Customer Reviews

Depraved Indifference (Signet)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Robert K. Tannenbaum (who I believe is or was Mayor of Beverly Hills) has produced a couple of these lawyer novels, with the main character, in contrast to Grisham et al, a prosecutor. Butch Karp (don't you love that name?) is a young ambitious Assistant DA in the NYC prosecutor's office, with the twist that things all take place when Tannenbaum was apparently there as a young man, in the mid-70's. This time he's trying to put Croatian Terrorists behind bars for killing a bomb squad cop. There are some amazing twists of the plot, and a few that stretch credulity or are rather sudden, but the whole thing is entertaining reading, if a bit long. It also has a rather anti-climactic ending that some might find offensive (a disabled person impersonates one of the main characters and disgraces him). If you can overlook these rather minor flaws, it's a good book.

This was the 5th book I have read of the series. I am hooked on his books, but this one didn't hold my attention as well as the others. I think it was just to in depth with the CIA, FBI, Croats, ect. Still a good read, but not the best. I strongly urge people to read them all though. Just be sure to start at the begining with No Lesser Plea and work your way to Hoax. Following the Karp family from the start makes for a better read.

This is my third Butch Karp novel - and I really like the series. However, I think this one was my least favorite. There are way too many characters (CIA, FBI, NYPD, The Catholic Church, the Mossad, Croats, Serbs, Nazis... get my point?) Also there were many plot points that are left undone. What happened to Leventhal? Why did Karavitch set the bomb or hijack the plane?
It just felt kind of unfocused. I won't give up on Tanenbaum yet, though. I'll definitely read a few more, and hope that he can redeem himself.

This is great escapist writing. It isn't literature. It isn't a documentary (at least, I hope not). People do things and get away with things that would never match a real life story.

However, there are characters, some of whom are real "Characters!". There are some funny scenes, and some sad ones. There's humor, backstabbing, manipulation and loyalty. There's love, friendship and family.

Just dive in and enjoy some time away from reality. Have a little fun. Don't overanalyze the plot (there are a few weaknesses, but no glaring holes).

I'm off to read the next one now.

Ohhh the pain of reading such poor prose wrapped up in the guise of a second rate novel by yet another lawyer who thinks he is a writer. I am not a writer myself and don't think that I could do much better.

For some reason that I can't remember anymore, I enjoyed picking up a couple of the books in this "Karp" series a couple of years before. Now that I am picking up the one or two loose books that I missed the first time through, I find myself often gazing off into the nothingness before me in horror. I think to myself, how could I have enjoyed these books the first time around?

Well. This review might piss you off, but I am being honest when I say, stay away from this book. Stay away from this series. It's implausible, and stale, as if Tanenbaum is going through the motions as he gets another chapter in his moneymaking machine out to the public. This is like the Hardy Boys for adults, or high school age children still fed with the pap of TV plots and Hollywood films. Yes, this is only the second book in the series. And yes, when it came out this was not yet a money making machine. But it feels like Tanenbaum thought about what it would take to make such a machine, and that this is just the second installment on the road to riches.

The plot of this story is very very confused. Tanenbaum follows Butch Karp, a criminal prosecutor for the city of New York, his co-workers in the office, his wife (think Angela Jollie in that video game based movie she was in), her kid (smartest kid the world has ever known), her friends ( a mysterious cop who loves her, more), a host of bad guys, a host of government interceders... it goes on.

Try Hillerman or Block for consistent good books in a mystery series, or Lehane for a good mystery read. On the more adult side try The James Deans by Reed Coleman or `Wind Up Bird Chronicle' by Murakami. Try Hammett, Chandler, Jim Harrison, or Edward Bunkers Dog Eat Dog. Just pause before you read this book.

The author was once an assistant District Attorney in New York, thus he knows from whence this story unfolds. Previous to this novel, he produced true-crime books, 'The Piano Teacher' and 'Badge of the Assassin,' with a little help from 'friends.' The premise of the terrorist act is almost what really happened ten years later!

This novel filled with profanities and descriptive monikers I don't care to read is praised as "a damning incident of our court system." I have to be real upset to say 'damn' but I wrote it several times recently. Some 'crimes' are never reported to the D. A.'s office as they are (intentionally or otherwise) crimes of the heart. Emotional abuse is as bad as physical abuse. I thank God I had the ability to use verbal spontenanity with which to carry my end in an abusive situation. I had a good teacher for twenty-one years.

It's strange that he had to move to Beverly Hills, CA, where the beautiful people live to write about the ugly vermin in New York. Perhaps he was dismissed under false circumstances, and this is his way to retaliate toward the court system. I've been in a position where I, too, used a bit of leverage being tiny in size but larger than life in determination to call a spade-a-spade with Randy Nichols! I yelled at him and he yelled back. No sex and violence were involved; to be upfront, it was a threat to throw me in a lake which, to me, was pre-meditated murder. He didn't see it that way. Men never do. That is precisely why women get killed by men they're not involved with -- happens here a lot. No order of protection (only a piece of paper) as it was not a domestic issue.

This book proves that justice is blind. I was once told by a Chief of Police that there is no justice. Money speaks louder than words -- or a woman's rights being abused. Trials are only a stage where lawyers can become actors and the judge pretends to be God. The judicial system today is way out of orbit, and murderers are allowed back 'on the street' to kill again.

This trial is about early terrorism in New York prior to 9-11-01. The Catholic Church enters into the sordid business on the side of the guilty parties. We all know that they worship Mary and not God. In 'The Da Vinci Code' movie, they even tried to prove that God is a woman. Lord, help us! Butch is driven to probe the darkest depths of human depravity of Croatia as he follows 'a tristed trail of evil' in this fictional portrait of justice gone bad.

Tenenbaum has also written ABSOLUTE RAGE, HOAX and FURY among many other novels about crime.

Each and every book Tanenbaum is always on target! 5 stars are always the best rave and review I always can give them. What a joy to read.