Dan Galindo, hero of Barbara Parker's fourth novel,
Criminal Justice is living proof of the maxim "nice guys finish last." Once a federal prosecutor in Miami, Galindo lost his job when he refused to put a dubious witness on the stand and thus let a drug lord walk. Now he is in private practice, defending a beautiful rock star on minor charges. But before you can say "Book him, Dano," Galindo finds himself up to his neck in a labyrinthine world of drugs, crooked cops, laundered money, and murder.
Parker handles this latest tale of the seamy underbelly of the law with cool elan. Her rendering of the South Florida landscape is authentic, and the characters who slither through it are convincing, which puts Criminal Justice at the head of its class.
Life is tough for Miami attorney Dan Galindo. A year ago, as prosecutor, he blew a drug case by refusing to let a corrupt witness take the stand, thereby losing his job, scuttling his marriage, and incurring the wrath of the DEA. He's been slogging away in a rundown law practice ever since, shared with an equally rundown partner who would rather play jazz piano. Now his ex-brother-in-law, a music promoter, is asking him to represent gorgeous rock singer Martha Cruz, who slugged a cop. Dan has blundered unwittingly into another DEA setup, instigated by his former colleague Elaine McHale, who is after Martha's fancy man, Miguel, a drug runner. Parker (Blood Relations, Dutton, 1996) has written a brutal commentary on the Miami music scene, offering unforgettable characters and some hilarious potshots at suburbia. Get past the unlikely coincidences, then hold on to something for a wild ride. Highly recommended.
-?Laurel Wilson, Alexandrian P.L.. Mount Vernon, Ind.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.