Rating: 
Summary: Not Tanenbaum's best but still good
Review: At his worst, Robert K. Tanenbaum is a good read. At his best, he is a fabulous read. The Enemy Within is neither his worst nor his best. In his latest book, the plot relies heavily on coincidence, and the closing sequence is nothing short of surreal. Nonetheless Tanenbaum is still excruciatingly funny. Had I ever entertained ambitions to belong to New York's social glitterati, Marlene's brief sojourn therein would have cured me forever. Marlene has regressed back into a character rather more unlovely than she has been for some time, and the scope of her exploits makes even Nancy Drew sound plausible. But at her strangest (and with questionable motivation) Marlene is still fun and funny to read about. And Tanenbaum manages to make Butch and Marlene Karp's daughter Lucy palatable which is no small feat since she has evolved from being not merely a linguistic phenomenon but additionally a mystic one. Not content with conquering the world's spoken languages, Lucy is now tuning in words that no one else can hear. I do care about the compelling Lucy, but Marlene is more interesting, just as in Milton's Paradise Lost, Satan is the more engaging, at least in a literary sense. Tanenbaum has an annoying tendency to toss his secondary protagonists aside before their time, which is not fair when all of them are so vivid and so well defined. If he absolutely promises to live forever and never to stop writing, he may yet redeem himself (Tran is thankfully brought back here in one of the book's many coincidences) but the author had better eat all his veggies and otherwise look after his health, because otherwise even his fans will find certain omissions unbearable. Quick, how long till the next Tanenbaum?
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read, But...
Review: I am a die-hard Tanenbaum fan. I wait for my yearly Butch and Marlene fix like a heroin addict awaits that tiny sting of the needle. That said, I must say I was disappointed in this year's offering. Problems large and small prevented Enemy Within from being a completely satisfying read. Previous editors have failed to catch the odd typo or grammatical error (insure vs. ensure and that sort of thing) but in this case, the editor went on vacation. Harry Bello is now sporting a W at the end of his name, and Marlene's co-workers are using her pet phrases, like "girlhood dream." I could live with such things, but as a previous reviewer pointed out, Marlene's sudden left turn into alcoholism was way too simplistic and unbelievable. A kind editor would have said, "You might want to re-think this one." Marlene an alcoholic? Why, because a job protecting a ditzy rock star goes wrong? The old Marlene would have crawled into the electroplating tub, had a tumbler of red and a good cry, but this was too much. Tanenbaum suggests that her company's covert dealings to increase the stock price and the money shower that follows contribute to her condition, but even this is hard to believe. Marlene is the party-hard girl, the tough city woman who whistles up cabs, flings pizza dough, performs sleight-of-hand tricks, and wings rather than kills bad guys. She's not a woman to crawl into the bottom of a bottle and stay there. After all, she hauled Harry out of the same mess with lasagna and stern words. The rest of the book has its moments, but reads more like "Duane's Depressed." Karp is feeling old and disillusioned by Keegan's need to win the next election no matter what. Lucy can whip him in a game of basketball, and Marlene has gone around the bend with her windfall. Veteren characters are disappearing quickly--one has retired and is dying of cancer, while another has fled NY altogether. Even Lucy is not left unscathed, for a man she admires turns out not to be so admirable. Don't get me wrong. I'm still a fan, and Tanenbaum is still one of the few writers who can make me laugh out loud. I'll buy his next book, but probably not on the first day at full price.
