Customer Reviews

Justice: A Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus Novel (G K Hall Large Print Book Series)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Just when you think Faye Kellerman's writing is already at its best, she comes up with a brilliant book like "Justice". In this eighth book of the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series, Kellerman concentrates on another character's point of view as much as she does on Decker's. She tells the story of Terry, a hard-working young high school girl whose father and step-mother expect her to keep house, babysit her younger sister, and maintain top grades. She is asked to tutor Chris Whitman, a young man who runs with the popular crowd and happens to be related to an important Mafia figure. She enters a world of lies and intrigue, where the only thing which remains somewhat constant is Chris's obsession with Terry. Despite this, he maintains sexual relations with other girls and treats Terry with the utmost respect. One of his sexual partners is killed, and Decker quickly closes in on Chris as the chief suspect. This book is loaded with twists and turns, and stories within stories. It deals with police politics, race relations, and gangland justice, and is a very satisfying read. Congratulations to Faye Kellerman who outdoes herself on this wonderful and complex book.

I am in total agreement with Steve below. I've read all Faye's books and this is one of my favorites. If you haven't read the series you won't be able to appreciate the creative extension Faye took on this effort. So, start over with Ritual Bath and go through the series. Including Terry's perspective was a new and successful angle for the author. The book was riveting and the characters fascinating. The sexual explicity was perfectly acceptable, and enjoyable; after all, these books aren't written for kids. Faye, give us more!

I agree that a sequel is definitely in order for this book. The characters and story were magnificent, but the ending definitely left you wanting to know more about how Terry and Chris' lives progressed. For the first time while reading the books in this series, I didn't want more about Peter and Rina, I wanted more about the other characters.

I have read and will read any of Faye Kellerman's books and I must say that I absolutely loved Justice. This book just exemplifies Ms. Kellerman's tremendous talent. How she was able to write this story from the perspective of more than one person in a manner such that you cared...terrific. One note. I must say that this is the first book in which I found myself actally not fully siding with Pete Decker. In this book, you just get to see him as a hard-as-nails police officer, not necessarily a man with a heart (as he's usually portrayed). This was awkward for me to get used to, but I'm glad for this because it was good to see Decker in a different light.

I truly enjoyed this novel--actually I listened to the unabridged version on cassettes, and it was exceptional. This book is screaming for a sequel! The characters were riveting, and I long to know what becomes of them. Wouldn't Chris try to see Terry again as he was so obsessed with her? I feel as though I got to know the two main characters, and that Decker was just there to fill in the time when they were not highlighted. Hope to see more!

I couldn't put this book down read it from cover to cover in less then 24 hours!!
Book kept me second guessing from the start. Just when you "think" you have it figured out more evidence is found. Would love to see a sequal to this book. Can't wait to read more from Faye Kellerman! WOW what a Book!!!

I must admit, the beginning pages of the book really threw me off. I guess that is why I had to continue reading the book. It's a major thriller. Reading about how capable Chris Whitman was to commit murder scared me terribly. He was so passive, unreadable, and there was something about how she described his eyes that gave me the shivers and hoped that I would never meet a man like that in real life. Not only because I would be terrified by him, but because I, like Terry, might fall for him. To Terry he was sweet and innocent, making her believe that his every move was calm and soothing. Really he was a cold blooded murderer and the son of a Mafia leader. Being so open with Terry about his life only made her fall for him more and seduced her into believing he could do no harm. That he was a victim of his fathers, rather uncles, horrific life. Only that Chris left out his victims of his very own murders. But as they say, once a killer, always a killer.

The final sentence of Justice gave me the chills! I would really like to see Terry and Chris pop up again in a future novel. I gobbled this novel up, ignoring my husband, the TV, the kitchen, and everything else until I was finished with it. And how sorry I was for the book to end! I was disappointed, though, by the loose ends concerning the murder of Cheryl Diggs--the supposed main focus of this mystery. The relation of her death to the other, black teenager's death was a super-lucky shot that only a fictitious detective could make. I just wasn't goodnatured enough to accept it with equanimity. However, on the whole I really enjoy following the lives of Peter Decker and his family, enough to forgive Ms. Kellerman for just about anything.

Being the first novel that I have read by Faye Kellerman, I am extreamly impressed. It is over-flowing with suspense, danger, and passion, leaving the reader breathless and hooked on like a fish caught on a fishing line. The crazed teenage relationship between Terry and Chris is intensified as the plot thickens. I recommend this book to an open-minded person, otherwise one might be insulted from one's perspective.

THIS IS THE FIRST FAYE KELLERMAN I HAVE READ. THIS BOOK WAS FANTASTIC, I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. EXPECTED A WHOLE DIFFERENT ENDING, BUT WAS PLEASED WITH HOW SHE WRAPPED UP THE CASE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.