From Kirkus Reviews
Fresh from his prophetic victory over the tobacco industry (Nobody Roots for Goliath, 1996), California attorney Bomber Hanson reluctantly agrees to represent millionaire megastar Steven Shag, the pop-singing phenom whose unbridled love for the young boys who visit his Magicland compound (any of this sound familiar?) makes him a natural target for child-molestation suits, even though he insists, ``I'm not a child abuser. I want to be a child amuser.'' Bomber's investigator, his son Tod, succeeds in defusing one of these suits, but when a second one goes to trial, Bomber will need all his grandstanding tactics to prevail. Unfortunately, grandstanding is practically all the usually resourceful Bomber does here, making this the slackest of his three cases. If he wants another dose of celebrity trouble, maybe he should jet to Paris, where a bunch of paparazzi could use some good representation. --
Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
I have to admit that at first I thought this would be a cheap take off on the child molestation charges against Michael Jackson. But the more I read, the more I enjoyed. I decided that Bomber Hanson is really the 1990's version of Perry Mason. In the world of Bomber Hanson Della Street becomes an airhead, knock-em-dead looker; Paul Drake turns into Tod Hanson, attorney and dad's investigator, but just as loyal (if not as well paid) as Paul Drake. And as in Perry Mason's best cases, the joy of reading came in the courtroom scenes. And this courtroom scene is a kicker. Very moving. --
BLACKBIRD MYSTERIES, DECEMBER, 1998In a thinly disguised parody of pop singer Michael Jackson's child-abuse case, Champion introduces Steven Shag, a dead ringer for the surgically altered one. Shag has fame, fans and a whole string of best-selling songs. But he also has a fondness for young boys. ... The take is deftly narrated by Bomber's hapless son Tod, an attorney who acts as chief flunky for his famous dad. The best parts of the story are Tod's love-hate relationship with his dad's secretary, Bonnie Doone, and Bomber's mesmerizing performance in the courtroom. This latest in a too-little-known series is a hoot, guaranteed to produce giggles, belly laughs, and even a sympathetic tear or two. --
ALA BOOKLIST, 11/15/97Some mysteries seem to rock the reader in a chair by the fire. Reading David Champion's Celebrity Trouble, however, is more like drinking a double shot of espresso while standing in a draft. In this book, Bomber Hanson's son Todd chronicles a high profile child abuse case. The result is sometimes interesting and enthralling, and other times quite disturbing...The publisher's slogan promises "Books for Intelligent People Who Read for Fun." It has to be said: reading this book means spending considerable time thinking about child abuse, and is, by no stretch of the imagination, fun. Fun aside, the intelligence is definitely there. Theatrical characters, complex relationships and a conversational tone help Celebrity Trouble deliver as an escape read that gives the reader lots to think about, while reading it, and for days to come. --
THE MYSTERY REVIEW, WINTER, 1998
