Customer Reviews

Skeleton Justice

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

New York City deputy chief medical examiner Dr. Jake Rosen and his girlfriend lawyer Philomena "Manny" Manfreda are very busy working difficult complex cases. Jake and the police investigate the assaults of "the Vampire," who has knocked out five people with ether before siphoning blood from the unconscious victims. Manny is defending one of the two "Preppy Terrorists"; private-school students charged with setting a bomb in a mailbox that severely injured a federal judge.

Jake realizes the Vampire knows what he is doing medically though with a European flavor until one of the attacked dies. Manny rejects Jake's advice to not handle the Preppy Terrorist case, as she feels her client is unfairly being held responsible because his partner is an ambassador's son so immunity has surfaced. Neither expected their seemingly exclusive cases to merge over an allegedly dead politician.

The fun in the second forensic-legal thriller (see REMAINS SILENT) is the relationship between the lead couple who bring love, obstinacy and professionalism into the mix. The story line is fast-paced as the two subplots start off their separate ways, but consolidate into an over the top conspiracy cover-up thriller. Fans will enjoy the tale though ironically readers will anticipate the merging of the plots while considering the underlying conclusion that vicious murdering rulers rarely are punished.

Harriet Klausner

I picked up Skeleton Justice after reading the book cover which made it sound like a pretty interesting thriller. But it was pretty terrible right from the start. From one-dimensional typecast characters, to poorly thought out story lines, this is a a poor read. Luckily, however, its a quick 315 pages, so I didn't waste much time with this one. All the characters - from the police to the lawyers, to the suspects and even to the Vampire itself are so one dimensional and typecast. The dialogue is a struggle to get through as are a number of poorly written and out of place pop culture references that I think the authors put in there just to keep the book "with it" or relevant or whatever. Regardless, it doesn't work. There is much better stuff out there than this trash. If you want to ready trashy thrillers, there are books out there with far more interesting storylines than someone who sucks blood out of people, a potential terrorist plot, all with potential ties to Argentina. UGH!

Who says opposites don't attract? Manny and Jake work together in unison creating sharp repartee, and unfolding their silent attraction. Great beach read book!

This book is full of tired old cliches, corny/tacky jokes and a pathetically weak plot. The resolution is not suspenseful, rather, it takes a turn towards the illogical and ultimately ends up at the ridiculous. All the while, it enlightens, not at all, the intricacies of pathology or law. Don't waste your time or money.

This is a good mystery book. A husband and wife team are writing about a man and woman team(?) whoc just happen to have their backgrounds (forensics and legal).

This is the second novel they have written. It is a good novel and is interesting and a good read.

Mystery readers will enjoy this book.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

America may have a recent vampire obsession, bringing novel after novel on the topic to bookshop shelves, but with Skeleton Justice readers are given a fresh take on an overdone genre. Authors Dr Michael Biden and Linda Kenney Biden weave together a complicated story of a serial killer proud to be coined "The Vampire" by numerous New York City newspapers. At a time when over played media stories cloud our reality the idea of a serial killer using news agencies to his advantage is something we realize to be all too true.

The main characters of the story are a work obsessed scientist and medical examiner and his love interest and partner for late night investigation, a sexy litigator fighting to prove her ability in the court room. The partnership proves to be a great one, filled with intelligence and a strong sexual chemistry. The characters are so well written that at times you feel you know these people, you feel for them and turn the page frantically to discover what happens to them next. I found myself fighting for them, cheering them on and almost wanting to help them through the battle.

The suspense in this thriller is very real, I never saw what was coming and I was truly surprised at every twist and turn. At certain points I felt the story became a little too complicated, even Manny, one of the main characters tells her investigative partner, "I don't get it Jake..." and "your making me more confused," (Rosen 211). I felt her pain, I too was confused but honestly I didn't care. The many strands in this web come together and even without understanding the exact point that connects it all, you still enjoy the tale. The characters are vivid, the story is intriguing and it all comes together for a thrilling surprise.