The Limits of Justice : A Benjamin Justice Mystery (Benjamin Justice Mysteries (Hardcover))

Rating:
Summary: Do Children Always Know Their Parents?
Review: John Morgan Wilson's latest book is an engaging mystery surrounding a famous actor who's daughter wants an unauthorized biography stopped. She contracts with Private Investigator Benjamin Justice to see what he can do on the biography. Then she turns up dead. Justice, recovering from a bad spell of depression following an HIV+ diagnosis isn't overly excited about the case. When his client, Charlotte Preston turns up dead, he's about to give it up. But he feels an obligation. Justice begins to investigate and the dad's real biography -- none too pretty -- begins to come to the surface. In addition, despite the fact that the man is dead, his associates are very much active and involved in some of the most incomprehensible crimes involving children that one can imagine. Justice seeks justice -- and triumphs. A well written story that carefully builds in its suspense. A highly engaging read.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent until the end
Review: Wilson continues his award-winning style and pacing, as well as the intense rendering of Ben Justice's climb from his pit of self-destruction. The mystery plot begins strong, yet it plummets to a disappointing clich? ending. Justice is hired to write a book refuting claims that a dead Hollywood star was a pederast. He finds the star's daughter dead and seeks her killer. Along the way he stumbles into a boy trade reaching into the highest levels of Los Angeles's social structure. The problem I had with the plot was the actual culprits and their reasons for doing bad things. It was just such a let-down from what I was expecting from Wilson's level of excellence. I am happy with the characterization of Justice, most especially his achievements on the road to recovery. I hope the next in the series overcomes this stumble.