Extreme Justice

Ben Kincaid #7

by William Bernhardt

Disillusioned with both the legal system and his private life, criminal attorney Ben Kincaid abandons his practice for a less stressful pastime: playing with a combo at Uncle Earl's Jazz Emporium. The musician's life is bliss--until a corpse crashes through the ceiling with a grisly smile carved on its face.

The body is that of "Cajun Lily" Campbell, legendary singer and onetime girlfriend of club owner Earl Bonner. The cops are convinced that Bonner killed her--and Kincaid knows he didn't. Though he swore he was through with law forever, Kincaid descends into an underworld of gangs, drugs, Internet sex "clubs," and long-standing vendettas. And at the bottom, a killer waits, targeting Kincaid as the next to die with a smile on his face.

Genres: Mystery, Legal Thriller, Fiction, Legal, Adult, Thriller

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

William Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid legal thrillers, the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and Nemesis, three books of poetry, and the ten Red Sneaker books on fiction writing.

In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.

Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”

In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”

In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.

When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty good book , although I would like to read the entire series , kind of lost on some of the things said in the book , like about Bens lost sister and his nephew .. and a the books previous to him quitting being a lawyer .
I like the characters enough and it was intriguing enough to want to read the series .. although I've read better and liked character's better , for example Chelsea chains books .. perfect all around .. but William does a good job .. I didn't hate it or I wouldn't want to read the entire series .. the killer became pretty obvious to me in the middle of the book although at the end I was both right and wrong about who it was ! helluva plot twist .. the gruesome nature of this killer and the torture he doles out on poor tyrone is absolutely horrific , but just my kind of thing for a murder book ... although these days a murderer in a book has to do a lot more then murder to surprise me .. dean Koontz is good a surprising me .. as do other books with a gore factor or super natural twist .. it takes a lot to scare me or make my head spin in books these days, but when I do come across something that makes me jump at a noise outside or my stomach turn .. then Its a good book !! William bernhardt did a pretty good job at the extent and length of torture in his book that all I could hope that tyrone would live and get out of that situation some how .. didn't really make my tummy turn but sure as hell made me think and feel .. well I'm rambling . good book all in all .. I hope to get my library fines paid soon so that I can read the rest of the Ben kincaid series .

recommended , but start at book 1 !

[Jerry King · Rating 4 out of 5]

1998

[Susan Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Bernhardt is a regular guy - really. He's like many people you know, except he writes really cool legal thrillers. I've followed his books since the first one, corresponded with him via e-mail for years (before the internet even) and have met him. He's just a great guy. And so are his books. Attorney Ben Kincaid with is trusty male secretary, Jones, and his intrepid investigator, Loving, along with friend, Christine appear in all his books including this one which is centered around the world of jazz. This is a great group and you should meet them. Plus, in this book, Bill gives the reader his e-mail address and website among the acknowledgements! willbern@mindspring and http://mindspring.com/~willbern and I love that…

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retired lawyer turned into Jazz player Ben Kincaid will do everything at hand to prove the innocence of his friend and employer, Earl Bonner, who's being framed for a murder he didn't commit. Sooner than later, Ben Will learn that the actual killer isn't going to allow for any loose ends ruining his plan.
Although I haven't read any of the previous books in the series, Extreme Justice as a standalone works pretty fine. A fast paced thriller with a good mix of action and mistery that'll have you wanting to know what happens next.
Bernhardt nails what a mistery novel must be: intriguing until the end without becoming too heavy to continue reading.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly not my favorite of the Ben Kincaid books but it was still very good. It really had a different flavor to it probably because Ben did not start out as a lawyer in this one. But of course we got to see all of our classic favorite characters like Mrs. Mermelstein and Christina and Mike… I kind of miss Joey. But will probably get to see a lot more of Mrs. Mermelstein in the next few books.

[Diane C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected Ending

This was another excellent novel in the Ben Kincaid series. I was taken aback when I learned that Ben had taken a break from law practice, but understood considering how the last book ended. But of course, that didn't last long as a friend needed his legal help. That became quite a tangled story and in the end all was well again for Ben and his buddies.

[Bob Murdock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Bernhardt is a new author for me so I did not know what to expect. His main character, Ben Kincaid, is a strange guy. His life is caught up in the jazz world and murder. Once a promising lawyer, he has to defend a friend. The killer is not revealed until the very end in a great twist in the plot. I think I will add this author to my list.

[John Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this guy

The characters are strong, the stories are good. I really like the author. This is the 5th story that I've read and I'd expect to read them all. Thank you Mr. Bernhardt.

[Lawrence Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding mystery thriller but not for the squeamish violent in the style of James Patterson an ordinary lawyer gets involved in trying to find his jazz friend innocent of murder and almost loses his life from the real killer

[Cheryl Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a really good story but I missed the courtroom drama. There was only one courtroom scene and it was a preliminary hearing. This did keep me guessing who the killer was. Also, it was hard to put down. Looking forward to next Kincaid case.

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 7th of the Ben Kincaid series.

Kincaid has left his practice to become a jazz pianist. A murder and a wrongful accusation of one of his friend’s causes Ben to renter the legal world to protect his friend.

Continued success by the author to entertain and bring the story together

[Nick Stika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read a Ben Kincaid story in many years, and reading this one, I really don't know why I stopped. I really enjoy the universe Bernhardt has created in Tulsa. I will be putting him back in my regular rotation.

[Kathy kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ben is a disappointed lawyer, decides to find his inner passion, music. Silly predictable plot. This one is safe to skip. Have enjoyed the previous ones.

