What do you think?
Rate this book
Primary Justice
Life after prison was already going badly for Billy Fargo, and that was before he found out he’s the skeleton in a very important person’s closet. When Billy Fargo walks out of prison he’s determined to take revenge on the man who framed him. But before he can, he’s back in trouble with the law. This time it’s a double murder charge. Living on the outside is hard, but why is it getting harder? Private eye Ricky Willmar is dead set on finding out, but after connecting the dots he’s shocked at what he learns. There’s somebody out there on the verge of something huge and he’s not about to let a bottom-feeder like Fargo get in his way. Fargo always said he’d rather die than go back to prison. He never thought those would be his only choices.
286 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2011
30 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 24, 2021
A Predictable Political/Murderous Scenario
Primary Justice is a book which gained my eager return day after day. Although predictable, it still gained my steady attention. I was somewhat annoyed that the author portrayed the Bounty Hunter as the same person seen on television. I had hoped for more thoughtful creativity regarding his character. He is described as the exact same character....ugh.
Fargo is released from a false imprisonment of rape after 11 hard core prison years. Upon his release he immediately has to run because he discovers a plot against him for an arson and murders which occurred on the same night the female was "raped" and found dead under a bridge. He did have intimate relations with this girl but it wasn't rape and he did not murder her. Nor would he ever start a fire at Gail's and cause the death of her beautiful little girls. One bad cop was up to no good and it took the Bounty Hunter to pull the strings tight on this bad cop and the powerful politician behind it all.
It was all pretty predictable but still an entertaining read.
Primary Justice is a book which gained my eager return day after day. Although predictable, it still gained my steady attention. I was somewhat annoyed that the author portrayed the Bounty Hunter as the same person seen on television. I had hoped for more thoughtful creativity regarding his character. He is described as the exact same character....ugh.
Fargo is released from a false imprisonment of rape after 11 hard core prison years. Upon his release he immediately has to run because he discovers a plot against him for an arson and murders which occurred on the same night the female was "raped" and found dead under a bridge. He did have intimate relations with this girl but it wasn't rape and he did not murder her. Nor would he ever start a fire at Gail's and cause the death of her beautiful little girls. One bad cop was up to no good and it took the Bounty Hunter to pull the strings tight on this bad cop and the powerful politician behind it all.
It was all pretty predictable but still an entertaining read.
November 25, 2011
Let me first say that I really do enjoy this author's work. He's sent me a few books for review, including this one, and I always end up buying them so I can share his books with others. This book was no different, I purchased it after reading the review copy provided by the author.
Let me start by saying that I'm a book cover snob. This one doesn't do the content any favors. It's uninspired and looks a bit homebrewed, especially when compared to the fabulous cover art of his last book. I can say that if I didn't already know who Dave Conifer was, I probably wouldn't have picked it up and read it. I'm certainly glad that I did, though!
This book, like others I've read from this author, was very well written. The author has a knack for bringing some serious suspension of belief into great characters and locations. It's okay, it's a thriller/suspense/mystery book. We're supposed to just go with it a lot. I think I was most impressed with how easily he made me believe that this was a real location... and then I googled and realized that the bridge does exist! After looking at the photos, I must say that he did a really great job because it's nearly exactly as I pictured it.
The story line is well laid out, if a bit slow to get going. I think we could have jumped into the action a little sooner, but it also allowed for some really nice information about his characters. Billy, the main character, is really well fleshed out. I felt like we were able to learn about it without being "told about him", if that makes sense. It was all woven into the book so very well.
The story is engaging, you want to keep reading to find out what happens with Billy and what is going on around him. You want to know the "why" and "how". You know something isn't adding up, but I (at least) didn't figure it out until he told me, to be honest. That's usually the makings of a good novel. It's tied up with nice bow, but it ended too soon for me. I think maybe it felt a little too pat, too rushed. It doesn't hurt the story and it's the journey that makes this such a great ride of a book, but it did feel as though it were missing some elements.
Overall, a very worthy read for those that enjoy suspense books and fans of this author's work.
Let me start by saying that I'm a book cover snob. This one doesn't do the content any favors. It's uninspired and looks a bit homebrewed, especially when compared to the fabulous cover art of his last book. I can say that if I didn't already know who Dave Conifer was, I probably wouldn't have picked it up and read it. I'm certainly glad that I did, though!
This book, like others I've read from this author, was very well written. The author has a knack for bringing some serious suspension of belief into great characters and locations. It's okay, it's a thriller/suspense/mystery book. We're supposed to just go with it a lot. I think I was most impressed with how easily he made me believe that this was a real location... and then I googled and realized that the bridge does exist! After looking at the photos, I must say that he did a really great job because it's nearly exactly as I pictured it.
The story line is well laid out, if a bit slow to get going. I think we could have jumped into the action a little sooner, but it also allowed for some really nice information about his characters. Billy, the main character, is really well fleshed out. I felt like we were able to learn about it without being "told about him", if that makes sense. It was all woven into the book so very well.
The story is engaging, you want to keep reading to find out what happens with Billy and what is going on around him. You want to know the "why" and "how". You know something isn't adding up, but I (at least) didn't figure it out until he told me, to be honest. That's usually the makings of a good novel. It's tied up with nice bow, but it ended too soon for me. I think maybe it felt a little too pat, too rushed. It doesn't hurt the story and it's the journey that makes this such a great ride of a book, but it did feel as though it were missing some elements.
Overall, a very worthy read for those that enjoy suspense books and fans of this author's work.
November 16, 2012
intrigue in the garden state!
I first read Dave Conifer when I got my hands on Wrecker. Finding that novel highly entertaining I decided that I would go through his other books one at a time.
