Irresistible Impulse [Hardcover]

Robert K. Tanenbaum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1997

Butch Carp and Marlene Ciampi...are currently the most interesting pair of fictional characters in the suspense genre, says the Chicago Tribune. With Irresistible Impulse Robert K. Tanenbaum sets them out on their most fascinating and complex case yet. Tanenbaum's audience and acclaim increase with each new thriller as he turns his insider's knowledge of the New York City criminal justice system into top-drawer thrillers. His supreme ability to pace out a story through devious twist and turns, along with his energetic, crackling prose make each of his novels, a wild, exhilarating ride. Butch and Marlene, husband and wife, are each at an important turning point in their lives. Butch is back at work for the City, preparing to prosecute a suspect for a series of brutal slayings of elderly black women. Marlene's new detective agency specializes in helping women in domestic disputes. The pressure and the stakes are high for both, and the strain on their marriage is enormous. What neither realizes is that they are both about to become flashpoints in two of the hottest controversies to rock New York in years. For Butch it may mean the loss of his all-important first case back in the D.A.'s office, and maybe his career along with it. But for Marlene, suddenly at the center of a raging media firestorm over vigilante justice, it may mean the loss of her life .

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Robert K. Tanenbaum spent the first part of his career as an assistant district attorney in New York City's homicide bureau, and he has been artfully recapturing that period in his terrific books about D.A. Butch Karp and his wife, private detective Marlene Ciampi. "He still had his hair at thirty-seven, and he kept it shorter than was fashionable then, at the start of the eighties," Tanenbaum writes of Butch at the start of Irresistible Impulse. It is one of the few places in the book where the exact time is spelled out; otherwise, Tanenbaum relies on an ambiance of attitudes and characters to root the action in its period. A tough Vietnamese immigrant who goes to work for Marlene's new detective agency is a fascinating creation, and the two main stories--Karp's difficulties with a high-profile case that could stir up racial strife, and Marlene's attempts to protect a prominent musician from a stalker--are perfectly set and brilliantly executed. Other books in this fine series available in paperback include Badge of the Assassin, Corruption of Blood, Depraved Indifference, Falsely Accused, Immoral Certainty, and Justice Denied.

From Library Journal

Legal eagles Butch Carp and Marlene Ciampi, fresh from their courtroom adventure in the best-selling Falsely Accused, here find their jobs and lives threatened.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (November 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525943102
• ISBN-13: 978-0525943105
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #685,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert K. Tanenbaum is one of the country's most successful trial lawyers -- he has never lost a felony case. He has been homicide bureau chief for the New York District Attorney's Office and deputy chief counsel to the congressional committee investigations into the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Most recently, he has taught Advanced Criminal Procedure atthe University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. His previous works include the novels Escape, Malice, Fury, Hoax, Resolved, Enemy Within, and Absolute Rage and two true-crime books, The Piano Teacher: The True Story of a Psychotic Killer and Badge of the Assassin.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply great!, April 23, 2003

By 

Peter Werner "peterwerner4" (Essingen, Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Irresistible Impulse (Paperback)

Unlike one of the critics I find this book was written by a very intelligent and gifted author, a master of stylistic means and rich imagery that makes the reading of this book a real pleasure. But this is not the only reason why this book is perfectly written. Tanenbaum's feeling for "plot" is enormous. The constant twists in the actions, the characters' conflicts with each other and in themselves result in a remarkable novel full of suspense. And this book contains some criticism of the legal system: it is not about justice, but a legal Darwinism is described, in which the lawyer is considered a failure who is not able to play the jury as well as his opponent. Justice is of no importance. I recommend this book to everybody who appreciates a well written thriller. I will read more of Tanenbaum's books!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "A top notch thriller combing PI work and courtroom drama", June 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Irresistible Impulse (Hardcover)

DETROIT FREE PRESS - December 14, 1997

"Robert K. Tanenbaum's IRRESISTIBLE IMPULSE is a top-notch thriller combining PI work with courtroom drama. The ninth in his series, it features private investigator Marlene Karp, who owns half a New York detective agency that specializes in guarding celebrities and protecting battered women. It's this latter mission that almost splits apart her marriage to Butch, a Manhattan district attorney. Marlene is prone to take risks and is unafraid of violence, including threatening and roughing up men who stalk her battered clients. But DAs can't afford the bad publicity when their wives take someone down in public, as Marlene does in an unforgettable scene, and her marriage is under considerable stress.Her life is further complicated by caring for twin newborns who make her young daughter jealous: bizarre people who enter her orbit, like the Vietnamese assassin who quotes Baudelaire and ends up as a cook-nanny; assorted low-lifes and stalkers and the ever present media jackals.The writing is tense and edgy, perfectly capturing the frenetic downtown life Marlene and her husband live, which she thrives on while Butch secretly longs for quiet, safe suburbs - along with a wife who doesn't court danger. ****"

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pub Weekly: "Butch & Marlene are the Tracey & Hepburn of the, October 22, 1997

By 

[e-mail] - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irresistible Impulse (Hardcover)

Publishers' Weekly gave this 9th Butch Karp novel from Bob Tanenbaum a * (starred) review stating that Butch Karp and Marlene Ciampi are the Tracey and Hepburn of the 90's. If you haven't read Tanenbaum yet it is time to jump on board. He's terrific.