Customer Reviews

Unlawful Deeds

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Intricate plotting is a lost art that relies on the introduction of characters whose parallel spheres of action seemingly will never meet and then intersect to drive the plot forward. P.G. Wodehouse, author of many light comedies involving the large-hearted and empty-headed Bertie Wooster and his manservant Jeeves, was a master of introducing dozens of characters whose predicaments began separately, inevitably intertwined, and ended in a satisfying denouement that left the reader stunned by the clever way all the loose ends tied together. While Unlawful Deeds, by David S. Brody, is a mystery/legal thriller written in a far different genre than Wodehouse's complicated comedy of manners and takes as its spiritual predecessor John Grisham, Brody's ability to create a universe in which all of his characters' lives begin separately and eventually intersect in a deliciously evil story of greed, murder, deception, and justice is reminiscent of Wodehouse's plot-juggling abilities, a great compliment indeed for a young writer.

Bruce Arrujo is a new young lawyer and an old criminal, whose former modus operandi was stealing art, but who now aspires to real estate fraud when he lands a job with a prestigious Boston law firm's real estate department. The story begins with Bruce's fencing of a Manet painting and includes references to the theft of paintings from the Gardner Museum by Bruce's partner in crime. Unfortunately, this is one plot line that the author does not further pursue and its presence in the story does not add much to an otherwise superlative and complicated plot. Bruce picks his dupe early in the story, a young real estate broker named Pierre Prefontaine, a more or less moral "vulture" whose nose for a bargain foreclosure auction gains him a reputation and publicity, and Bruce becomes his attorney. Pierre acquires a condominium complex in which dwells Charese, a transvestite who is suing her former lover, Roberge Krygier, for support and who occupies their former condo under the protection of court order. Charese's refusal to vacate and her involvement in litigation makes it impossible for Pierre to evict her so that he can sell the building quickly and make the profit he needs to support his wife and baby. Later, Pierre acquires a huge condominium complex being auctioned off by a government that promises huge profits for Pierre and his partner, Howie Plansky. They turn to Bruce to help them consummate the deal, and Bruce's deviltry becomes poetry in motion as he maneuvers a guileless and ignorant Pierre into structuring the deal in an illegal way.

After Charese is found murdered, Bruce tries to frame Pierre not only as Charese's killer but calls to the police's attention the real estate fraud that Bruce has arranged for the unwitting Pierre to commit. The question is, was Bruce willing to commit murder in order to swindle Pierre out of his property deal? Or did Pierre actually commit the murder to force a quicker sale of Charese's condo building in order to prevent financial ruin, and was Bruce, knowing that much of the evidence pointed to Pierre, merely being an opportunistic vulture attempting to gain Pierre's property interests? There are other suspects, including Reese Jeffries, an unscrupulous public interest attorney who represented Charese in a lawsuit against her former lover, Roberge, the son of a powerful real estate developer whom Jeffries, a rent control advocate, hates and would like to embarrass into bankruptcy. Roberge and/or his father, Wesley, might have killed Charese to avoid further public disclosure of the details of Roberge's homosexual affair with a transvestite and the video tape that Charese possessed showing Roberge having sex with young boys. Or is there another suspect out there, a nameless, faceless adversary who foils Bruce's real estate swindles?

Unlawful Deeds is set in the period of the late eighties and early nineties, a time of plunging real estate values and threatening overall economic recession. Brody does a thorough job of recreating the uncertain and gloomy mood of the moment, and includes a great deal of detail about the nuts and bolts of real estate transactions (although some of the detail was a bit technical, sometimes unnecessary and eventually excessive), knowledge which the reader can trust because Brody is himself a real estate attorney. Praiseworthy as well is Brody's use of his knowledge of Boston to give the reader a genuine feeling of being on the spot, particularly if one is familiar with the streets of Boston. Although the solution to the mystery was a little predictable, it was nevertheless an enormously fun read, and was exceedingly hard to put down.

This book attracted me because the story takes place in Boston. It is an engaging insigt into Boston's real estate bust in the late 80's/early 90's. The characters are fresh, interesting and some seem strangely familiar. Suspense, deception, romance, murder, success, failure...this intelligent page turner has it all.

From the first chapter to the very end, I couldn't put this book down. The characters were well-established, multi-dimensional, and truly believeable, and the plot, with all of its twists and turns, was nevertheless easy to follow. As a lawyer, I've always suspected (feared?) that people as calculating as Bruce exist. May they stay in Boston. In all, a great read.

Unlawful Deeds kept me guessing right up to the final pages. Mr Brody has assembled an excellent cast of characters, suspenseful plot twists, and delivers his unique insight on the crazy world of Boston real estate in the late 80's!

This was an exciting legal thriller. The writing and action gets better as the books progresses. The end was as exciting as any of John Grisham's best thrillers. The main charactors are quickly established and I cared what happened to them.

I am a member of a 7 person bookclub and we have yet to read a book that we all liked, unitl now! Unlawful Deeds is a treat. If you like Grisham, you will love Brody! The attention to detail in the telling of this Boston real estate/legal thriller is impressive. Every character is believable and you find yourself drawn into the plot immediately. We can't wait to read Mr. Brody's next book!

Unlawful Deeds was a book that was difficult to put down. It's view of the 1980's Boston real estate market combined with the murder/mystery presented a fascinating plot. I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel...

In addition to being a great read, Unlawful Deeds is very informative about the real estate market and the famous art theft in the Boston area a few years back.

Unlawful Deeds is a fast-paced mystery in the genre of Grisham. Grisham gave us insight into corporate America, Brody gives us insight into the real estate arena, and the still unsolved art theft in Boston.

Mr. Brody keeps the book moving rapidly, and the reader wondering whether Bruce Arrujo is what he appears to be, or if he has a hidden agenda. ...a Grisham fan

Unlawful Deeds is more than just another legal thriller. It's that and a lot more than that. Attorney Bruce Arrujo, the central character in this fast-moving novel, is one of the most complex figures in literature. You can't help but be fascinated by the way his mind works. You find yourself both admiring his ingenuity and wanting to condemn him for his deviousness. But Arrujo is not the only one to challenge the reader's sensitivities. There's Pierre Prefontaine, to all intents and purposes, good guy extraordinaire. Then there's Gus and Reese, just to make it interesting. As the story unfolds, it's not so easy to sort out the good guys from the bad guys. The colorful cast of characters is guaranteed to hold your attention well into the night. If the world of big-time real estate wheeling and dealing, legal machinations, and art theft on the grand scale are ingredients likely to grab your attention, you won't be able to put down this can't-catch-your-breath story of insider manipulation of the Boston real estate market.

To me, the term "legal thriller" has always been an oxymoron. UNLAWFUL DEEDS shattered that mind-set! This is perhaps the most intricate and moving mystery in decades. An attorney with plans to swindle clients on real estate deals finds himself at ground zero of a murder investigation and an art theft investigation. If anyone deserves the trouble, he does. Nothing of late compares to the compelling nature of this book. Just read it! You'll be better off for the experience.