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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A bit over the top but still a great read!, August 10, 1998
For those who have followed the trials (literally) and tribulations of Butch Karp and his one-eyed, gun-totin', walk-on-the-wild-side wife/lawyer/partner in crime Marlene Ciampi, "Reckless Endangerment" should prove to be as endearing a story as the titles preceding it. Read in order they paint an interesting hindsight picture of the late seventies and early eighties as Robert Tanenbaum relates the gruesome, thrilling and sometimes hilarious life and times in the NYPD Homicide Bureau. In this episode, Marlene and Butch's daughter, Lucy, really takes top billing. The polyglot (she has learned Mandarin, French, Tex-Mex Spanish, and some Arabic) kid, along with her shady Vietnamese mentor/babysitter, Tran, leads her parents and the cops around the Big Apple in search of Arabs, Jews, and a sadistic/wounded/crazy Mexican killer-child named El Chivato among others. The escapades often reach the height of unreality but who cares?? The ending was a bit! too pat, but I did not want the story to end. So, Mr. Tanenbaum, give up the law career and write full time, okay?
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Fair plot, but the writing is weak, August 5, 2000
Three young Arabs seriously wound a Jewish elderly shopkeeper and murder his wife. Why? Because they have been ordered to by Ibn-Salemeh, a powerful Arabian megalomaniac. The reason is to start a holy war in New York City pitting the Jews against the Arabs, in what the Arabs hope will make themselves into martyrs. Deputy D.A. Butch Karp is assigned to the case. His job is to solve it, while keeping racial tensions from exploding in the city. More murders are to follow, all related to the Arabian cause. Even Mexican drug lords get tied into the crime spree, as the Arabs do much of their underground business with them to finance their holy war. Sound exciting? It could be, however, Tannebaum's lack of literary skills sure puts a damper on what could have been a good book. First of all, Tannebaum introduces too many characters too soon in the story, and then he neglects to develop those characters. As you read, it becomes difficult to remember who is who and what their role in the story is. I found myself frequently having to flip the pages backwards to refresh my memory of people and events. Also, there is no distinguishable characters in this book. Personalities are rather bland and the dialogue used is in monotone voices. As one reader pointed out, there are mistakes in the book that don't correspond with the book's time frame of 1981. The reader was correct in those errors he pointed out. Another one to add is that there is a scene where two girls sit down and watch the video Purple Rain. That movie wasn't released in theatres until 1984. While those mistakes may not bother some readers, I think it is important to note the carelessness. There are many areas in the story where Tannebaum goes into unnecessary detail on things that are not relevant, while in other parts of the story where clarification is needed, his writing lacks depth and the reader is left in the dark as to what point the writer is trying to convey. On a positive note, there is a good action scene at the end of the book that involves a huge car chase/shootout/bombing in downtown Brooklyn. However, it doesn't make up for the many dull pages that you must plow through to get there. If you are looking for a fast, easy, and fun thriller to read, I'd suggest you look elswhere.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
People Magazine: Beach Book Of The Week, July 19, 1999
By A Customer
Tanenbaum scores again with the further adventures of Ass't DA Butch Karp, wife Marlene and daughter Lucy. For the latest hardcover, Act Of Revenge, from HarperCollins, Publishers' Weekly opined this dysfunctional family will provide wonderful sequels for years to come. If you haven't read Tanenbaum, you are missing a great series. Get started!
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