Irresistible Impulse by Robert K. Tanenbaum 

Reaching way back to 1997, this novel, being a legal thriller, is about justice, though not always served. One could argue there is some redemption, but more lessons learned than true redemption. And vengeance runs through one of the two highlighted cases. This is a Butch Karp and Marlene Ciampi novel. They are married. Karp is the head of the homicide division in the district attorney’s office and Marlene has her own private investigation company that provides protection for celebrities and for battered and abused women.

There are two ongoing cases with some overlap. Karp takes on a high-profile murder case where a young, wealthy man dressed up like an African American and murdered elderly African America women. Marlene is searching for a stalker of a well-known cellist. Tanenbaum throws surprises at the reader toward the ending of both cases. I did not see the conclusion of Marlene’s stalker case coming.  

The characters are well-drawn and interesting. I had no trouble jumping into this book, though it’s several into the series of these two characters. The story is also well-done, though it dives into demented sexual depravities and goes into more detail than necessary. Though it’s over four hundred pages, the pace is kept steady, and the book reads quickly. With all that, I still prefer Grisham’s style over Tanenbaum’s, at least in this book. It is my first Tanenbaum, so I’m not sure all of his books are written like this. There were a couple brief point-of-view jumps into the stalker, which didn’t add anything to the story. Otherwise, we see most of the story from Karp’s and Marlene’s points of view. But like many established successful authors, strict point-of-view is not adhered to. There is head hopping throughout (this is for the writers reading this review).

Profanity is splattered throughout. As mentioned earlier, a lot of on page sexual activity, much of it deviant. There is some violence, but not over-the-top. I’ll rank this one tenth of what I’ve read so far this year.

If you like legal thrillers and can put up with the lewdness, this is a good read.

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2. Through Thorny Ways by Jennifer Q. Hunt
3. The Seven Day Resurrection by Chevron Ross
4. Justice by Jeff Hill
5. Already in the Kudzu by Hannah Hood Lucero
6. The Misadventures of Itchy Izzy by N.Y. Dunlap
7. Ranch Showdown by Tina Wheeler
8. The Shocking Truth by Steve Rush
9. Daughter of Darkness by Ed Gorman
10. Irresistible Impulse by Robert K. Tanenbaum
11. The Longest Day by Terry Toler
12. Left to Die by Lisa Jackson

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