WHEN GOOD MEN DO NOTHING, IT’S UP TO ONE RESOURCEFUL WOMAN TO STOP EVIL FROM TRIUMPHING… through every law enforcement agency up to the director of Homeland Security.
After winning the case of a lifetime, Minneapolis criminal defense lawyer Marc Kadella welcomes the infusion of energy his career is receiving. Another lawyer asks him to represent the co-defendant in a murder trial resulting from a petty crime that spiraled out of control—the somewhat “accidental” murder of the nephew of Vivian Corwin, grande dame of the influential Corwin family. Disarmingly charming and still downright sexy at sixty-eight, there’s more to Vivian than meets the eye. You just gotta love a society doyenne who can toss off, “… if I wasn’t a lady, right about now I would say: f— you.”
Marc has no illusions about why he’s being brought into the case, or what will happen. What he doesn’t know is that he’s gotten on the wrong side of a crooked judge; he just knows the guy hates him and will do everything he can to make life miserable for Marc and his client.
So imagine Marc’s astonishment when the judge finds himself on the wrong side of the bar, and will accept no lawyer but Marc to defend him against a murder charge! Marc very reluctantly accepts the case and enlists Maddy Rivers, a strikingly beautiful female private investigator who is totally taking names and breaking noses, to help him build his case.
And it cracks wide open when it overlaps with Vivian Corwin’s. It turns out the two cases are connected to a local crime king who’s getting away with murder and every other kind of mayhem, but what Marc, Maddy, and Vivian can’t figure out is how he’s doing it.
Always thoroughly-prepared and courtly, Marc meticulously builds his case and patiently presses it without heavy-handed courtroom antics or antagonism, even as this compelling legal mystery erupts with courtroom twists that turn into corkscrews.
Fans of John Grisham, Richard North Patterson, and of course the most beloved lawyer sleuth of all time, Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason, will gobble up this one and go back for the rest of the series
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Author obviously know his subject.
What a good book this is. There are lots of elements twisted around each other to make a really thought-provoking story. In the end, the author asks the reader to think about the feelings engendered by the outcome, and it is a valid question. It is hard enough to watch a guilty man get his just desserts, but it is even harder to watch an innocent man get his just desserts. How guilty are each of us in our own way? How often do we reap our just desserts, even when the crime we are charged with is not the crime we committed? The end of the book contains violence; it is not graphically spelled out for the reader, but we are certainly aware of the brutality of it just by being told about it. Once again, are these just desserts? These are valid questions the author asks, and we would do well to answer them in our heart of hearts.
This was an excellent book -loved the characters -didn’t want to put it down
I haven’t read “Desperate Justice” yet but will. I’m sure it will be as fascinating as Dennis Carsten’s first book. Marc Kadella is an excellent character. I learned a lot about how a trial is run, the background investigations, and how hard the legal profession works.
3 Stars
Desperate Justice is the second book in the Marc Kadella Legal Mysteries Series by Dennis Carstens. It has drama, mystery, intrigue, politics, and more.
In this instalment Marc will need to defend a former Judge on murder charges. There is much to uncover, and we are taken on a bit of a rollercoaster ride as the story unfolds. An interesting addition to the series.
Throughly enjoyed reading it… the story-line, the plot, the charecters are great…
love the characters
Love this series, highly recommend it; author needs a better editor for punctuation, some word usage, but otherwise they are great reads!
All of Dennis Carsten’s books have been outstanding, i read one then knew I was hooked. Read them all and still want more!
Great lots of twists and turns
Loved every one ofDennis Carstens books, bring them on
Good read
characters are continued from book to book….good development
I just finished this book. I will sure give it a 5. Good from the start to the end. I have done read the next one following this one. Also a very good book.
This series is great. You are invested in the characters and their lives, their work. I anxiously wait for each new installment.
Great read for those who like subplots along with the main plot. Must also like a totally unexpected ending.
Good legal thriller. Does seem to be missing forensic details that leave parts of the crime seem implausible.
Always enjoy this authors books.
Engaging protag but too much simplistic “conservative” ranting. Mostly pretty entertaining…a good read.
Justice clearly served. Loved it !