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Benjamin Justice #5
BLINDEYE
At Thirty-Two, Benjamin Justice was one of Los Angeles's best-known journalists. He had the respect and envy of his colleagues, the admiration of his employers, and the ear of the city's population - until he won the Pulitzer Prize for one of his features and everything came crashing down. Found to have invented the subjects of his piece, Justice was forced to return the Pulitzer, was fired from his job, and became a pariah to most of his former colleagues.
Now in his mid-forties, still considered a disgrace to his former profession, HIV-positive, and once again single, Benjamin Justice has begun to put his life back together. Under contract to a major publisher to write his autobiography, Justice is trying to put all the elements of his life into perspective for the first time. While searching out a priest from his childhood, Justice enlists his closest friend's fiance - a columnist for the Los Angeles Times - to bring pressure upon the powers that be to reveal the long-hidden truth about this almost-forgotten priest. Then his friend's fiance is killed in a tragic hit-and-run accident, and Justice is called upon to look into the mysterious circumstances of the too-convenient mishap. Reluctant at first, Justice soon finds himself in the midst of a complex case involving a decades-old child murder, a powerful and controversial cardinal, and elements of his own dark past.
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First published January 1, 2003
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About the author
John Morgan Wilson
20 books50 followersJohn Morgan Wilson is the author of several novels in the Benjamin Justice series as well as two co-written books with band leader Peter Duchin. He's the winner of the Edgar Award and three-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award for the Benjamin Justice novels. He lives in West Hollywood, CA.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 2, 2015
RATING: 3.75
Benjamin Justice's life could be characterized as one bad situation after another, with a childhood history of abuse. When he was 17, he caught his father molesting his little sister and shot him dead. In particular, the past few years have been difficult. Some time ago, he wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning story that was based on false facts. Since that time, he has been unable to find a job in his chosen field of journalism. His long-time lover died from AIDS, and he has separated from his most recent relationship. The tide may be changing, though, as he has landed a contract for an autobiography. Little does he know that even more pain is to follow as he prepares to chronicle the story of his life.
In the past few years, one of the biggest scandals has been the abuse of children by Catholic priests. Benjamin was one of those victims, having a relationship with Father Stuart Blackley from the time he was 12 until he was 14. Justice feels it important to reconnect with Fr. Blackley in order to provide the framework for his book. What he discovers is that Blackley was a serial abuser, a fact over which Benjamin suffers mightily. If only he had spoken up earlier, then perhaps all these young lives would not have been damaged.
Supported in his efforts by a wonderful reporter friend by the name of Alexandra Templeton, Justice uncovers a vast conspiracy around covering up abuse and murder. Her fiancé, Joe Soto, a reporter for the LA Times, puts out a column about the molestation. When Joe is killed in a hit-and-run accident, Benjamin concludes that it was not an unplanned incident and that it relates to his investigation of Fr. Blackley. In a truly shocking development, Benjamin himself is attacked and experiences a life-altering injury.
Benjamin Justice is an intriguing character, all the more so because he is not easy for the reader to like. He is a man who is subject to rages, has a tendency towards violence and is not always empathetic when his friends need his support. Even though he is HIV positive, he continues to engage in risky sexual behavior, giving in to his own hedonistic tendencies when he is attracted to someone, even knowing that it is dangerous for both participants. On the other hand, he has clearly been victimized ever since childhood, and his sense of hurting is palpable. He assumes the guilt for other people's acts because he hasn't acted with urgency when he feels he should have.
BLIND EYE is the fifth book in the Benjamin Justice series, and the first that I have read. At first, the book seemed rather ordinary to me; and I found myself irritated by the number of times that the protagonist was placed in danger. But as I continued to read, I found myself swept away by the driving anguish of the characters and Wilson's raw and vivid writing. The book ends in a way that indicates that redemption is possible for Justice, an imperfect man. The conclusion was beautiful and moving. Recommended.
Benjamin Justice's life could be characterized as one bad situation after another, with a childhood history of abuse. When he was 17, he caught his father molesting his little sister and shot him dead. In particular, the past few years have been difficult. Some time ago, he wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning story that was based on false facts. Since that time, he has been unable to find a job in his chosen field of journalism. His long-time lover died from AIDS, and he has separated from his most recent relationship. The tide may be changing, though, as he has landed a contract for an autobiography. Little does he know that even more pain is to follow as he prepares to chronicle the story of his life.
In the past few years, one of the biggest scandals has been the abuse of children by Catholic priests. Benjamin was one of those victims, having a relationship with Father Stuart Blackley from the time he was 12 until he was 14. Justice feels it important to reconnect with Fr. Blackley in order to provide the framework for his book. What he discovers is that Blackley was a serial abuser, a fact over which Benjamin suffers mightily. If only he had spoken up earlier, then perhaps all these young lives would not have been damaged.
