Patrick Anderson
Resolved is perhaps the most enjoyable of the three Tanenbaum novels I've read -- there are 15 -- and a good starting point for those who haven't discovered the series.
— The Washington Post
Publishers Weekly
Even Tanenbaum's diehard fans may have wished, over the course of his last few novels, that his famously tempestuous investigative duo-scrupulously honest homicide prosecutor Butch Karp and his wife, private detective-cum-vigilante Marlene Ciampi-would finally break up, if only in the interest of their poor children. In this 15th installment of the hugely popular series, that wish comes closer to fulfillment, and the family dramas are as fascinating as the criminal ones. Set in the months following the explosive conclusion of its predecessor, Absolute Rage, the novel opens with Butch in the running for DA in New York City, while Marlene tries to live a quiet life raising attack dogs. Although teenage daughter Lucy still has those "conversations" with St. Teresa of Avila, she has grown a little weary of her fiercely guarded chastity. Twins Giancarlo and Zak (who obviously hears Columbine calling) idly speculate on whether their parents' marriage is finally through. On the legal front, a fishy cop shooting and an unusual case of sexual assault ("a colonoscopy in progress, diarrhea, the smell.... Karp was not at this stage capable of surprise at any of the acts that people chose to relieve the sexual itch, but this still seemed extreme") spark an investigation that leads the Karps to two baddies from previous books in the series: Arab militant Feisal ibn-Salemeh (from Reckless Endangerment) and homegrown psycho Felix Tighe (from Immoral Certainty), entwined in an intricate conspiracy to blow big holes in a post-9/11 New York. There is the predictable big courtroom finale, and another showdown full of bullets and mayhem. All of the Tanenbaum standards are here, and fans won't be disappointed. (Aug. 26) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Tanenbaum's 15th installment in the Butch Karp series is nonstop action. Most of the story centers on a sadistic killer, Felix Tighe, who recently escaped from prison and is determined to take revenge on the people who sent him there. The main target of his hatred is assistant district attorney Butch, who is faced with another problem: his wife, Marlene, has left. To add to the tension, a bombing campaign begins, with Felix working alongside Muslim extremists bent on adding more terror to post-9/11 New York City. For listeners interested in over-the-top violence and unbelievable characters, this novel is hard to beat. Lee Sellars does an admirable job with most of the characters; however, the high-pitched giggle and voice he employs for Butch's daughter sound like fingernails on a chalkboard. Purchase where there is a following for this long-running series.-Theresa Connors, Arkansas Tech Univ., Russellville Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Tanenbaum, who clearly has faith in the ability of current headlines to keep fresh material coming, takes on Islamic terrorists in New York and tosses in a home-grown version of the Unabomber. Despite his psychopathic expertise at manipulation, Felix Tighe, a murderous sex criminal doing a zillion years at Auburn State Prison, isn't smart enough to wonder why "the Arab," the chief trustee attendant in the prison infirmary, wants to help him break out under cover of a phony death certificate so that he can help the Arab's posse outside-Rashid, Carlos, and Fel'pe-plant the bombs that will bring the city to its knees. While he's knocking around the city with a hatful of explosives, in fact, Felix sees no reason why he shouldn't combine business with pleasure by settling a few scores of his own, particularly against chief Assistant District Attorney Butch Karp and his family, back from West Virginia (Absolute Rage, 2002) wounded in body and spirit. After all, even if somebody suspects Felix, he's dead, right? As Karp and his wife Marlene Ciampi, now living on Long Island and raising protection dogs, go about their usual round of felonies-trying a pair of cops who swear their shooting of a Nigerian street vendor was righteous, taking a closer look at a couple of rape charges under some pretty unlikely circumstances-Felix is wreaking mayhem. This being Tanenbaum country, his opposition includes Karp's daughter Lucy, linguist and saint; Karp's twins Giancarlo (a budding street-musician left blind by his West Virginia vacation) and Zak (who doesn't like to go out without a weapon); and of course Marlene, who would have kept the Twin Towers standing if only she'd been on call on 9/11. Not muchmystery or real suspense, and the epilogue does drag on. But Tanenbaum skates over minor problems like these because his people and plots are more interesting than they have any right to be. Agent: Mike Hamilburg/The Mitchell J. Hamilburg Agency
