Justice: A Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus Novel (Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Novels) [Hardcover]

Faye Kellerman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1995 | Series: Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Novels

Investigating the murder of a high-school prom queen, LAPD detective Sergeant Peter Decker emmerses himself in the world of teen sex and drugs but is unable to accept that the prime suspect is responsible. 75,000 first printing. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The eighth appearance of LAPD homicide detective Peter Decker and his wife, Rina Lazarus, will likely increase her constituency as she concentrates more on the case at hand and less on the Jewish law and lore that rises from Rina's Orthodox Jewish background and informs the Decker family life. Chris Whitman, a high-school senior with a hidden past and close ties to his uncle?a powerful Mafia don?has some kinky notions of sexual games. He tries them with his very Catholic and proper (yes, virginal) classmate, Terry, with whom he is obsessed. Trouble begins when Chris's less constrained former girlfriend is found bound and dead in a tawdry hotel the morning after the prom, with evidence suggesting her involvement in a wild night of drugs and sex with multiple partners, including Chris. The youth's confession, coming after Decker discovers photographs that could compromise Terry's reputation, leaves Decker uncomfortable. So does his chief's suggestion that conflicting forensic evidence be given low priority. Decker, fighting some demons of his own, continues investigating even after the case is considered solved, and Uncle Joey, none too happy with Chris or Terry, executes his own brand of revenge. Surprising twists and engaging subplots will keep readers turning the pages to the satisfying conclusion.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Kellerman's latest Pete Decker/Rina Lazarus novel will join its predecessors at or near the top of most best-seller lists. The story begins with a teen prom queen who has been found dead in a fleabag motel, apparently strangled after a night of drink, drugs, and kinky sex. Handsome, clean-cut Chris Whitman has confessed to the killing, but LAPD detective Decker is uncomfortable with the easy resolution of the case and the way things just don't add up. Chris, the son of Mob boss Joe Donatti, is way too cool, too smooth, and too sure of himself. Evidence taken from the dead prom queen's body shows she had sex with at least one other person besides Whitman on the night she died. And sweet, innocent Teresa McLaughlin is in love with Whitman, but there's more to the romance than the usual teen hormonal attraction. So, despite his superiors' objections, Pete digs into the case more deeply and finds, to his horror, what really happened. Although the plot occasionally veers off into improbability, Kellerman keeps the suspense turned to high from beginning to end, and readers will find themselves thoroughly engaged and, as usual with Kellerman's books, well entertained. Emily Melton

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 388 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688046134
• ISBN-13: 978-0688046132
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,297,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Faye Kellerman is the author of twenty-six novels, including nineteen New York Times bestselling mysteries that feature the husband-and-wife team of Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus. She has also penned two best selling short novels with her husband, New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman, and recently has teamed up with her daughter, Aliza, to co-write a teen novel, entitled PRISM. She lives in Los Angeles, California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting book, April 25, 2003

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Justice (Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Faye really shines with "Justice"!, March 19, 1999

By 

Danalee Lavelle "Sugar and Spice" (Carmichael, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Justice (Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

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!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Needs a sequel...., February 29, 2000

By 

Christine Giannoni (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Justice (Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

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.