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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
I guess that's why they write novels., June 1, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Revision of Justice (Hardcover)
The final sentences of John Morgan Wilson's Revision of Justice are Benjamin Justice's lament for the inevitable ending. "But life doesn't work like that, not even sometimes. I guess that's why they make movies." Unfortunately, those lines could apply to Wilson's novel, too, with a one-word substitution. Revision of Justice is no more realistic or lifelike than the typical Hollywood screenplay, so pat that at times it reads like one. For a series that began surprisingly strongly with Simple Justice, this is tragic. Unfortunately, the difference between Simple and Revision is clear: in the first book, Wilson focused on character, introducing and developing Benjamin Justice as well as his world and his supporting cast. There, Wilson shone; he created a deeply flawed anti-hero who nonetheless could hold the loyalty of the reader and several stereotype characters (i.e., the grouchy editor with the heart of gold) that broke out of their mold. He also painted the world of West Hollywood vividly and clearly. In Revision, however, Wilson leaves character development and shifts his focus to plot. That's where it all falls apart. Revision limps clumsily along a pre-ordained story arc, as though it had been created in a beginning writers' workshop. The meat of the mystery is clear from the first chapter, and the reader knows the solution in every detail by page 131 (first hardback edition). The rest of the book alternates between the agonizing wait for Justice to catch up - how many murders will it take? how many innocent people will he hurt in his quest for truth? - and an in-depth depiction of the entertainment industry, with a focus on screenwriting. In fact, large chunks of the this novel would be much more at home in a non-fiction book entitled "An Insider's Guide to Hollywood Screenwriting." Wilson clearly knows this world all too well. If only he had been able to draw the reader into it, as he did with WH in Simple, rather than dissecting it. Even more painful is the careful alignment of resolutions, as Justice gets his chance to revise his past mistakes. He once abandoned a lover dying of AIDS. In Revision, he finds a guy who looks just like Jacques, the dead lover. Conveniently, this guy is also sick with AIDS, also dying, in a way that gives Justice a chance to replay his abandoment of Jacques, making the right choice this time around. Justice also once falsified a major story for the LA Times, dragging his editor down with him when he falls from grace. In Revision, Justice has the opportunity to pursue truth instead of lies and offer that same editor a major scoop. (It's the truth, this time.) Second novels are always difficult, especially the second novel in a series. Wilson, despite all of his undeniable writing talent, has stumbled here. But so have a lot of good writers; many went on to better things. Let's hope that the third Justice mystery restores the series to its former glory.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mr. Wilson and Mr. Justice Are Back!, June 28, 2004
This review is from: Revision of Justice (Hardcover)
In this the second of John Morgan Wilson mysteries, Benjamin Justice, the sometimes down-and-out writer who fell from grace after he wrote a Pulitzer winning series about a young man's dying of AIDS that was based more on fiction than fact, is back. And some of his friends we met in SIMPLE JUSTICE make return appearances: Maurice and Fred, Justice's gay landlords; Alexandra Templeton, the statuesque African American reporter and Harry Brofsky, Justice's former mentor before he lost his job at a good newspaper. The victim here is Raymond Farr, an Iranian would-be writer for the movies-- he is HIV positive, and practically everyone who knows him had reason to kill him. The plot is well developed and goes smoothly. What Mr. Wilson does so well in his other novels, he does here: he makes a real flesh and blood person out of Justice. At the beginning of the novel, he is wracked with guilt over the way he treated his lover who has recently died of AIDS-- he wasn't there for him when his lover was dying. Justice, as the title indicates, is able to change. You will like him much more at the end of the novel than you did at the beginning. Since this tale is about writers trying to get their scripts made into movies, there are many references to old movies and a catalogue of both African American and gay-themed films; additionally Justice keeps running into or just missing stars-- James Caan, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Jack Nicholson, to name a few. My favorite is Wilson's description of George Hamilton as the actor best known for his suntan. Wasn't he also known for escorting one of the Johnson daughters during Lyndon Johnson's presidency? Of course, as he does in each of his stories, the author pays tribute to Walter Mosley-- someone is reading A LITTLE YELLOW DOG. Many of the references to AIDS are almost too painful to read; many of us have had too many of those experiences in the 80's and early 90's. The writer opened up wounds for me that I thought had healed. That is not to say, however, that this is not a great story worth reading.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Justice has been Better", January 9, 2001
This review is from: Revision of Justice (Hardcover)
I have to admit I haven't read the Benjamin Justice Mysteries in order. In fact, I read "Limits of Justice" first and have been backtracking. So I can honestly say this second mystery following "Simple Justice" is not my favorite. However, I really did enjoy the story because the author writes with a style that draws you in with a skill that makes you read right thru not wanting to stop till you get to the end. The story centers around a dead man, Raymond Farr, and how anyone at this Hollywood party might have wanted him dead. Justice begins to nose around and unearths a web of relationships, that finally lead him to the killer. I thought the story dealt very emotionally with Ben's feelings for AIDS stricken Danny Romero, a subject in the murder, and his effort to clear his name in the murder. The ending, yes, was a little obvious, and the murderer easy to figure out, but it's still an interesting read, and very enjoyable. I am glad I read this second mystery by John Wilson, and would recommend all four of his mysteries to anyone.
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