[Reader_Shark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben Kincaid gives up on law to become a jazz musician and then tries to defend the owner of the club who is accused of murder.

[Areex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story with a slightly surprising end. It was mostly fast paced. A good read.

[Betsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Words on a page...

[Patty Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a time capsule for 1998, this is it.

[Jim Chalkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series. I love the characters. I guess Christina is going to have to make the first move on Ben. I will be reading on to see.

[Bob · Rating 1 out of 5]

I keep hoping these will get better but not so far.

[Lisa Currier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok, kind of boring, easy to figure out

[Phyllis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book as much as the previous ones in the series. I kept reading because I love the main characters. I hope the next book in the series is better.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the better entries in this series.

[Don Paske · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars rounded up. Kincaid is not likeable in this book. Much of the book, even for fiction, is just not believable. The dialog was good, though...

[Ron Rasmussen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much unbelievable story but still a good read.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOTTOM-LINE:
Stronger story-telling than mystery
.
PLOT OR PREMISE:
In the seventh in the series, lawyer Ben Kincaid has become disillusioned. So he runs away from the law and takes up jazz music full-time. When a body shows up on stage (literally falling on Ben), Ben has to step up as a lawyer again to save the owner of the club who has been framed for the murder. Working against the owner and against Ben is the fact that the owner served time for the murder of someone else from the old days, a friend of the owner -- and an old friend of the new victim! A few too many links and the police think they have their man. Ben wants to see justice done, but his return to the law is only temporary, supposedly.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
The story-telling is first-rate, and the mystery aspects of it become almost secondary. Loving, Jones and Christina are all back on the scene, and you get to see one sub-mystery involving Christina.
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Everyone is impatient with Ben and keeps telling him to wake up and realize who he is (a lawyer, not a jazz music) and the constant angst grates on the nerves. Loving and Jones don't have much to do, and Christina's mystery drops several GIANT clues that Ben doesn't see. The ending reads more like an action / movie ending, and all three of the sub-mysteries are easily figured out by the reader before they are unveiled in the story.
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow him on social media.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A student gave this to me to read b/c she thought it was amazing. She lied.

The book was okay, if somewhat stilted (with hugely unnatural dialogue) until the end. Everything about the "suspense" at the end was completely illogical. Tyrone should never have survived, especially after he saved Ben's ass (again). Ben paid him back by running away, yelling over his shoulder that he'll get an ambulance. You're telling me Grady wouldn't have taken the necessary 30 seconds to shoot Tyrone before pursuing Ben? "Grady" is on his territory; he is bound to navigate it better than Kincaid.

Also, I knew it was "Grady" pretty much the moment he showed up on scene. Plus he's the only one who knew why the victims were "smiling." Hello, killer!!!

His motive was weak too. You expect me to believe this man gave up music, the thing he lived for, to become a roughneck and later a VP? And after he's comfortably pulled off this charade for 20-some years, remembers his grudge and goes on a killing spree with a little torture thrown in? Stupid.

I also can't believe Scat could so convincingly work with Earl without revealing his supposed burning hatred.

[Rick Ludwig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The unique aspect of this Ben Kinkaid story is that it begins with Ben no longer practicing law and spending his time playing piano in a jazz group. Of course murder rears its head at his new hangout, and he is tempted back to the practice of law to help out a friend from the club and a young man his friend is mentoring. There is an interesting look at what Christina, Loving, and Jones do in the absence of Ben and how quickly and effectively they reconstitute his team when he needs them. There is also an inspiring aspect to the fidelity of the young man for his mentor and a complex, vicious and shadowy villain. My only disappointment was the ease with which I predicted the outcome on this one. Usually I am more surprised in these books, but I could have written the final chapter at the end of the second chapter and gotten ninety percent of the facts right. Maybe I'm just getting better at this. Anyway, as always a very good read with some nice social comment gently folded in.

[Ryan Madland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the seventh book in the very underrated Ben Kincaid series. I have read all seven books thus far and have not been disappointed in any of them yet.

Ben is trying to escape the legal life when he is suddenly thrust upon it when a friend is being charged as murderer. Things aren't easy this time as his friend Earl, has already served twenty-two years of a murder very similar to the most recent one he is being charged with now.

Ben now has to prove that Earl didn't commit the most recent murder by trying to prove that Earl didn't prove the murder twenty two years ago. Allot going on right? It makes for a great thriller.

I enjoyed this to the very end. If you are looking for a new series, I recommend the Ben Kincaid series and start with "Primary Justice" and work your way through. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

[Boots S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disillusioned with both the legal system and his private life, criminal attorney Ben Kincaid abandons his practice for a less stressful pastime: playing with a combo at Uncle Earl's Jazz Emporium. The musician's life is bliss--until a corpse crashes through the ceiling with a grisly smile carved on its face. The body is that of "Cajun Lily" Campbell, legendary singer and onetime girlfriend of club owner Earl Bonner. The cops are convinced that Bonner killed her--and Kincaid knows he didn't. Though he swore he was through with law forever, Kincaid descends into an underworld of gangs, drugs, Internet sex "clubs," and long-standing vendettas. And at the bottom, a killer waits, targeting Kincaid as the next to die with a smile on his face.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read this author before, and thought I was going to get a courtroom drama. I don't generally read courtroom dramas, and didn't get to read one now - this is more of a suspense novel. The writing is fast paced enough to keep you turning pages, and the first half of the novel is fairly interesting, but it all becomes very unbelievable in the final hundred pages or so. Not sure whether I'll pick up another by this author.