4 stars out of 5
Even though author Paul Levine doesn't look anywhere nearly old enough to have written for the ABC TV series Moonlighting that aired from 1985 to 1989, this book so reminded me of the interaction between the characters played by Cybill Shepard and Bruce Willis that I actually checked to see if his name is listed anywhere in the writing credits. The biggest difference between the TV show and the book in my mind is that the former pair were partners in a private investigation firm and the two in this book - Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord - are lawyers. Aha, I said to myself - it's also more than a little reminiscent of another more recent TV show, NBC's Harry's Law, starring Kathy Bates (there's even a list of "Solomon's Laws," the first of which is, "When the law doesn't work...work the law").
I looked for Levine's name in the credits of that show as well, but I didn't find it there either. So, I'll say simply that anyone who enjoyed the bickering, sexual innuendos and snarky one-liners on either or both of those shows most likely will love this book - the first of a series of four. The dynamic duo first meet in court when the two are opposing counsel. Lord is totally put off by Solomon's devil-may-care courtroom antics that come close to crossing the ethics line, and he's relentless in his attempts to ruffle the feathers of the newly minted state's attorney whom Solomon considers to be "hot" but way too straight-laced. Needless to say, he's successful - and as a result they both end up in the pokey on contempt charges.
Ultimately, mostly thanks to Solomon's badgering, Lord gets fired. In theory, that's not a huge problem since she's engaged to a wealthy but nice (think ho-hum) guy who wants her to join his business. But Lord isn't quite ready to give up the courtroom (nor, given her soon-to-be husband's vegetarian bent, her meat). And by now Solomon is in lust and will do just about anything to convince her she's got a place in his firm - and his bed - so let the games begin.
Then, a local millionaire bites the dust, supposedly the victim of sex play with his trophy wife gone wrong. Lord, who knows the now-widow, wants to take the case, and Solomon convinces her to let him help. Meanwhile, Solomon is fighting a battle of his own. A while back, it seems, he "rescued" his druggie sister's young son Bobby, who's been seriously abused and exhibits autistic and savant characteristics (he's a pro at anagrams, for instance). The local powers-that-be want the child put in a place where he can be prodded, poked and tested - and Solomon will do just about anything to keep that from happening.
The book follows the murder and custody cases both in and out of court, all the while showcasing the love-hate "relationship" between Solomon and Lord. In spots, the dialog is chuckle-out-loud funny; in a few others, it gets downright silly, prompting me to go with 4 stars instead of 5. Still, it's an easy-to-read romp, and now I'm looking forward to the other books in the series.
Solomon vs. Lord by Paul Levine (Bantam Dell, 2005); 578 pp.
4 stars out of 5
One of the free and low-cost book services to which I belong offered this one free back in March. The description sounded interesting, the reviews were decent, and it was a Best Book of the Month and a No. 1 Best Seller in the Legal Thriller category at Amazon. Besides that, the author has some serious writing chops (including several other books and more than 20 episodes of the JAG TV show on CBS (that alone upped him a few notches on my admiration scale - I really enjoyed that show).
Besides that, this book is subtitled "Jimmy ("Royal") Payne Legal Thriller Book 1, and I'm always looking for new, solid series to fall back on when nothing much else on my to-read list turns me on.
When I finally got around to starting it, I learned that it features a down-but-not-out semi-sleazy lawyer who defends low-life, has an ex-wife he still loves, judges and other law enforcement folks who hate his guts and a vendetta against the man who killed his son in a hit-and-run...stop me if you've heard this one before. Shortly thereafter, I came across this tidbit:
"The Jack Daniels swirled between the ice cubes like molten lava through porous rocks."
Uh-oh, I said to myself - this could be a huge mistake.
Thankfully, that wasn't the case; in fact, the writing is excellent and the story turned out to be interesting (if a titch on the predictable side). It begins as Jimmy is coerced into bribing a crooked judge; he's successful, but the fallout puts Jimmy in the cross hairs of his peers on just about every side of the desk. Meanwhile, his ex-wife, a police officer, is engaged to a talk-circuit blowhard who blasts Mexican illegals every chance he gets (the setting is California, where large numbers cross the border every day).
Shift gears to the other side of the line, where a beautiful Mexican mother and her 12-year-old son who are trying to get into the United States become separated. Jimmy, who's on the warpath to find the Mexican man who was responsible for his son's death, bumps into the boy and ultimately promises to help find the missing mother. Now, with the boy in tow, Jimmy is running not only from the U.S. cops - a warrant has been issued for his arrest - but also some rather nasty Mexicans intent on putting him six feet under (maybe less depending on how much time they have). The chase leads to a powerful ranch owner who has his hands in everyone's pocket - and who may not be the upstanding businessman he makes himself out to be. Will Jimmy find the boy's mother and the man who killed his son before he gets himself thrown in jail (or worse)?
The only real complaint I have is that the transitions need some serious work - switcheroos from setting to setting happen with little warning (one, in fact, occurred in the same paragraph). And while I know the boy had a tough life and gained street smarts, he seems wise way beyond his years when it comes to knowledge of all things American (heck, even at my advanced age I have no clue how to find porn channels on TV or work someone else's iPod with zero instruction).
All in all, though, it's an enjoyable adventure, and everything gets wrapped up by the end. At that point, I was left with a bit of a puzzle. The book is listed under the "Stand-alone" section of the author's writings, which suggests it's not, in fact, the first of a series. So why does the subtitle call it "Book 1?" Hmm - inquiring minds want to know.
Illegal by Paul Levine (Nittany Valley Productions Inc., March 2014); 386 pp.
Even though author Paul Levine doesn't look anywhere nearly old enough to have written for the ABC TV series Moonlighting that aired from 1985 to 1989, this book so reminded me of the interaction between the characters played by Cybill Shepard and Bruce Willis that I actually checked to see if his name is listed anywhere in the writing credits. The biggest difference between the TV show and the book in my mind is that the former pair were partners in a private investigation firm and the two in this book - Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord - are lawyers. Aha, I said to myself - it's also more than a little reminiscent of another more recent TV show, NBC's Harry's Law, starring Kathy Bates (there's even a list of "Solomon's Laws," the first of which is, "When the law doesn't work...work the law").
