State V. Lassister by Paul Levine

In my review of Lassiter I described him as a pseudo-loser tough guy attorney, ex-pro-football player, loose cannon protagonist with the attitude of a rabid pit-bull.  I can’t say that I have changed my mind.  Lassiter has gone soft, has gotten a hot banker babe and is specializing in real estate.  Then the money hits the fan and everyone is sight is covered with excrement. 

Levine does a masterful job presenting Lassiter as a clueless jock who picks up on things slowly but surely.  Jake Lassiter’s sense of fair play and forgiveness is more than I could stomach.  I’m afraid if some of the things done to Jake had been done to me, I would be less forgiving.  Of course without his wily endurance and strength, I would have been dead after the first beating so it is truly a ridiculous comparison but… I’m the one writing the recommendation so I have “artistic licentious ” or in my case I like to “pun”ish my readers.   

Lassiter is likeable and a character that stands tall like Jack Reacher, Travis McGee or Spencer.   Levine’s only problem is he isn’t prolific enough.  I want more Lassiter!

Levine does show a very cynical view of the justice system.  His plot is intricate but not confusing.  He moves the story at a good pace.  In short, I like the way he writes, I like his characters and I like the morality shown by the good guys.   

I highly recommend the book.   

Web Site:  http://www.paul-levine.com/content/index.asp

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Lassiter by Paul Levine

A pseudo-loser tough guy attorney is a mouth full but if you add ex-pro-football player you have an apt description of this loose cannon protagonist with the attitude of a rabid pit-bull. Lassiter defends the unsavory, unwashed and unwanted with an unorthodox style that leaves him on the razor edge of disbarment in this mystery that reeks or the underbelly of south Florida and the porn industry.

Paul Levine does a masterful job in crafting a likeable character in Jake Lassiter. He humanizes him by carefully including his faults and then he highlights the man’s innate goodness. Familial patterns had little to do with creating this craggy Don Quitoic aging athlete. You find yourself wiping the sweat off your brow in the hot Florida sunshine so image invoking is Levine’s writing. Once again I am mystified that I was unaware of this author.

I liked the plot, the intricately woven web of deceit and betrayal that leaves a lingering odor of grimy back rooms and slimy ne’er-do-wells populating the silicon pumped porn industry. Levine succeeds in keeping your interest high with both morality and action in unlikely scenarios and characters. I can’t guess if you will be educated but you will most definitely be entertained with this book.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Paul Levine

Web Site: http://www.paul-levine.com/content/index.asp

Outrage by Robert K. Tanenbaum

It is always a treat to “discover” a new author. Sad but true with 20 plus books to his credit, Tanenbaum is hardly new but he is new to me. Described as a legal thriller, this book had good cops and robbers mystery aspects with some refreshing social commentary.

Butch Karp and his wife, Marlene are reoccurring characters in Tanenbaum’s books. Note this book stands alone quite well and there is no need to have read any preceding to catch up to the story. I suspect if you enjoy it as much as I did you will track down more of his books but that is another story.

I liked the shoot’em up parts as well as the defense of the defenseless but I most enjoyed the family dynamics of the Karp clan. I think the twins demonstrated a much needed example of how hard it is to buck the system.

I highly recommend the book, I enjoyed it.

Body of work of Robert K. Tanenbaum

Web site: http://www.openroadmedia.com/authors/robert-k-tanenbaum.aspx

Under Fire by Margaret McLean

A superb courtroom drama with volatile emotional context is the theme of this book.

Sarah Lynch is an attorney is not practicing law, she is playing hockey.   As  this book takes place in Boston, her career change is not seen as terribly radical.   She had a bad experience that is alluded to but never explained.   Her eccentric Uncle Buddy Clancy, worried over her state of mind, entices her to the dark side, that of defending an accused criminal rather than the prosecution side she once practiced. 

Buddy Clancy would top the list of interesting people anyone has encountered.   He and his golden retriever, Rehnquist, both sport bow ties and both have a sweet tooth.   The case is fraught with current topics and undertones of intolerance.   The accused is a African Muslim who is regarded by the community as an “Arab” in the worse sense.   She is accused of killing a fireman who was attempting to rescue her from her burning store.

The plot is complicated and believable.   The current emotional attitude toward anyone different, particularly any one that can be considered related to terrorism, weighs heavily on all of the characters.   Greed, redevelopment and the pedestal fireman now occupy fill out the emotional provocative aspects of the book.

This was a very good book and an outstanding courtroom drama. 

I highly recommend it.

Body of  work of Margaret McLean </a>

Web Site: http://www.margaretmclean.com/

The Reversal by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch is a minor but important player in this book. Mickey Haller of the Lincoln Lawyer is the main character. A convicted killer is appealing his conviction and Mickey Hailer crosses over to the dark side to prosecute his re-trial.

Mickey is a likeable character who has emotional difficulty going from his white knight defender role to his dark side (his feeling) acting as a temporary prosecutor.

As always Connelly does a nice job setting the stage. Bosch is still a hero who is hard to like. Prickly but passionate in his love of his daughter is one of his few redeeming characteristics. Mickey’s inability to maintain a stable relationship is balanced by his love for his daughter. As half brothers, Mickey and Harry show normal sibling conflict. The story is convoluted enough to maintain your interest and tense enough to defy you to put it down. Another winning read from Michael Connelly.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Michael Connelly

Web Site: http://www.michaelconnelly.com/

He Who Sings Last by Lisa Laird Dirosso

A seedy crooner down on his luck is accused of murder. The story revolves around those who knew him when and those who know him now. The cop, the witnesses, the obsessed fan and trial feature a wide variety of characters and situations.

The book was laid out logically. You meet Jimmy Covelli and before you can find any sympathy for his character you find yourself despising him. John Vintoni, the cop, seems as obsessed with Jimmy Covelli as Miranda the obsessed fan. There were enough twists and turns in the plot to satisfy most mystery fans.

Murders abound in this book, every time you turn around you discover someone else was murdered, an interesting mystery and the first in a series.

Body of work of Lisa Laird Dirosso

Review: http://fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-on-tuesday-he-who-sings-last-by.html

Web site: none found