NO LESSER PLEA

by Robert Tanenbaum ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 1987

In his (coauthored) Badge of the Assassin, Tanenbaum wrote well of a murder case he tried as a N.Y.C. prosecuting attorney. Here he draws on that same experience to deliver an impressive first novel that bristles with authenticity, a powerful and exciting tale of a young Assistant D.A.'s dogged pursuit of a mass murderer. A strong hero and villain pivot the action here, set in N.Y. in the early 70's. The good guy is Roger ""Butch"" Karp, a rising prosecutor with an unusual lust for justice. Karp's current target is Mandeville Louis, a murderous psychopath whose M.O. involves killing junkies who then serve as the fall guys for his scores of armed robberies. When Louis finally slips up, using a junkie who escapes and tells all to the cops, Karp plans to try him for Murder One. Aiding Karp in court and in bed is tough-talking, pretty Marlene Ciampi, a fellow prosecutor who's as vivid a character as the rest of Tanenbaum's large and colorful supporting cast of criminals, cops, and lawyers. When the trial begins, Louis flashes a wild card: he assaults the judge and subsequently is diagnosed as suffering from Ganser's Syndrome, a rare disease whose victims supposedly go crazy only when put on trial. Karp knows that Louis is faking, but can do nothing when he is declared insane and sentenced to an asylum. Two years later, Karp again presses for trial; enraged, Louis mails to Karp's office a letter-bomb that blows up in Marlene's face. Poignant scenes between a disfigured Marlene and Karp set the stage for Karp's revenge: through some amateur gumshoe work, he finally is able to bring Louis to trial, only to learn, in an ironic twist, a profound lesson about the difference between legal and poetic justice. At times, Tanenbaum strains to entertain, particularly when depicting his lawyer's after-hours high jinks: but, overall, this is a lively thriller that weaves within its complex plot an intriguing meditation on crime and punishment. A class showing that many readers should enjoy.

Pub Date: May 27, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Watts

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1987

Categories: FICTION