Rating: 
Summary: A wild ride
Review: Having read and enjoyed Margolin's book, The Associate, I was back in search of more from the author. Next on the list was Wild Justice. I was not disappointed. It starts fast and moves forward at a quick pace throughout. Wild Justice is filled with action, suspense, plot twists and good character development. The story is set in the Pacific Northwest as a father-daughter legal team represents two defendants accused of a string of brutal serial killings. (Despite the compelling nature of the story, the intensity of the subject matter and detailed descriptions in regards to the serial murders mean that this work is not for the faint of heart.) My only real complaint with the book was that I was able to deduce the identity of the perpetrator too early in the book. Although my early guess ultimately was proven to be correct, the work was still very entertaining as Margolin brought everything together for a great closing to the book.
Rating:
Summary: Fast-Paced, Staccato, Thriller
Review: Detective Bobby Vasquez blunders into a crime scene of Jeffrey Dahmer like proportions. Hard - fingerprint - evidence points directly to Dr. Vincent Cardoni - an unpleasant and arrogant surgeon addicted to cocaine. But the case against Cardoni is dismissed on technicalities - Vasquez's evidence was improperly obtained. Before the DA can come up with a way to reinstate his case, the police conclude that Cardoni himself has been murdered at the original crime scene. Four years later, a set of identical crimes is discovered in another county but, this time, equivalently hard evidence points to Cardoni's bitterly divorced ex-wife, Justine Castle.Wild Justice taunts you with a maze of contradictions which culminate in a fearful chase to save Cardoni's and later Justine's lawyer from a horrible murder. If you like Margolin and his ilk, this one's a priority read although it doesn't reach the compelling/must-read status of Gone but Not Forgotten. As with my other 4 star ratings, I classify this as airplane, vacation, or other diversionary reading. Some people may find the staccato nature of the chapters (most are only 3-5 pages) annoying.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit too easy to figure...some good moments though
Review: This was my first Margolin book and it was a decent read. I really liked Amanda and Frank Jaffe. They are sympathic leads. However, book tries to be a serious and complex mystery, but I figured it out well before the end. In fact, some of my questions about the murderer were not answers. I don't want to ruin the book and put my questions here, but I still don't quite understand the frame-ups. Why? The dialogue here is a bit too wooden and the plot too bizarre.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, But Obvious
Review: Reading a Phillip Margolin novel is never dull. His story is generally "movie of the week" type fare littered with lots of dialogue, thin chapters and thinner characters. But that's OK. That's all he's trying to do and he's successful. "Wild Justice" is a fun book that definitely keeps the pages rolling and the reader hooked. Margolin throws in lots of plot twists and doesn't get bogged down in the how's or why's. It's a "wild" story. The problem is that sometimes the how's and why's become more of "is he kidding?" (Hand replacement surgery...come on) It's just too far fetched. Then comes the issue of the Margolin formula. This book is hauntingly familiar to anyone who has read "Gone, But Not Forgotten." He creates an evil character, who is guilty of something, just not the crime they're accused of. Then throw in a naive lawyer, and a superfluous character who you know is up to something and the story is far too predictable. But if you take it for what it's worth "Wild Justice" is a fun, easy, mindless diversion. Like a movie of the week.
Rating:
Summary: A Cut Above The Rest
Review: A fast-paced, quickly read psychological thriller that kept me guessing until near the end. It's the kind of story that has a couple of obvious suspects that are naturally eliminated because most of the presented evidence points directly at them and you know (and hope) there's got to be a twist. Without spoiling this whodunit, let's say it is worth reading. Amande Jaffe, daughter of Frank Jaffe, much heralded defense attorney, takes on the representation of Vincent Cardoni, brilliant surgeon and womanizer with a checkered past of violence and substance abuse. He is accused of several murders after two heads and nine bodies are found on property traced to him. Other characters filling the suspect pool include Cardoni's ex-wife, a brilliant doctor in her own right; Tony Fiori, Amanda's love interest; a vengeful detective; and a mobster and his henchman, who believe they were ripped off by Dr. Cardoni. As you can see, there are enough characters to populate a plot that keeps the pages turning at a rapid clip. While this may not be the best of Margolin's work, I would still recommend this as a cut (head?)above most other books of this type.
Rating: 
Summary: Just not very good.
Review: A co-worker of mine read this after it had been recommended by a friend. But she was disappointed when she finished it. I should have listened to her and skipped it, but I didn't have anything else to read at the time, so I gave it a shot. The plot is fast-paced, and exciting, but there really isn't much more to it, besides a lot of bodies, blood and gore. The characters are completely unrealistic and shallow, and the "twist" at the end is easy to see coming. I had it figured out around page 125 somewhere. If you like a page-turner with lots of violence, you may enjoy this book. Otherwise, it's not worth the time.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't put it down!!
Review: One of the best thrillers I've read in a long time. This is the 2nd book I've read by this author. Heartstone was very good, but this one much better. I intend to read all of Margolin's books after this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Gruesome and Obvious - Just Downright Sick
Review: I won't take the trouble to repeat the plot line as it has been covered very well by the description of the book and the comments of the other reviews. I only want to voice my concern about the nature of the gratuitous horror described in the book, and the lack of any persons of character in the story. Rather, the plot seems to be made up of a bunch of well educated, seemingly attractive, accomplished "urban cannibals" who by chance live and work in and around the same environment. The so-called heroine in the story (who comes by that title because she is one of the few characters left standing at the end of the book) is a weak, foolish, insipid "Daddy's little girl" whose only real concern in the face of all the horror she observes is to prove to Daddy that she is a "real-life, tough attorney" after all - a conclusion that is questionable at best. The ending of this book is so abominably grotesque that it could only have been written by the author to escape the rather tame endings of his previous books. Perhaps he was aiming for something unique or something to set his book apart from all the other suspense novels on the shelf. If shock and disgust were what he was trying to achieve, he was successful; however, the novelty was so obviously contrived (along with the rest of the plot), that one could see it coming several chapters in advance. Why did I read it? Well, I have been a fan of this author for some time, and was hoping that somewhere along the line the book would redeem itself and turn into a real mystery with at least one likeable character rather that the sick journey of misfits and victims that it became. When finished, I didn't even give this one to the Goodwill; I threw it in the trash - where it belonged in the first place.
Rating:
Summary: good story, but too much like his last one
Review: I'm giving this four stars because of the action packed plot and interesting characters, and in general i feel this author is one of the better ones writing in the legal thriller genre.
My problem was this: the theme, basic plot and even certain details are too much like Gone But Not Forgotten for me to be shocked, scared, horrified this time.
Yes, the characters are different people, but there are a lot of similarities (young female attorney starting out, man who looks like the obvious villain with criminal background)
It seems Mr. Margolin is getting mired in kidnap/torture/serial murder scenarios, even using the same MOs.
while I enjoyed the book and had looked forward to reading it, I feel like I've just read the same book twice.
Rating:
Summary: DOCTORS IN THE HOUSE
Review: "Wild Justice" is Margolin at his shrewd best. An intensely structured plot leads you on several paths toward discovering the heinous villain. Although many readers deducted the identity early, it still didn't keep you from wanting to see how things turned out. And I admit that I, too, caught on, but was never 100% certain I was right until later when a key clue is introduced in a list of comparable crimes in other cities.
Given that, this is one heck of a ride. The pacing is great; the characters are all good, some chilling, others sensitive and touching, and some nasty and despicable. As Otto Penzler has said in his review, this book has one of the most appropriately satisfying resolutions in recent mystery fiction. Talk about wild justice; or perhaps just desserts? Make mine red velvet.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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