Book Review: Cheater’s Game by Paul Levine @Jake_Lassiter

Cheater’s Game
A Jake Lassiter Thriller #14
Paul Levine
Herald Square Publishing, April 2020
ISBN 978-1-7342510-0-5
Trade Paperback

The latest in Levine’s Jake Lassiter Thriller series finds Jake in what can only be called a “ripped from the headlines” situation.  Jake’s beloved nephew Kip whom Jake raised, has been working with a brilliant millionaire who has set up a program to help the children of rich parents get into universities that they would not otherwise qualify for under any circumstances.  Is this beginning to sound familiar?  Yes, the story is much like, though not the same as, the current scandal playing out in the federal district court in my hometown of Boston.

Kip, not unlike many other 20-year-old young people, believes he not only has come up with an infallible scheme that fits very well with that of his new mentor but that it’s not illegal and, in any case, his mentor will never give him up, as Jake did not give up his mentor when the FBI came calling.  Alas, it isn’t so.  When the FBI then approached Kip’s mentor and presented an offer he couldn’t refuse, he threw Kip under the bus.  So, now facing numerous federal crimes and the possibility of spending decades in prison, to whom does he turn?  Why to his uncle Jake, of course!  Now, Jake is a long-time criminal defense lawyer and a very good one.  But he is also a former football player who suffered many head injuries and has bouts of memory loss for which he is being treated with an experimental protocol by his fiancée, a neurologist.  That said there is a serious question about whether, as good as Jake is – or was – as a lawyer, is he up to defending Kip against the government’s 37 claims of racketeering, mail fraud, and money laundering, all supported by his mentor’s testimony against him?

The trial is as dramatic as anyone could possibly want.  I don’t know what the rest of the series is like, but I highly recommend this book and if the others are as good, you’re in for several very good reads.

Reviewed by Melinda Drew, April 2020.

Book Review: Fox is Framed by Lachlan Smith

Fox is Framed
A Leo Maxwell Mystery #3
Lachlan Smith
The Mysterious Press, April 2016
ISBN 978-0-8021-2504-0
Trade Paperback

In this, the third novel in the Leo Maxwell series, Leo’s older brother, Teddy, obtains a new trial for their father, Lawrence, who has served 21 years in San Quentin for the murder of his wife, Caroline.  The basis for the retrial was prosecutorial misconduct, the withholding of evidence from the defense.  In the second trial, it is never clearly explained by either the DA or the defense attorney if disclosure originally would have made any difference.  However, the new trial allows the author, a practicing attorney, to write a detailed and interesting description of the tactics and planning for a murder trial.

In the new trial, the DA introduces evidence of a “confession” made by Lawrence to a fellow inmate while incarcerated.  Soon, however, the snitch is found dead and the specter of Lawrence being charged for the murder looms over the trial.  While a brilliant attorney defends Lawrence in court, it remains for Leo to follow up on leads, both large and small.

To give the author his due, he graphically portrays the courtroom scenes realistically, showing how the judge rules with wisdom and fairness, as well as how an attorney goes about probing a witness.  He continues the high drama surrounding the Maxwell family found in the previous novels and lays the groundwork for the next addition to the series.  A very fast read, and one which is recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, April 2016.

Book Review: The Fall by John Lescroart

The Fall
John Lescroart
Atria Books, May 2015
ISBN: 978-1-476-70921-5
Hardcover

John Lescroart has written 25 previous novels, many of them with superb courtroom drama featuring Dismas Hardy.  This novel, however, highlights the introduction of his daughter, Becky, just two years out of law school, as the lead attorney in an unusual murder trial which ordinarily would test the talents of the equivalent of an F. Lee Bailey.

The atmosphere in San Francisco where the novel takes place is charged with public and political outcry after the trials of a series of perpetrators of criminal acts against black victims do not result in convictions or, even worse, not even an arrest, much less even finding a suspect.  So, when a 17-year-old black female is murdered, the police and DA rush to find a viable suspect and bring him to trial.  A chance meeting between Becky and Greg Treadway, later charged with the murder, leads to her representing him as his attorney.

Give “the Beck” (her nickname) credit for showing a great deal of legal expertise and just plain acumen far  beyond what one would expect from a neophyte attorney in a maiden trial, one for murder no less.  But then, she’s the offspring of Dismas Hardy.  Needless to say, the trial takes on a life of its own, giving the author the opportunity to exhibit some arcane legal principles.  More important, Mr. Lescroart once again demonstrates his ability to twist and turn the tables on the reader in a most unexpected way.  Although the book is interesting as a whole, it is especially recommended just for the unusual ending.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, March 2016.

Book Reviews: Twice a Spy by Keith Thomson, Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer, Did Not Finish by Simon Wood, The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly, and Mystery by Jonathan Kellerman

Twice a Spy
Keith Thomson
Doubleday, March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-385-53079-8
Hardcover

This sequel has more action packed between the covers than a fast-paced hockey game.  Charlie Clark and his father, Drummond [who suffers from the ups and downs of Alzheimer’s], find themselves in Geneva on the lam.  They fled the U.S. facing criminal charges and while in Switzerland, Drummond is being treated with an experimental drug, which seems to be helping reduce the effects of his disease..

All of which has little to do with events that ensue.  To begin with, Charlie’s lover, Alice, is kidnapped to force the Clarks to reveal where an atomic device is located, in return for her release.  Then the action gets underway at an unbelievable pace, vaulting Charlie into a whirlwind of activity to frustrate the bad guy but save his girlfriend.

The tale takes us from Europe to the Caribbean and various points in the U.S. from Langley to the Gulf Coast, with the Clarks fighting not only terrorists, but the CIA, Secret Service, and everyone in between. The plot moves at an incredibly rapid rate, if somewhat implausibly. Nevertheless, it’s an easy and entertaining read, and recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, July 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only Time Will Tell
Jeffrey Archer
St. Martin’s Press, September 2011
ISBN: 978-0-312-53955-9
Hardcover

This aptly titled novel is the prelude to a series entitled The Clifton Chronicles, covering the lives of several characters over the span of a century.  In the hands of the author, Jeffrey Archer, it follows the life of the main character, Harry Clifton, from his birth shortly after World War I to just short of WWII with more curves than a talented big league pitcher.

The story is told in succeeding chapters from the point of view of various persons, each contributing some insight into the questions raised in the last summation.  It takes Harry from a fatherless tot to a school truant to a talented choir singer and his education right up to his acceptance at Oxford.  Meanwhile his life becomes complicated as he grows up by virtue of his background:  the mystery of his father’s death, his mother’s struggles to support him, his questionable parentage.

No comment is necessary regarding Mr. Archer’s ability to write a solid story, and to end it in cliffhanger fashion so readers will look forward to the sequel.  It remains to be seen how ingenious he can be in the next book in the series.

Recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, July 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did Not Finish
Simon Wood
Crème de la Crime, September 2011
ISBN: 978-1-78029-007-2
Hardcover

The advice usually given to authors (and would-be authors) is to write what you know.  And that is just what ex-racecar driver Simon Wood has done.  He has written a mystery with motorsports as the theme; sort of a Dick Francis novel on wheels, if you will.

It all begins the night before a big race when a nine-time champion threatens to kill his rival, who is in the lead to capture the title.  When the rival actually is killed during the race under suspicious circumstances in a collision with the champion, Aidy Westlake undertakes to prove it was a case of murder.  Throughout all sorts of hardships and dangers, he doggedly continues his mission, until the plot inevitably takes a sharp turn.

Filled with loads of details on the racing scene and the people and equipment that make it possible, the novel moves spiritedly apace.  It is filled with suspense and startling revelations, and is recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, July 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Fifth Witness
Michael Connelly
Little, Brown, April 2011
ISBN: 978-0-316-06935-9
Hardcover

The saga of the Lincoln Lawyer, Mickey Haller, continues, following his previous appearance as a special prosecutor.  Times are hard and money scarce.  To scratch out a living, Mickey is now advertising in TV for clients facing foreclosure of their homes.  There is in this era no shortage of potential clients, and a thousand dollars here, a monthly payout there, and bills can be paid.

When one of his clients is arrested for the murder of a bank’s home loan officer, Mickey is once again a defense lawyer, giving the author to do what he does best: a dramatic courtroom story.  The drama is there, but a little bit of a potboiler, with the reader pretty much knowing not only the outcome of the trial but what follows.

Mickey, however, remains an interesting continuing character and we can be certain the sequel will take him into new territory once again. The author is excellent in constructing a plot that moves forward in a logical and careful manner, albeit with few surprises.  Written with aplomb and, to a degree, the flippancy necessary for Mickey’s personality, perhaps the next novel in the series will unveil more depth to the character. Make no mistake, however:  this one’s a good read, and recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, July 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mystery
Jonathan Kellerman
Ballantine, April 2011
ISBN: 978-0-345-50569-9
Hardcover

Sometimes the adage “the more things change, the more they stay the same,” refers to a good thing.  Certainly it applies to the Alex Delaware series.  For 25 novels, the basic plot has remained the same: a crime is committed and Dr. Delaware and Lt. Sturgis investigate, analyze, philosophize and eventually solve it.  This 26th story in the series is no different.

A beautiful young woman, obviously waiting for a “date,” first observed in a rundown hotel by Alex and his paramour Robin, is found later up in the Hollywood Hills shot in the face.  Sturgis invites Alex, by chance, to witness the scene, and the good doctor is able to identify the victim by the way she was dressed.  There is little in the way of clues or evidence, but that doesn’t stop them from researching and theorizing ad infinitum.

One would think that an author would tire of characters and plots after so many novels, but they remain fresh and interesting, readable and enjoyable.  So when’s the 27th?  It will undoubtedly be recommended as well.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, July 2011.

Book Reviews: Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein, Live Wire by Harlan Coben, Rizzo’s Fire by Lou Manfredo, Afraid of the Dark by James Grippando, and Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson

Silent Mercy
Linda Fairstein
Dutton, March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-525-95202-2
Hardcover

This deeply researched series highlighting New York landmarks featuring Alexandra Cooper and Mike Chapman takes the reader in a somewhat different direction from previous entries.  This time the author tackles religion, albeit in a non-controversial manner.

While New York continues to be the prime real estate, the murderer the duo is chasing has committed the same crime in other states, ending up on Cape Cod.  But various religious institutions set the stage for the chase as the culprit leaves his victims on display at various churches, apparently making a statement.  And Alex and Mike visit a couple of leading teaching institutions undergoing a crash course in various religions and beliefs in an effort to learn what the murderer is attempting to say.

As usual, the reader learns a lot about the streets and history of New York City, always an important part of reading a novel in the series. But equally important is the tightly written mystery and analytical approach to solving it.  This author’s books are always a delight to read and this newest one, as all her prior novels, is recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, May 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Live Wire
Harlan Coben
Dutton, March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-525-95206-0
Hardcover

To paraphrase the Bard: “The mistakes that men make live long after them.”  This thesis governs the plot of this latest Myron Bolitar novel. Except the errors Myron made were the result of deceptions or lies by others.  So what lesson is to be learned?

While there might be a reason to summarize the tale, it ain’t gonna happen here.  The story has been told by others and I see no reason to waste time repeating.  Needless to say, Myron (and his sidekick, Win) find themselves in another messy situation and have to fight their way out with all kinds of wiles and force.  The tale begins many years earlier when Myron and his younger brother, Brad, have a falling out and Brad and his wife disappear from the Bolitars’ lives, traveling and working out of the country.  Now, 16 years later, Myron’s father has a heart attack and asks Myron to find Brad.

The plea leads to various complications, and the author, with his accustomed plot twists, allows the reader to wend his or her way through a series of unrelated side plots until a graphic finale.  The story moves swiftly, and as is customary the wisecracking Myron and enigmatic Win adorn the pages.  Recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, May 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rizzo’s Fire
Lou Manfredo
Minotaur Books, March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-312-53806-4
Hardcover

There are many police procedurals, but few on the down and dirty street level of veteran detective Joe Rizzo, who has been around long enough to have collected all sorts of favors, seen most of everything possible in Brooklyn and developed his own set of standards, ignoring, often, “the book” but solving “the crime.”

After wandering around for the first part of the novel, in which the characters are established and Rizzo’s new, black, gay, female partner is introduced, and some amusing situations set the stage, the detectives catch a murder of an old recluse.  At first blush, it appears to be a break-in, but nothing seems to be missing.  Meanwhile, across the river in Manhattan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright is also murdered.  The MO’s are similar, and the investigation progresses, as Rizzo puts it, by him following his nose.

This entertaining, but serious, book is the second in the series. Rizzo is depicted as a wise-cracking, street-wise cop, but he is very human. Throughout the novel, he faces torment when his youngest daughter decides to join “the cops.”  He is convinced it is a wrong choice for her, but is he man enough to stand by her decision?  The book is well-written and enjoyable, and recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, June 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Afraid of the Dark
James Grippando
Harper, March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-061-84028-9
Hardcover

Contemporary themes are a trademark of a James Grippando novel, and this one is no exception.  It boasts at leas two:  Guantanamo, and data mining, the collection and sale of personal information over the internet.  How these two topics intertwine form the basis of the plot, which is kind of unusual for the Jack Swyteck series, which usually revolves around his defense attorney law practice.

Instead, it begins with Swyteck defending a Gitmo detainee and obtaining his release, only to see the ex-prisoner arrested for murder.  Then Jack becomes involved in investigating not only the murder of his client, but several others as well, while side topics involving pornography, black interrogation centers operated overseas by private CIA contractors, and an undercover FBI operation in which Jack’s fiancée is acting as an undercover agent complicate matters.

Pardon the pun, but it is a gripping tale, full of suspense and twisted characters.  The plot gets a little complicated from time to time, but in the end it all logically comes together, and is recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, June 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Started Early, Took My Dog
Kate Atkinson
Little, Brown, March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-316-06673-0
Hardcover

Be forewarned:  This is not an easy book to read.  It has a complicated plot, filled with a wide assortment of characters, and jumps back and forth both in time and between circumstances.  It flits episodically so that this reader, at least, became confused more than once.  It was work to read, despite some excellent prose.

The main story involves Tracy Waterhouse, a zaftig ex-cop, now chief of security at a mall, who on a whim buys a young girl from a dope-addicted prostitute, and Jackson Brodie, now a PI who is pursuing the quest of a New Zealand woman to find her birth parents, or information about them (she, obviously, was adopted).  Then there are all kinds of other individuals who come and go, and eventually play a part in the mystery, as the story twists and turns.

If you have the stamina and patience to tackle the book, reading and rereading passages, paragraphs and whole sections, as I had to, it is a worthwhile endeavor.  But be prepared.  With this caveat, the novel is recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, June 2011.

Book Reviews: Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein, Live Wire by Harlan Coben, Rizzo's Fire by Lou Manfredo, Afraid of the Dark by James Grippando, and Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson

Silent Mercy
Linda Fairstein
Dutton, March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-525-95202-2
Hardcover

This deeply researched series highlighting New York landmarks featuring Alexandra Cooper and Mike Chapman takes the reader in a somewhat different direction from previous entries.  This time the author tackles religion, albeit in a non-controversial manner.

While New York continues to be the prime real estate, the murderer the duo is chasing has committed the same crime in other states, ending up on Cape Cod.  But various religious institutions set the stage for the chase as the culprit leaves his victims on display at various churches, apparently making a statement.  And Alex and Mike visit a couple of leading teaching institutions undergoing a crash course in various religions and beliefs in an effort to learn what the murderer is attempting to say.

As usual, the reader learns a lot about the streets and history of New York City, always an important part of reading a novel in the series. But equally important is the tightly written mystery and analytical approach to solving it.  This author’s books are always a delight to read and this newest one, as all her prior novels, is recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, May 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Live Wire
Harlan Coben
Dutton, March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-525-95206-0
Hardcover

To paraphrase the Bard: “The mistakes that men make live long after them.”  This thesis governs the plot of this latest Myron Bolitar novel. Except the errors Myron made were the result of deceptions or lies by others.  So what lesson is to be learned?

