|
Paul Levine is a great humor writer. His Solomon vs. Lord series provides ample evidence of this. He plays the frequently explosive chemistry between Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord for all it's worth, utilizing the witty dialogue the two law partners and soul mates engage in as well as Solomon's internal musings to create a hilarious reading experience from first page to last. But it's not until Levine removes at least some of the humorous components that the real depth of his talent stands truly revealed.
It is Levine's uncanny ability to walk the literary tightrope stretching between humor and pathos that ultimately makes KILL ALL THE LAWYERS, his latest Solomon vs. Lord novel, the best in the series to date. Solomon is still the irreverent wise guy and Lord is his perfect foible, one being immovable and the other being irresistible at any given point in time (though they frequently exchange these roles) and there are still laughs aplenty, though those don't really kick in until a third or so into this fine work. There is, however, an element of darkness permeating the book that is almost Chandleresque in depth.
KILL ALL THE LAWYERS begins with Solomon's past coming back to haunt him. In this case, the ghost is Dr. William Kreeger. Solomon represented Kreeger in a murder trial and bent the rules of jurisprudence. In Kreeger's case, though, he did this in order to lose. Kreeger is now out of jail and gaining newfound popularity as a pop psychologist with his own radio program, using his fame and broadcast platform to take solid aim at Solomon, who of course has other problems. Bobby, Solomon's nephew, is now 12 and puberty is hitting him pretty hard in the form of a middle-school temptress who he's finding difficult to resist (especially since he doesn't want to). Janice, Solomon's sister and Bobby's mother, reappears on the scene, wishing to reestablish contact with and custody of her son.
As if this wasn't enough, Lord's irrepressible mother has a problem so serious that she does the unthinkable --- and turns to Solomon for help. It is Kreeger, however, who poses the biggest and darkest threat not only to Solomon but also to his loved ones. As events unfold and the depths of Kreeger's amorality are revealed, it becomes clear that while it's difficult to justify Solomon's prior actions toward him, it is also arguable that Solomon did not go far enough. The climax is a shocker, in a novel full of them.
Levine is in the midst of one of the most entertaining and addicting series currently being published, and one has the feeling that he's just getting started. If you haven't begun reading the Solomon vs. Lord books, then KILL ALL THE LAWYERS is a great place to start.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
 Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com.
© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
Back to top.
|
