Customer Reviews

Impaired Judgment

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4 star:		(5)
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I'm a federal prosecutor with some knowledge of the book's topic. Either Compton was a lawyer or knows a lot of people in law enforcement, although the dust jacket doesn't say. I read the book on a vacation to the Carribean and really enjoyed it. I hope he comes up with another one this good the next time. Great courtroom scenes. The characters are a lot of fun, too.

The recently elected President of the United States Jim Candler knows he has big problems with the usual suspects, Congress, the Court, his party, and the media. However, all that is nothing compared to the problems caused by the First Lady in nearby Alexandria.

President Candler's wife Paula is a Federal Judge whose current case involves gangster Tony Remalli, bagged by the FBI in a sure shot win for the prosecution. Tony's defense team, led by attorney Don Russ and abetted by investigator Julia Menendez finds a skeleton in the judge's past that could easily topple the presidency. Paula was apparently once at fault in a vehicular homicide in which she allegedly left the scene of the crime. The president's chief of dirty tricks Del Owens covered up the incident. Unless Tony is acquitted, the Candlers will hang alongside the mobster.

IMPAIRED JUDGMENT is a fast-paced political thriller that at times seems more satirical than suspenseful due to the extreme behavior of the key charcaters. Jim is so politically naive one must wonder if he obtained the office through succession reaching a lower cabinet post. Del and Don are so sleazy that they turn into Claymation caricatures that leave the reader expecting their appearances on Deathmatch. Julia is so obsessed with finding dirt that readers will wonder if she was a gravedigger in a previous life. The First Lady is the most complete character due to her feistiness. However, her job leads to a constitutional question of whether her sitting on the bench violates the separation of powers. David Compton has written an exciting tale, but seems as if he could not decide between a thriller and a parody.

Harriet Klausner

Excellent faced paced mystery/thriller. State Supreme Court judge is married to the President of the US. She is blackmailed by the attorney for a mafia "businessman" on trial in her courtroom for murder of another judge. A real page turner! Highly recommend.

From the author of "The Acolyte" (aka: Executive Sanction), this well-researched thriller set in Washington D.C. is a great read! Fast-paced, interesting characters with some great plot twists.

I'd had this book on order since I found out Compton was coming out with a new thriller and it didn't disappoint. (The cover says "best-selling author" so his previous book must have done pretty well.)

Again, there are great female as well as male characters. The setting is primarily Washington, DC (my adopted home town), and I can tell Compton has really done his homework, or else lives somewhere nearby, because of the DC and courtroom scenes. I usually wait until the paperback comes out, but I'd highly recommend this legal/Mafia/political thriller to anyone able to appreciate the intricacies of a well-turned plot and memorable characters. I stayed up all night finishing it! Can't wait for more.

This is a great book, well-written, with a well-developed plot, and compelling characters.
Just two minor bloopers -- the bed in the White House Lincoln Bedroom does not date back to Lincoln's presidency, and it's unlikely that a federal trial judge would rotate courtroom observers every 15 or 30 minutes during a trial. Courtroom attendance is usually first-come, first-served, with space reserved for press (which would probably be on a pool basis).

What a treat! Usually I like to savor a book and take my time, but with this one, I just couldn't lay it down. Just when you think you have things figured out, the author gives the story a new twist. I can't wait for his next book. In my opinion, it's comparable, (maybe even a cut above,) John Grisham!!!