Enter Primary Justice (aka Trenton Makes)
This is a novel about a man who never had much luck. Billy Fargo is one of those guys that always finds himself on the wrong side of the tracks. More or less a criminal, the streets and being on the wrong side of the law aren't strangers to him. Billy's not a bad guy, he's just a guy how took some wrong paths in life. Even so, none of his past could prepare him for when he was tried and convicted of rape and murder 11 years ago. When Billy finally gets out of jail he's got one thing on his mind: revenge. Everyone in jail says they're innocent. Billy really IS innocent.
This is a very well plotted and very well written book. It takes place primarily in PA and NJ. Funnily enough I'm familiar with just about every place he's mentioned in the novel being I was born and raised in Central NJ. From Philly to south jersey, from Bristol to Trenton and Lambertville, it's pretty interesting to read a book based on places that I'm very familiar with.
What's just as interesting as Billy's story is how all the supporting characters are tied into it. From the niece of an old friend to an ex girlfriend who lost her children in a fire (that billy was also set up for) to a bails bondsman/private investigator, Conifer really generates unique voices for each and every one of them as they're drawn further and further into the complex situation Billy finds himself in when it seems after 11 years in prison for something he didn't do, he's being set up again.
The novel is about much more than wrong place, wrong time. It's a deep seated mystery that had me turning pages as quickly as I could. It's filled with plenty of tension and action and more importantly, great characters that are fun to read.
I highly recommend Dave Conifer to anybody that likes a good suspense novel. He's the real deal. A great book at a greater price, this book's a steal.
I first read Dave Conifer when I got my hands on Wrecker. Finding that novel highly entertaining I decided that I would go through his other books one at a time.
Enter Primary Justice (aka Trenton Makes)
This is a novel about a man who never had much luck. Billy Fargo is one of those guys that always finds himself on the wrong side of the tracks. More or less a criminal, the streets and being on the wrong side of the law aren't strangers to him. Billy's not a bad guy, he's just a guy how took some wrong paths in life. Even so, none of his past could prepare him for when he was tried and convicted of rape and murder 11 years ago. When Billy finally gets out of jail he's got one thing on his mind: revenge. Everyone in jail says they're innocent. Billy really IS innocent.
This is a very well plotted and very well written book. It takes place primarily in PA and NJ. Funnily enough I'm familiar with just about every place he's mentioned in the novel being I was born and raised in Central NJ. From Philly to south jersey, from Bristol to Trenton and Lambertville, it's pretty interesting to read a book based on places that I'm very familiar with.
What's just as interesting as Billy's story is how all the supporting characters are tied into it. From the niece of an old friend to an ex girlfriend who lost her children in a fire (that billy was also set up for) to a bails bondsman/private investigator, Conifer really generates unique voices for each and every one of them as they're drawn further and further into the complex situation Billy finds himself in when it seems after 11 years in prison for something he didn't do, he's being set up again.
The novel is about much more than wrong place, wrong time. It's a deep seated mystery that had me turning pages as quickly as I could. It's filled with plenty of tension and action and more importantly, great characters that are fun to read.
I highly recommend Dave Conifer to anybody that likes a good suspense novel. He's the real deal. A great book at a greater price, this book's a steal.
August 29, 2012
I would have given this four stars but about halfway through the plot seemed to run out of steam. Initially it moved along nicely as the story slowly unfolds as to why Billy served eleven years for something he claims not to have done, then all the main actors gather in a woodland hut and we get what is essentially a huge info dump. From then on it's all downhill both in plot development and writing.
Billy's character is well enough drawn, and it is nice to have a main protagonist who isn't over six feet tall, Adonis-like, and possessed of a piercingly sharp mind. Billy is a rather dense loser but we start off interested in his predicament.
On the other hand some of the other characters are poorly stated. Both Ryne Colfax and Minot are unbelievable in most of their dialogue as well as their actions. Willmar is largely a stereotype PI and clears up difficult story problems.
All in all it was disappointment because it promised much more than it finally delivered.
Billy's character is well enough drawn, and it is nice to have a main protagonist who isn't over six feet tall, Adonis-like, and possessed of a piercingly sharp mind. Billy is a rather dense loser but we start off interested in his predicament.
On the other hand some of the other characters are poorly stated. Both Ryne Colfax and Minot are unbelievable in most of their dialogue as well as their actions. Willmar is largely a stereotype PI and clears up difficult story problems.
All in all it was disappointment because it promised much more than it finally delivered.
July 19, 2012
Really enjoyed this one. Very glad I snagged it through Pixel of Ink.
I'm jealous at easily Conifer wove his character development and description into the story. The scenery was just as well done too.
The only speed bumps I noticed had to with firearms. Revolvers don't have safeties or magazines, and I cringe whenever I read something that says they do. There's really no excuse for errors like that to slip through the writing and editing processes.
I'm jealous at easily Conifer wove his character development and description into the story. The scenery was just as well done too.
The only speed bumps I noticed had to with firearms. Revolvers don't have safeties or magazines, and I cringe whenever I read something that says they do. There's really no excuse for errors like that to slip through the writing and editing processes.
March 26, 2016
Pretty good read
A few typos but not enough to matter. A story about an innocent man's release from prison to parole, his untangling of the mystery of the crime of which he was convicted. With the help of friends, he gets his answers.
A few typos but not enough to matter. A story about an innocent man's release from prison to parole, his untangling of the mystery of the crime of which he was convicted. With the help of friends, he gets his answers.
October 1, 2014
Excellent
was not sure what to expect. first time reading one of Dave's books. I thought it was one of the best reads I've read in a long time.
Aldavenport41@gmail.com
was not sure what to expect. first time reading one of Dave's books. I thought it was one of the best reads I've read in a long time.
Aldavenport41@gmail.com
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews