Falsely Accused Review
Having eagerly devoured the previous Butch Karp/Marlene Ciampi novels, I was disappointed with the last one, Corruption of Blood, which dealt with the Kennedy assassination. But luckily Falsely Accused is right back on track, with our heroes in New York again. Although Butch is working for a firm of civil lawyers and Marlene is striking out on a new and different career, their cases lead them to dealings with the DA's department and the infamous DA himself, Sandy Bloom. Will Karp get revenge at last for Bloom's treatment of himself and Marlene?
The plot develops satisfyingly, with Karp's and Marlene's separate cases meshing, as they so often do, to enable a joint (if not wholly plausible) resolution. But hey, who's counting!
It's not just the plotting which I find so enchanting about these books. The characterisation is fine, with the good guys being reassuringly flawed - even the rather goody-goody Butch is rounding out as the series develops. Lucy is perhaps less well-drawn, being by turns baby-ish for a 7-year old and then stunningly precocious.
Most of all, I enjoy the style, the quality of the writing itself. Tanenbaum has a great ear for dialogue, for the way people switch topics in mid-conversation; his characters talk like real people, only more amusingly. Altogether, he has a delightful way with words, being at times wry, whimsical and ironic. I find myself jotting down some of his wittier phrases to use, er, spontaneously myself in conversation... Sincerest form of flattery, and all that!
I'm glad I've read the series in order, and if someone was thinking of starting with this book I'd recommend them to go back to the beginning. Maybe skip out Corruption of Blood unless you're really keen to read more Kennedy assassination theories - and enjoy Falsely Accused, which finds Tanenbaum once more at the height of his powers. Now with a powerful New York law firm, Butch Karp finds himself battling his former employer, City Hall, in the name of the city's chief medical examiner. Meanwhile, his wife Marlene has opened a private detective agency specializing in protection from domestic violence. But even though their careers seem miles apart, a series of shocking crimes will merge their two situations into one sprawling case of sinister corruption and cold-blooded murder!.
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Customer Reviews
My first Tanenbaum read - Nancy Eckert - Bellefontaine, OH USA
Well! I found his story telling excellent and his use of language the same. I had no trouble with the ending, although I knew immediately whom not to trust - and it wasn't one of the children. My confusion lies in having looked up the author on the good ol' internet and finding he has a ghost writer, his cousin. I have no way to prove or disprove that allegation and was hoping someone on this forum could add some intelligence.
TIA
Well done, But....... - Samuel Levin - Pikesville, Maryland USA
This is one of the best books in the Kaep/Ciampi series. The writer stays with two major scenarios and is able to skillfully intertwine numerous others that add to a well told story. The book has the tedency to drag slightly, although thses instances are few and far between. Perhaps the greatest area of weakness comes in the inability of the writer to develop characters that are realistic. Although he draws upon his legal knowledge to create a Karp who is believable, the same cannot be said about Ciampi who appears to be a cardboard cutoutof a character. In spite of these flaws, the book moves along at agood pace with some twists that are of interest, even if they are somewhat predictable.
Jun 26, 2010 16:39:06
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