Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Malice by Robert Tanenbaum


New York DA Butch Karp is recovering from his last case where he ended up taking an assassin's bullet.  He is still determined to find out and put behind bars the terrorists who targeted him, killed several schoolchildren and are determined to cause the downfall of the American government.  Butch is out of work while recuperating but he's far from not being busy.

An old friend comes to him with a legal case based in Idaho.  The man was a college baseball coach.  He lost his job and his reputation when he dismissed a rich man's son from the team after hearing about sexual predatory moves by the son at a party for recruits that should never have happened.  In retaliation, those outraged by the dismissal start rumors that the coach set up the party in the first place and that everything that happened there is his fault.  The college, under pressure from the father, use the rumors to dismiss the coach and get him banned from coaching for ten years.  He needs Butch's help to fight the case and get his job and reputation back.

The rest of the family aren't idle either.  Karp's wife befriends a man in Idaho whose daughter has been missing.  It's been long enough that he feels she is dead but he needs to find her so he can get closure and bury her with his wife.  Marlene gets involved in the case, hoping to help him find what peace he can.  In the meantime, Marlene and Butch's daughter is caught up in New York with the terrorist investigation; her ability to see things in the future giving insights into what needs to be done.  Can all these cases be resolved?

This is a long-standing series by Tanenbaum.  This particular novel is the nineteenth in the series and long time fans will find much to love here.  Those who haven't read the series will find that it can be read successfully as a stand alone.  Butch is always at the forefront of any fight he gets involved in and the reader will get insight into legal procedures and court cases as well as the machinations that go on behind the scene.  This book is recommended for legal thriller readers.


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