Rating: 
Summary: Enemy Within
Review: I DON'T REMEMBER READING ANY OF THE PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THIS SERIES SO THE CHARACTERS ARE ALL NEW TO ME.THE AUTHOR WORKED IN NYC AS HEAD OF THE HOMICIDE DIVISION SO I THINK HE KNOWS THE INS AND OUTS OF THE DA'SOFFICE.THE SHOOT OUT WITH THE DRIVER OF A STOLEN CAR STARTS THE PLOT. THE COP CLAIMS SELF DEFENSE BUT THE VICTIM HAD 10 SHOTS IN THE BACK WHILE HIS CAR WAS FACING THE POLICE CRUISER. AS A FAVORED COP HE IS NO BILLED BY THE GRAND JURY WHICH WAS PRESENTED WITH A CLEANED UP VERSIONOF THE CRIME.KARP IS THE HEAD OF THE HOMICIDE DIVISION AND SUSPECTS A COVER UP.HIS WIFE MARLENE IS A HIGHER UP IN A PRIVATE SECURITY AGENCY. LUCY IS THE 17 YR. OLD DAUGHTER WHO IS GIFTED IN LANGUAGES BUT HATES AND SKIPS SCHOOL DOING HER GOOD WORKS IN THE SOUP KITCHEN OF A CHURCH WHERE SHE IS ENAMORED OF A YOUNG PRIEST. THEY HANG OUT WITH THE HOMELESS MEN TRYING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER WHILE LOOKING FOR THE SLASHER WHO KILLS THE HOMELESS MEN.THE STORY IS LONG AND AT TIMES BELABORED AS PERSONAL GOALS AREJUGGLED AROUND WITH DRINKING PROBLEMS, SUDDEN WEALTH, TOO MUCH TIME SPENT AT WORK AND LUCYS OBSESSION WITH HER RELIGION, SAINTS AND HER FEELINGS TOWARDS THE PRIEST WHO IS 10 YEARS HER SENIOR BUT SEEMS RATHER IMMATURE AT TIMES AND DISTRACTED WITH SOMETHING HE DOES NOT SHARE WITH ANYONE.THE COPS ARE LOOKING FOR A HOMELESS MAN BUT HE HAS DISAPPERED SO LUCY ET AL GO DEEP UNDERGROUND IN THE NYC SYSTEM OF OLD DRAIN PIPES AND SERVICE TUNNELS, TRYING TO FIND CANMAN TO SAVE HIM. NEARLY EVERYONE DOWN THERE GETS KILLED OR CLOSE TO IT.THE MYSTERYS ARE SOLVED, THE DA'S OFFICE IS CLEANSED AND KARP AND MARLENE TAKE UP A NEW OCCUPATION.I WOULD SUPPOSE A NEW BOOK WILL COME OUT IN THE SERIES BUT I AM NOT INTERESTED IN READING ANOTHER BELABORED BOOK.
Rating:
Summary: Enemy Within
Review: I read constantly and I read many police/lawyer/crime novels. I was very disappointed with this one. Aside from the crucial chase/shooting scene, the book was so dull that I stopped reading it after 84 pages. It is so filled with mind numbing descriptions and conversations that I had to force myself to plow through the dialogue. Being a detective myself, I was also put off by the author's obvious feeling of superiority to cops that seems to permeate his writing. In addition, the author, being a lawyer, talks too much without making a point. I have read other novels written by attorneys and have enjoyed them, so I am not just attorney-bashing here. This is the first and last Tanenbaum novel for me.
Rating:
Summary: Has Robert Tannenbaum Totally Lost It??
Review: I sometimes wonder if people actually read the same book I did after glancing at some of the reviews on this site, but with this book I can't believe what I was reading with the reviews of this one. I have read all the Butch Karp/Marlene novels from the start, thoroughly enjoying all of them. However I draw the line with this book,one of the most boring reads I ever attempted. The book starts out well with a car chase and shoot out but then goes totally downhill. I only got up to page 132 and gave up waiting for something to happen. Absolutely nothing happened beyond the above mentioned scen?? A few legal arguments with Butch and the DA, some banter with his associate, and a basketball game with Butch playing against Lucy, COME ON! This book was totally dead and should be buried, a real pitty as some of the other books in this series have been really good.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing....