While there might be a reason to summarize the tale, it ain’t gonna happen here.  The story has been told by others and I see no reason to waste time repeating.  Needless to say, Myron (and his sidekick, Win) find themselves in another messy situation and have to fight their way out with all kinds of wiles and force.  The tale begins many years earlier when Myron and his younger brother, Brad, have a falling out and Brad and his wife disappear from the Bolitars’ lives, traveling and working out of the country.  Now, 16 years later, Myron’s father has a heart attack and asks Myron to find Brad.

The plea leads to various complications, and the author, with his accustomed plot twists, allows the reader to wend his or her way through a series of unrelated side plots until a graphic finale.  The story moves swiftly, and as is customary the wisecracking Myron and enigmatic Win adorn the pages.  Recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, May 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rizzo’s Fire
Lou Manfredo
Minotaur Books, March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-312-53806-4
Hardcover

There are many police procedurals, but few on the down and dirty street level of veteran detective Joe Rizzo, who has been around long enough to have collected all sorts of favors, seen most of everything possible in Brooklyn and developed his own set of standards, ignoring, often, “the book” but solving “the crime.”

After wandering around for the first part of the novel, in which the characters are established and Rizzo’s new, black, gay, female partner is introduced, and some amusing situations set the stage, the detectives catch a murder of an old recluse.  At first blush, it appears to be a break-in, but nothing seems to be missing.  Meanwhile, across the river in Manhattan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright is also murdered.  The MO’s are similar, and the investigation progresses, as Rizzo puts it, by him following his nose.

This entertaining, but serious, book is the second in the series. Rizzo is depicted as a wise-cracking, street-wise cop, but he is very human. Throughout the novel, he faces torment when his youngest daughter decides to join “the cops.”  He is convinced it is a wrong choice for her, but is he man enough to stand by her decision?  The book is well-written and enjoyable, and recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, June 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Afraid of the Dark
James Grippando
Harper, March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-061-84028-9
Hardcover

Contemporary themes are a trademark of a James Grippando novel, and this one is no exception.  It boasts at leas two:  Guantanamo, and data mining, the collection and sale of personal information over the internet.  How these two topics intertwine form the basis of the plot, which is kind of unusual for the Jack Swyteck series, which usually revolves around his defense attorney law practice.

Instead, it begins with Swyteck defending a Gitmo detainee and obtaining his release, only to see the ex-prisoner arrested for murder.  Then Jack becomes involved in investigating not only the murder of his client, but several others as well, while side topics involving pornography, black interrogation centers operated overseas by private CIA contractors, and an undercover FBI operation in which Jack’s fiancée is acting as an undercover agent complicate matters.

Pardon the pun, but it is a gripping tale, full of suspense and twisted characters.  The plot gets a little complicated from time to time, but in the end it all logically comes together, and is recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, June 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Started Early, Took My Dog
Kate Atkinson
Little, Brown, March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-316-06673-0
Hardcover

Be forewarned:  This is not an easy book to read.  It has a complicated plot, filled with a wide assortment of characters, and jumps back and forth both in time and between circumstances.  It flits episodically so that this reader, at least, became confused more than once.  It was work to read, despite some excellent prose.

The main story involves Tracy Waterhouse, a zaftig ex-cop, now chief of security at a mall, who on a whim buys a young girl from a dope-addicted prostitute, and Jackson Brodie, now a PI who is pursuing the quest of a New Zealand woman to find her birth parents, or information about them (she, obviously, was adopted).  Then there are all kinds of other individuals who come and go, and eventually play a part in the mystery, as the story twists and turns.

If you have the stamina and patience to tackle the book, reading and rereading passages, paragraphs and whole sections, as I had to, it is a worthwhile endeavor.  But be prepared.  With this caveat, the novel is recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, June 2011.