always so determined and anxious to get ahead when I was younger that I seldomly enjoyed the ride. I’m enjoying the ride more now.
And finally, what do you hope the future holds for you and your writing?
I would love for the Tom Berte Legal Thriller series to be made into a motion picture or a made-for-tv series. I think audiences would enjoy seeing the character I write about brought to life.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
