True Justice (Butch Karp Series #12)

People

[A] richly plotted, tough and funny crime series.

Publishers Weekly

A rash of baby killings positions a pair of married lawyers on opposite sides of the moral and legal fence in the latest multi-faceted installment of this legal-thriller series (after Act of Revenge)~ ~Tanenbaurn brings back assistant district attorney Butch Karp and feisty spouse Marlene Ciampi when three infanticides involving young unwed mothers arc dis­covered in New York City. City politics and legal circumstances force Karp to prosecute a young Hispanic girl who ap­pears to he the most culpable of the three While Karp is embroiled in his case, lawyer Ciampi is busy with her own chaIlenge - protecting battered women from violent ex-husbands. When she is forced to shoot a man after he guns down his wife and then aims the weapon at his own daughter, Ciampi realizes she has had enough and decides to retire. Shortly afterward, however, a lawyer friend convinces her to represent a young wornan in Delaware who is accused of killing her newborn baby. Contrived thought the plot may be it provides an apt vehicle for Tanenbaum to dissect the le­gal and moral mechanisms of the two cases, while exploring their effects on his protagonists' professional and personal lives. An intriguing subplot involves the couple's deeply religious daughter, Lucy, a linguistic prodigv. When the parents of her wealthy ~ friend Caitlin are killed in cold blood Lucy's instincts help identify the murderer. The resolution Ciampi's case seems a bit naive and optimistic, . but Tanenbaum rises above the inherent ma­nipulation in the storv lines with his usu­al combination of intelligent dialogue, a well-designed maze of political and moral traps, and the charming and incendiary chemistry between Karp and Ciampi. For those who prefer their legal thrillers with plenty of spice and a high IQ, Tanenbaum remains an essential addiction.

Chicago Tribune

Butch Karp and Marlene Ciampi are the most interesting pair of characters in the suspense genre today.

Washington Times

Mr. Tanenbaum's plots are never low on suspense or interest.

New York Post

One hell of a writer.

Flint Journal

Tanenbaum's Butch Karp series is one of the best in today's mystery fiction. If you haven't read one yet, now is as good a time as any.

Lexington Herald-Leader

Tanenbaum knows how to thrill.

Library Journal

Calling the latest work from Tanenbaum (Act of Revenge) a "legal thriller" would be misleading; it is better described as a well-written novel that happens to center on the law. Early on, the novel's protagonists, New York County's assistant district attorney, Butch Karp, and his wife, defense lawyer Marlene Ciampi, become involved in separate cases involving the prosecution of women who may have murdered their newborn children. While Butch feels that the defendant's lawyer is less interested in representing her client than using the trial as a political forum, Marlene, whose case is easily the more intriguing of the two, confronts a young woman who must deal not only with what she has done but the impact it has had on those around her. Butch, Marlene, and their daughter, Lucy, are well-developed characters, although Marlene's exploits occasionally seem unrealistic. As usual, Tanenbaum's writing style is intelligent and engaging, and it's a credit to his ability that, despite the sensitive topic, the novel never devolves into a sermon. This should be a popular addition to public library collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 4/15/00.]--Craig L. Shufelt, Gladwin Cty. Lib., MI Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-New York chief assistant district attorney Butch Karp finds that an epidemic of infanticide seems to be erupting in his city. Three cases of the seemingly callous casting off of newborns send the press and public into an uproar. Karp is forced to proceed with the prosecution of one 15-year-old Hispanic teen who disposed of her baby, the child of rape, out the window of a "salsa joint," minutes after its birth. Meanwhile, his wife, Marlene Ciampi, a protector and bodyguard for abused women and children, has decided to go back to her previous career as an attorney. Her first case lands her in Delaware, defending a teen accused of murdering her baby shortly after its birth in a motel room. Lucy, Butch and Marlene's teenage daughter, is present when her friend Caitlin finds her parents brutally murdered. Now her life appears to be at risk as well. Teens will find the actions, worries, and mistakes of the many young adults in this mystery/thriller easy to relate to or at least attention grabbing. The machinations of justice are illuminating and educational as well.-Carol DeAngelo, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Internet Book Watch

The three infant deaths in Manhattan in a week all share in common that an outsider found the abandoned corpse of an unwed mother. By the third death, the media leads a public frenzy seeking to lynch someone for the rash of infanticides. The police catch all three "monster moms". They turn out to be a fourteen year old African-American who thought she had a stomach ache, a sixteen year old Puerto Rican who claimed the child was caused by rape, and a white adult who seemed retarded. The obvious target of the New York County DA is sixteen year old Lourdes Bustamente, who appears to be the only one with premeditated causes. The case is assigned to Butch Karp to prosecute. Meanwhile Butch's wife attorney Marlene Ciampi is thinking of retiring from her work of legally protecting battered women after a recent incident turned ugly. However, a case in Delaware to defend a woman accused of murdering her infant lures Marlene back into the courtroom. True Justice is an intriguing look at similar cases from the perspectives of the DA's office and the defense attorney. The plot also provides readers with an insightful look at how a tense case can impact the personal lives of the players. The story line at first appears to simply manipulate the tale to allow Ciampi's subplot to occur rather than flow from events. Still, Robert K. Tanenbaum makes it work through his intelligent gaze at the junction of the legal, moral, and political systems abetted by the strong relationship between the lead couple. Legal thriller fans will thrill to the latest Ciampi-Karp tale.
—Internet Book Watch

Los Angeles Times Book Review

A respected trial lawyer and derisive Daumier of the legal trades, Tanenbaum teaches advanced criminal procedure at Boalt Hall, UC Berkeley's law school. His wit alone is worth the price of admission. If you're as familiar with the system as he is, you'd better learn to laugh if you don't want to cry.