Street Judge (Zane Presents) [Kindle Edition]

Greg Mathis (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mathis, a juvenile delinquent turned judge and courtroom reality show host in Detroit, Mich., delivers his unfortunate first novel, a trite thriller featuring a crusading Mathis as the protagonist. The action begins as Mathis uncovers corruption in the seductive form of ambitious assistant D.A. Carolyn Otto, who has begun an affair with Mathis's good friend, Gram Olson, in an attempt to swindle Gram's wife's money. Carolyn (whom Mathis refers to as "black widow" ad nauseam) reaches the apex of evil as she blackmails Olson and tries to bribe Mathis himself. Simultaneously, Mathis is searching for the killer of Sheila Morgan, a single mother who was decapitated. Unfortunately, the narrative is disjointed and comically hokey, and the prose is less than lackluster.
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Product Description

In this fast-paced, sexually charged thriller, a newly appointed judge is caught up in a gritty case involving a brutally murdered woman as well as a blackmail scheme involving an overzealous femme fatale determined to sleep her way to the top of Detroit's society page.

Detroit was once considered the murder capital of the nation, and as fresh-tothe-bench Judge Mathis discovers, it may be living up to its name. In one of the city's most horrific crimes ever, a young single parent has been discovered decapitated in an alleyway, with her head located several blocks away. The police are stumped until the arrest of a drug dealer promises to reveal vital information about the case. The only problem? The drug dealer won't talk to anyone but Judge Mathis.

The dealer demands privileges and assurances of safety from Mathis, who refuses to bend his moral code and give in to the conditions, setting the investigation back to square one. But Mathis isn't about to give up and finds himself unable to stop thinking about the case. So he sets out on the streets, using his savvy and connections to uncover the motives and means that led to the woman's death. Crossing paths with people from his past who have decided to benefit from criminal activity, Mathis stands up for the innocents who cannot defend themselves. From establishing a drug rehabilitation center to helping the youth through a mentoring program, Mathis is much more than a judge, for he once walked on the wrong side of the law as well.

Drugs and murder are not the only issues that Judge Mathis must contend with. An overambitious assistant district attorney has decided to use her feminine wiles to sleep her way to the top with several of the most powerful men in Detroit. Using sex as a weapon and blackmail as the ultimate threat, she has caught them all up in a web of deception and Judge Mathis must help his close friends to salvage their lives before her game becomes deadly.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 482 KB
• Publisher: Strebor Books (September 23, 2008)
• Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001GKWFY2
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #295,088 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Your Past is Always A Part Of Your Life, September 12, 2008

By 

Priscilla C. Johnson "bookmaniac" (Baltimore, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Street Judge (Hardcover)

Amazon Rating: 3.5

After being sworn in as the youngest Judge on the bench in Detroit, Judge Greg Mathis, in Street Judge, sets out to make a change in the city where he grew up. Known as the Murder Capital, Detroit has become a violent place to live. On his first day on the bench, the police ask Judge Mathis to speak with high profile drug dealer, who also happens to be an acquaintance from his past. The information that he gives Judge Mathis could solve the murder of a young woman but there are complications and political cover-ups involved. Judge Mathis sets out in his own unique style to find the truth without jeopardizing his moral code to himself and the oath that he has taken.

Street Judge was a very interesting story to read. Written in first person, the reader gets the impression that he/she is actually having a conversation with Judge Mathis instead of reading a book. Since I was given a review copy of the book, I assumed that this was a book of fiction but it is not. Street Judge is indeed a true story of Judge Mathis' life and a story of murder, mystery and political crimes and cover-ups. He also introduces readers to his non-profit organization, Young Adults Asserting Themselves and Sheila's House, which help addicts that are seeking help. The ending of the memoir/autobiography was a bit rushed and put a damper on the conclusion for this reader. All in all, fans of Judge Mathis will like this story

Reviewed by: Priscilla C. Johnson
APOOO BookClub

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You Be The Judge, April 30, 2009

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Street Judge (Hardcover)

STREET JUDGE is a fast-paced tale of suspense and savvy detective work by the one and only Judge Greg Mathis. One aspect of this story is unique, though, and that's the fact that it's fiction. Mathis is a newly appointed judge whose in-depth knowledge of the crime-riddled streets of Detroit serves him well and makes him a little bit of a target.

When police find the decapitated body of an African-American woman and the seemingly unrelated arrest of a drug dealer looks like it might unearth some much needed leads, Judge Mathis is put on the hot seat. The drug dealer will only share what he knows with Mathis, and only if Mathis agrees to his conditions. Unfortunately for him, Mathis won't compromise his strong code of ethics, no matter how pressed the police are for leads in the case. Instead, the judge takes to the streets of Detroit, the same streets where he grew up and learned the ropes. He uncovers the truth about the woman's death for himself. A twisted web of political corruption and unseemly behavior on the part of city officials unravels, slowly but surely, and Mathis won't stop until he knows who did what, when, where and why.

STREET JUDGE by Judge Greg Mathis is an engaging read, one that mystery/suspense fans will no doubt enjoy. The plot rolls along smoothly, right up until the last page, when you'll understand what being a street judge is really all about. I was left wondering if this was the beginning of a series, and hoping it might be.

Reviewed by T. Shelly B.
of the RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

4.0 out of 5 stars pleased, March 13, 2011

By 

sala - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Street Judge (Zane Presents) (Paperback)

STREET JUDGE was given as a gift to a young man in trouble. It was encouraging to note that he read it and found it helpful to him.