Lawless

Nikki Hill #4

by Christopher Darden, Dick Lochte

A young attorney at one of the West Coast's leading, predominantly African-American law firms, Mercer Early is handed the seemingly routine case of an L.A. cop accused of shooting and killing his wife, a case complicated by two more police officers who kill their spouses, prompting an investigation that draws Mercer into a dangerous conspiracy. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction, African American, Mystery

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Christopher Allen Darden is an American lawyer, writer, lecturer and practicing attorney. He was a 15-year veteran of the Los Angeles County District Attorney, where he was assigned to the prosecution of O. J. Simpson. Darden gained fame during the O. J. Simpson murder case when he asked Simpson to try on the once-blood-soaked gloves.

Reviews

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit it, I saw the name on the cover and picked it up...

...and after the first 50 pages I thought to myself, "Uh-oh. He's done it again and screwed up for all of the world to see." In case you were under a rock during the O.J. Simpson trial - Darden was the male prosecutor. And, it first it did seem that Lawless was floundering and going to be another bust for Darden.

However, what I mistook for floundering was actually the plot being carefully laid out - including intricate subplots, betrayals (lots of betrayals) and bizarre dead ends that mislead the reader to the very last page. When you finally get a handle on what the bad guys are up to you then wonder which guys are the bad guys, which are the good guys and who is just out for themselves. When this book finally played out, it was well worth the initial confusion.

I'll be looking for more books.

Read all of my reviews (more than 1,000!) at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/

[Shelley Sharp Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Above the law. Interesting perspective on the law, attorneys, government agencies, experiments, and lab testing.

[Dryan1066 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty bad had potential but toi chaotic imo

[Ice · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's another tough case for ambitious young lawyer Mercer Early, who first appeared in 2002's The Last Defense, when he's assigned to defend a cop accused of killing his lover. Plot-wise, Darden and Lochte's crackerjack crime yarn offers an embarrassment of riches. As the book begins, Mercer, a junior partner in "the most powerful black law firm on the West Coast," is confidently defending an inner-city youth on trial for murdering a police officer, while mentoring two of the firm's promising new lawyers. His relentless multitasking sets a breakneck pace, which the authors skillfully maintain, telling the story in short, splintered chapters from a handful of perspectives, including that of veteran African-American cop Joe Mooney. Joe fends off the sexual advances of his cute new partner, Emmylou, and narrowly avoids death in a shootout, only to be framed later for the murder of his wife, who dies in a suspicious fire at their home. It's the third recent case of a cop allegedly killing a loved one.

Cop Dwight Baskin was the first (he goes down in an explosive prologue) and then there's Mercer's client, Eldon Nunez, an officer with a heretofore spotless record, accused of killing his gay lover, architect Landers Pope. Nunez's bizarre mood swings and the confluence of crimes send Mercer and company probing in unusual directions. Packed with conflict and colorful characters, this story has many twists, some of which are implausible.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gritty suspense novel by Lawyer Christopher Darden. Its set in LA and features lawyer Mercer Early, who starts out defending a LAPD cop who is charged with killing his live in partner. The cop is giving all appearances of being off mentally and Mercer is looking into an insanity defense, but begins to have doubts as several murders by LAPD officers occur and the circumstances are similar. As Mercer and his investigator delve into the case he is approached and threatened by a mysterious group claiming to be part of a Homeland security task force. Add to that a Latino gang headed by a young killer and the plot gets busy as Mercer works his way to a conclusion.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

My library had a table with books wrapped up in newspaper. You chose which category you want (mystery) and then pick a book without knowing what it actually is. I chose this book. It was Grishamesque, but not as focused on the courtroom as the investigative process. Interesting, quick read. A little far-fetched on the story line, but kept me reading. Language and some sex.