Intrigue, murder, corruption, and dramatic courtroom battles combine to make Infamy another must-read in Robert K. Tanenbaum’s “tightly-written” (Booklist) legal thrillers. When a former Army veteran suddenly murders a colonel in New York, he claims that he had to do it because he was being used in mind control experiments. Surprisingly, a top Wall Street criminal defense lawyer, one with ties to the White House, decides to defend the killer, arguing that his client suffered from post-traumatic stress from his tours in Afghanistan and that it’s his patriotic duty to assist him.
As New York District Attorney Roger “Butch” Karp prepares a murder case against the veteran, he meets with investigative reporter Ariadne Stupenagel, who suspects that one of her sources for a story on high-level government corruption was a victim in the shooting. This points not to a random act of violence, but a hired killing that goes to the top levels of our nation.
In this fast-paced thriller, Karp goes up against corruption so powerful that he, his family, and his friends are in danger if he intends to prosecute those responsible for the murder of an FBI whistle-blower. Filled with edge-of-your-seat action, stunning plot twists, and, “solid courtroom scenes” (Kirkus Reviews), Infamy will keep you guessing until the very end. -- Gallery
I have just returned from a wonderful time at SIBA in Savannah, GA with Kathy (aka Bermudaonion) and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed this week. Thankfully, my father provided me with a review just in time! His latest read is INFAMY by Robert K. Tanenbaum, and here are his thoughts:
INFAMY, by Robert K. Tanenbaum is the 28th book in the series featuring New York District Attorney, Roger “Butch” Karp as the main character. In this latest novel, Karp becomes involved in the mysterious murder of a U.S. Army Colonel in a New York park by a former army vet who served under the colonel. When a top Wall Street attorney with White House ties volunteers to defend the former soldier, it signals to Karp that there might be more to this case than he initially thought. With the help of a well-connected journalist, Karp learns about a secret Middle East operation referred to as “Mirage” that is connected to the Colonel’s murder. Karp follows the clues and soon finds himself battling murder, threats against his family and corruption at the highest levels of the U.S. Government.
Author Robert Tanenbaum opens INFAMY with a prologue that describes a court scene where the prosecution and defense are awaiting a verdict from the jury. The author uses this scene to introduce the important characters in the book except the defendant. He then moves back eleven months to begin the story. In an interesting approach, Tanenbaum gradually reveals the plot and the guilty party to the reader and the story then revolves around Karp’s effort to prove it in court. Although the author relies more on the plot and court room drama to carry the story, he does manage to present an interesting mix of characters including his wife, his daughter and her fiancé, a Taos Indian tracker, a journalist, a Vietnamese gangster, his best friend and a New York City detective. The reader gradually learns the role each character plays in bringing the defendant to justice.
While we witness examples of the manipulation of people and the government by an elite few, in INFAMY, Tanenbaum takes it to a level that is possible but likely a little far-fetched. INFAMY features intrigue, corruption, murder, power and dramatic court scenes with plenty of twists and turns to hold the reader’s interest. Although INFAMY is the 28TH book in the Karp series, it really stands on its own. Anyone who enjoys the legal thriller genre will like this book.
Thanks to Booking Pap Pap for his review and thanks to FSB Associates for providing a review copy of the novel.
Oh, I like books that are told that way!
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