Customer Reviews

Hidden Law

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

 

 

The reason why it is such a pity that Micheal Nava stopped writing is because he is basically one of the best mystery writers we had. His plots are closely linked to the growth his characters are going through, which makes his novels not only a very exciting read, but also emotionally a very satisfying one. Anyone of his Henry Rios mysteries is worth reading more then once.

How had I not reviewed this? It is one of my all-time favorite mysteries. The pity is that Nava has stopped writing them. If there is a mystery writer whose work I would instantly buy, it's Nava.

Another reviewer said it well with this: "His plots are closely linked to the growth his characters are going through, which makes his novels not only a very exciting read, but also emotionally a very satisfying one. Anyone of his Henry Rios mysteries is worth reading more then once."

To touch on the plot, Nava's long-time lover Josh fears for his life from his HIV-infected status, he and Rios are growing apart to the point that they separate. In the meantime, the homophobic Senator Pena wants Rios to defend him on a charge of vehicular homocide and then is murdered. Is the killer the young addict Michael? There doesn't seem to be another suspect, but the Senator was an easy man to hate with a history of homophobia, of alcoholism and possibly abuse of his family. While Rios tries to deal with his own rage over his abusive past, he tries to save a less-than-lovable client who has been himself abused and come to grips with losing the man he loves.

It can be a painful novel to read because it is so emotionally honest. But one that is worth reading no once but several times.

There is a lot of anger in this novel which comes out, but how could there not be? The anger so many of us have and how we deal with it either destructively or constructively is, after all, the theme of the novel. And unlike so many modern mystery novels, it DOES have a theme.

Darn it, Nava, write some more mysteries!

Without a doubt Michael Nava is a fine writer. His prose is great, dialogue is sharp, and he has a great eye for detail. Unfortunately in this effort he seemingly forgot to develop a compelling story. A murder mystery surrounding a sleazy politician is a great premise. But the author dwells too much on the personal issues of the investigating attorney, which is fairly boring, and does a miserable job in trying to build any sort of suspense. The twist at the end of the book was very ho-hum.

Bottom line: Michael Nava produces a dud. Missable.

When State Senator Gus Pena is murdered the pressure is on the LAPD to find the murderer, so when they learn that a young drug addict Michael Ruiz, the son of friends of the Pena family, had previously threatened Pena's life they are quick to act. However Michael has gone into hiding but soon gives himself up, yet gay Chicano lawyer Henry Rios is not convinced that Michael is the killer despite his confession. While the case is otherwise weak against Michael, Henry's only real hope of clearing Michael is to find the real killer, but the facts point to an even more unlikely suspect.

In fighting Michael's case Henry finds himself battling against the politicians who want a speedy resolution. However Henry is also under even greater pressure in his personal life. His lover Josh, now slowly succumbing to AIDS is about to leave him having found someone else.
In trying to come to terms with the situation Henry must also face his own personal demons.

Hidden Law, the fourth Henry Rios mystery is yet another finely crafted and well written suspense story from Californian lawyer Michael Nava. Fine characterisation, crisp succinct prose and careful attention to detail, along with a most likeable hero who is courageous and yet self effacing and compassionate make these novels compelling reading.

Well, this book definitely put a stop on my love affair with Nava's novels.

This book takes on a much darker tone than the previous Henry Rios mysteries (which is kind of ironic since all deal with death). From the onset, Nava almost seems to shove a ton of information down your throat in order to set the tone; however, it seems to come off disjointed and nowhere near as smooth as his previous efforts. All of the characters also seem to possess an underlying rage/desperation (save for Rios' therapist), which ultimately makes them blend together rather than stand out.

The plot is also weaker than usual. While I've been genuinely intrigued with the cases in the past, this one seemed to stumble along and even had me second-guessing whether it made sense.

I'll definitely continue reading the series as this one wasn't terrible; however, I would recommend someone skip over this one if they don't possess a true desire to complete all the books.

The Hidden Law was the second mystery I have read by Michael Nava. It is a quick and engaging read, but it is nothing spectacular. Mr. Nava's greatest strength is in fleshing out his characters, and he does an excellent job in The Hidden Law, especially with his main character, Henry Rios. The plot was a bit weak to me though and the coincidences a few too many for this to be a really good book. If you are looking for something fast and rather mindless, this would be a good choice.

I read How Town first and then decided to give other books in this series a try. Loved it. Read it on a 5 hour train ride and couldn't put it down. I just bought the first book in the series and am planning on reading it next.

very intriguing - good gay stuff - weird issues about top/bottom - good portrayal of lawyers job and LA politics, very good look at chicano politics in the nineties