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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
I really like all his books, like the exploration of how we try terrorists in this modern age.
I hugely enjoyed this book, but I’ve foolishly dipped into the series at a place far from the beginning. I’ll do some serious back filling.
A terrorist, a black leader of a mosque in Harlem, is about to be quietly transported out of the U.S. by federal authorities. But a legal technicality enables New York County to prevent the transfer and charge the man with the murder of a woman who had been a member of his mosque.
District Attorney Roger (Butch) Karp will prosecute the man. His attorney is a memorable character—a white woman who insists that she is the defender of oppressed black men and women. She is almost a caricature, so loud and over the top is she with her criticisms and courtroom antics.
As the book begins, a shadowy figure is cleaning up a mess for a powerful political figure. It seems that he has strangled a young call girl. It was not his intention to kill her, but apparently she liked her sex kinky and high risk. Now the shadowy figure known only as “the fixer” must both dispose of the body and prevent anyone from learning the secret about her death. That’s harder than it looks, since the girl is the offspring of wealthy well-connected parents. The call girl killer gets some reprieve, since the fixer makes it look as if the girl voluntarily left the country and met with an ill end.
But what about the woman who runs the high-priced escort service? She knows that her employee didn’t leave the country voluntarily if at all, and she’s worried for her own life.
Every day when Butch Karp goes to work, he buys a paper from Dirty Warren, a guy with Tourette’s who runs a newsstand. Warren grew up with the woman who runs the high-priced escort service. He has carried a torch for her since their high-school days, since she was always kind to him, and they shared a love of movies.
As the terrorist trial heats up, Butch has little time for his newsstand friend, Warren, with whom he trades movie trivia quotes. But when the escort service owner is murdered and Warren is accused of the killing, Butch and his wife Marlene Ciampi have to get involved, especially Marlene, who becomes his lawyer.
I would say those who lean left of center in their politics will find Butch Karp less-than enchanting. He’s a true-blue John Wayne fan who believes in American exceptionalism and seems to strongly identify with conservative values.
I found it difficult to believe that New York county would have working for it a district attorney who is somewhat conservative. I suppose it’s not an impossibility, but it just felt a little incongruous. That said, this plot has much to offer. For me, it was a can’t-put-this-down kind of book. It moves fast and keeps you involved. There’s some rough language, and there’s a torture scene that will disturb you and turn your stomach no matter how sophisticated or jaded you may be about such things. Still, it’s a plot that is riveting and entertaining. I’ve no doubt it would have helped had I read this series in order, but dipping into it as I did isn’t a deal breaker.
A terrorist, a black leader of a mosque in Harlem, is about to be quietly transported out of the U.S. by federal authorities. But a legal technicality enables New York County to prevent the transfer and charge the man with the murder of a woman who had been a member of his mosque.
District Attorney Roger (Butch) Karp will prosecute the man. His attorney is a memorable character—a white woman who insists that she is the defender of oppressed black men and women. She is almost a caricature, so loud and over the top is she with her criticisms and courtroom antics.
As the book begins, a shadowy figure is cleaning up a mess for a powerful political figure. It seems that he has strangled a young call girl. It was not his intention to kill her, but apparently she liked her sex kinky and high risk. Now the shadowy figure known only as “the fixer” must both dispose of the body and prevent anyone from learning the secret about her death. That’s harder than it looks, since the girl is the offspring of wealthy well-connected parents. The call girl killer gets some reprieve, since the fixer makes it look as if the girl voluntarily left the country and met with an ill end.
But what about the woman who runs the high-priced escort service? She knows that her employee didn’t leave the country voluntarily if at all, and she’s worried for her own life.
Every day when Butch Karp goes to work, he buys a paper from Dirty Warren, a guy with Tourette’s who runs a newsstand. Warren grew up with the woman who runs the high-priced escort service. He has carried a torch for her since their high-school days, since she was always kind to him, and they shared a love of movies.
As the terrorist trial heats up, Butch has little time for his newsstand friend, Warren, with whom he trades movie trivia quotes. But when the escort service owner is murdered and Warren is accused of the killing, Butch and his wife Marlene Ciampi have to get involved, especially Marlene, who becomes his lawyer.
I would say those who lean left of center in their politics will find Butch Karp less-than enchanting. He’s a true-blue John Wayne fan who believes in American exceptionalism and seems to strongly identify with conservative values.
I found it difficult to believe that New York county would have working for it a district attorney who is somewhat conservative. I suppose it’s not an impossibility, but it just felt a little incongruous. That said, this plot has much to offer. For me, it was a can’t-put-this-down kind of book. It moves fast and keeps you involved. There’s some rough language, and there’s a torture scene that will disturb you and turn your stomach no matter how sophisticated or jaded you may be about such things. Still, it’s a plot that is riveting and entertaining. I’ve no doubt it would have helped had I read this series in order, but dipping into it as I did isn’t a deal breaker.
Say what you will about Robert Tanenbaum and hyperbole aside, the stories he tells are wildly entertaining. Butch Karp and Marlene Ciampi should both be wearing red, white and blue tights, flying through the air to the tune of "Look, up in the air, it's a bird...." This time around, Butch, in his capacity as District Attorney for Manhattan, is trying an alleged Islamic terrorist and Marlene is working to save their friend, Warren Bennet, better known as Dirty Warren because of his Tourette's twitches and foul-mouthed outbursts. No one is more steely-jawed than Butch and Marlene is such a cute sexpot who is lethal with her guns. The only question is always how many bodies will fall before truth, justice and the American way prevail. No ambiguities involved, one has to side with the Karp-Ciampis. Always entertaining and simple to understand.