MALICE
Robert K. Tanenbaum
Atria Books
Legal Thriller
ISBN-10: 074327119X
ISBN-13: 9780743271196

Everybody has a story, and Robert K. Tanenbaum has been blessed with the talent to tell them well. In his series starring District Attorney Butch Karp, his wife Marlene Ciampi, his daughter Lucy and his twin boys, the author always places the family in dangerous circumstances. He spins a multilayered tale full of detours, subplots, atmosphere and an interesting assortment of characters limned in terrific writing.

In his newest novel, MALICE, several interwoven stories abound. At first they seem to be unrelated, but readers know that can't be true. Or can it? The Prologue outlines Sir Walter Raleigh's vain struggle for justice in his own life. Karp is called upon to elaborate on Raleigh's plight: "The injustices of Raleigh's trial had been the fertile soil from which many of the U.S. Constitution's most important protections had sprung." Within the fundamental architecture of the book, Tanenbaum links America's Constitutional protection to allow anyone accused of a crime to face her/his accuser(s). Is the definition of a "fair hearing" as interpreted by different codes of law, or does one standard exist for all? Can certain private enterprises use their own rules and laws to override the carefully drafted protections guaranteed by the Constitution? 

As the book opens, Butch is shot three times and his wife shoots the would-be assassin. While in the hospital, Butch is visited by Grale, a "friend" (from previous adventures) who lives as a "mole person" under the city of New York. He is a guardian to the Karp family, as well as a killer. His mission on the night he visits Butch is to bring him a warning: he has a traitor among those he trusts.

As the narrative continues to unfold, readers learn that one of Butch's closest associates is the lover of a gutsy investigative reporter who fearlessly takes on anyone she thinks deserves outing. When she becomes the target of a hit, Butch's confidante, Murrow, gets in the way, and the assassin goes over the side of the building. Their exploits are woven into the larger story and appear almost as cameos. This is true of other eccentric players who move in and out of the limelight, a device Tanenbaum is adept at using.

Next we find ourselves in New Mexico, where Lucy Karp, now in her early 20s, continues to have "visions" and extraordinary intuitive insights. She left New York to live on a ranch with her lover who is a "real 21st century cowboy." Readers catch up with her while she is on a spirit quest, enhanced by peyote, under the supervision of her close friend Jojola, a Native American. Then, out of the blue, she receives a visit from a family friend who is involved in some kind of secret government organization. He spirits her back to the city where she is charged with the mission of translating a Manx code of some kind. And she knows just the person to help her: Cian Magee, an aging agoraphobic bookseller who will do anything to help Lucy.

Butch is soon on the mend and takes a long walk every morning. One day he bumps into another old friend. The man invites him to come for breakfast with a group of retirees, who meet weekly to discuss law, politics, philosophy and whatever else is on the table. When they reach the restaurant, Butch recognizes most of the men. At this point readers are able to connect the first dot. That day's topic becomes Sir Walter Raleigh, and Butch is asked to explain why and how Raleigh was railroaded by "the system" of his time to his execution. Butch explains why and how Raleigh's mistreatment became one of the bases of the infrastructure of the United States' legal and political systems. He wins the debate, and after leaving the group, they agree that "he is the one." 

The next episode begins when the younger brother of another friend calls upon Butch to help him out of a terrible situation. He lives in northwestern Idaho and is the baseball coach at a small college where he has been set up to be fired. His career would be over and his life ruined if he loses the civil suit he is bringing against the ACAA and the school. Rufus Porter, who has been thrown off the team, is a neo-Nazi who raped another student and is responsible for the coach's problems. As the trial approaches, an angry Butch Karp heads to Iowa promising himself that he will win this case. After all, it smells of the same dirty secrets and injustice that befell Raleigh.

Marlene makes her way to Iowa as well and gets involved with the case. While there, she meets a distraught gentleman who approaches her and asks for help in finding his missing daughter. The girl was a student at the same college as Rufus Porter, and her father is losing faith that she is alive or that he will ever be able to give her a proper burial.

No member of the Karp family needs a resume, yet fans and new readers cannot deny that each in her/his own way is a hero. They all emerge as crusaders with mighty fists and hearts of gold. None of them seeks any public recognition, which makes them all the more likable. They are smart, street-wise, caring and loyal. Their fierce sense of justice and compassion comes through on every page.

Between wrong turns, smelly red herrings and missteps, fans will find that Tanenbaum has written a fast-paced, interesting and entertaining police procedural cum courtroom drama. As readers speed to the climax through all that happens, they will feel very satisfied once they get there. MALICE is the perfect vacation read.

   --- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum

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