Review: is what you will get with a Tanenbaum novel. Enemy Within captured my imagination and attention a little less than earlier books in the series. Don't get me wrong, I'm still quite taken with the Karp daughter, Lucy, although the freedom she is granted to move about any and all dank corner of NYC, making friends of the homeless, is a little bit of a stretch. Some old friends from the series return, although their bits are far too small -- Hrcany, Guma, Newberry and one of Tanenbaum's best, Tran. Butch himself is
worrying his way through middle age, and is believable in his motivation and his frustration at the lack of normalcy in either his work or family life. (Oh, if only he realized that this is true of everyone in their 40's!) The sour note is the author's decision to drive Marlene to drink. And spend. And drink. And spend. And drink. And, having tried to fit this zany, opinionated Italian lady into that mold, Tanenbaum does not do the reader any favors by asking us to believe that she can then shake herself out of it without professional help, simply because she is motivated to take down some bad guys and stop ignoring her daughter and help resolve the murders she is involved in. Marlene takes the book from 4 stars to 3. Is it time for a change in the series? Perhaps so, the DA's office has been thoroughly dismembered in the series, perhaps Butch needs a judgeship. Perhaps Marlene needs to have at least one child learning disabled, so she can devote her considerable skills to something that matters. Still, the series that best showcases all the slices of life that are NYC, continues to appeal, even when exploring the wildly rumored underground terrors that haunt the city and maintain the myth. Perhaps best purchased used or borrowed from the library!
Rating: 
Summary: Always a good yarn...
Review: is what you will get with a Tanenbaum novel. Enemy Within captured my imagination and attention a little less than earlier books in the series. Don't get me wrong, I'm still quite taken with the Karp daughter, Lucy, although the freedom she is granted to move about any and all dank corner of NYC, making friends of the homeless, is a little bit of a stretch. Some old friends from the series return, although their bits are far too small -- Hrcany, Guma, Newberry and one of Tanenbaum's best, Tran. Butch himself is
worrying his way through middle age, and is believable in his motivation and his frustration at the lack of normalcy in either his work or family life. (Oh, if only he realized that this is true of everyone in their 40's!) The sour note is the author's decision to drive Marlene to drink. And spend. And drink. And spend. And drink. And, having tried to fit this zany, opinionated Italian lady into that mold, Tanenbaum does not do the reader any favors by asking us to believe that she can then shake herself out of it without professional help, simply because she is motivated to take down some bad guys and stop ignoring her daughter and help resolve the murders she is involved in. Marlene takes the book from 4 stars to 3. Is it time for a change in the series? Perhaps so, the DA's office has been thoroughly dismembered in the series, perhaps Butch needs a judgeship. Perhaps Marlene needs to have at least one child learning disabled, so she can devote her considerable skills to something that matters. Still, the series that best showcases all the slices of life that are NYC, continues to appeal, even when exploring the wildly rumored underground terrors that haunt the city and maintain the myth. Perhaps best purchased used or borrowed from the library!
Rating:
Summary: Better than a lot of others
Review: This may not be the Butch and Marlene story that Tanenbaum has written, but mediocre Tanenbaum is better than the best of John Grisham. Marlene goes on a tangent that is one of the best parts of this book when she gets filthy rich and cannot get enough shopping or enough vintage wine. Lucy is her mother's daughter all the way. Butch is really left more confused than usual, but manages to cope. If you are not yet a Butch and Marlene fan, start with the first and read them in order. Wouldn't you love to see Cher play Marlene in a movie!
Rating:
Summary: Better than a lot of others
Review: This may not be the Butch and Marlene story that Tanenbaum has written, but mediocre Tanenbaum is better than the best of John Grisham. Marlene goes on a tangent that is one of the best parts of this book when she gets filthy rich and cannot get enough shopping or enough vintage wine. Lucy is her mother's daughter all the way. Butch is really left more confused than usual, but manages to cope. If you are not yet a Butch and Marlene fan, start with the first and read them in order. Wouldn't you love to see Cher play Marlene in a movie!
Rating:
Summary: Another month in the life of the Karps.
Review: This volume, and the last one, are not as good as prior volumes, though all are quite well written. I've read about Marlene and Butch since before they were married. I think the series is loosing some of its punch. On the other hand, it may just be a transitional novel from Marlene/Butch to their daughter, the language genius. Where is it going? I hope the author has a plan. This is definitely a series to read from the start. Find the earliest dates you can and try to read in chronological order to get the big story along with the episodes.
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