Supported in his efforts by a wonderful reporter friend by the name of Alexandra Templeton, Justice uncovers a vast conspiracy around covering up abuse and murder. Her fiancé, Joe Soto, a reporter for the LA Times, puts out a column about the molestation. When Joe is killed in a hit-and-run accident, Benjamin concludes that it was not an unplanned incident and that it relates to his investigation of Fr. Blackley. In a truly shocking development, Benjamin himself is attacked and experiences a life-altering injury.
Benjamin Justice is an intriguing character, all the more so because he is not easy for the reader to like. He is a man who is subject to rages, has a tendency towards violence and is not always empathetic when his friends need his support. Even though he is HIV positive, he continues to engage in risky sexual behavior, giving in to his own hedonistic tendencies when he is attracted to someone, even knowing that it is dangerous for both participants. On the other hand, he has clearly been victimized ever since childhood, and his sense of hurting is palpable. He assumes the guilt for other people's acts because he hasn't acted with urgency when he feels he should have.
BLIND EYE is the fifth book in the Benjamin Justice series, and the first that I have read. At first, the book seemed rather ordinary to me; and I found myself irritated by the number of times that the protagonist was placed in danger. But as I continued to read, I found myself swept away by the driving anguish of the characters and Wilson's raw and vivid writing. The book ends in a way that indicates that redemption is possible for Justice, an imperfect man. The conclusion was beautiful and moving. Recommended.
September 1, 2020
In the fifth of the Benjamin Justice series, Justice has to deal with his past, related to the Catholic Church and the issues that have affected him all of his life. In addition, other people are dealing with some of the same issues.
The result is quite literally murder. Benjamin will never be the same again and everything in his life is likely to be changed as a result. Here's hoping for another book in the series although since this one was published in 2003, that seems somewhat in doubt.
Well written with some really finely honed characters, I recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys mysteries, and analysis of psychological impacts resulting from events in one's childhood.
The result is quite literally murder. Benjamin will never be the same again and everything in his life is likely to be changed as a result. Here's hoping for another book in the series although since this one was published in 2003, that seems somewhat in doubt.
Well written with some really finely honed characters, I recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys mysteries, and analysis of psychological impacts resulting from events in one's childhood.
February 16, 2014
Ben Justice is back ... and this is the fifth book in the series. Fans of the series already know of his disgraced fall in his professional realm (journalism), his substance misuse and battles with depression, his lost love to AIDS, his own sero-conversion from a brutal and horrifying attack, his emotional wounds and psychological scars from a seriously dysfunctional family upbringing/background.
So what else is left for 'life' to throw into the ring for Ben to battle? A lot actually. And this instalment uncovers yet another layer of horrors to Ben's childhood, involving the Catholic Church and one particular priest. As part of his attempt to write an autobiography, Ben has to peel back and explore one section of his life that he's been strongly repressing to date. Imagine his surprise to find that same priest having been relocated to the same city where he lives - LA, Calif.
Tackling his quarry with the same dogged approach for a story, Ben comes up against the power, wealth and might of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of LA (Cardinals and bishops with plenty to hide in fact), murderous Latin American assassins, closeted priests etc. His trusty side-kick Alexandra Templeton is back again, with a storyline all for herself this time. Ben's parent figures - Maurice and Fred are definitely a welcome plus anytime they show up. And what would be a good old noir-type whodunnit without some gorgeous distractions for our intrepid sleuth (who is now single-again since the end of book 4 in the series); cues to enter stage for one drop dead beautiful dark-haired priest and one tawny-haired, toned and tattooed construction worker - both with their own secrets of course. The rare sex scenes are tastefully done and not overwrought nor dragged out.
The 'blind eye' used for the title can be applied to so many aspects of the plot - quite cleverly done actually. Apart from the metaphorical use of the phrase when applied to hidden crimes within powerful institutions, Ben has to come to term with yet another awful reminder of his physical fallibility / frailty. I shudder to imagine what Morgan Wilson will do to our broken and battered sleuth in the remaining books in this series!
The author does not fail to provide me with yet another gripping read - strongly developed MCs, a good array of suspects and bad guys, no less than three killings/murders and the repulsive nature of the historical crimes associated with Ben's quarry which cry out for justice and retribution. And as Ben discovers at the end of the book, a need for forgiveness, restoration and absolution. A four and half star read.
So what else is left for 'life' to throw into the ring for Ben to battle? A lot actually. And this instalment uncovers yet another layer of horrors to Ben's childhood, involving the Catholic Church and one particular priest. As part of his attempt to write an autobiography, Ben has to peel back and explore one section of his life that he's been strongly repressing to date. Imagine his surprise to find that same priest having been relocated to the same city where he lives - LA, Calif.
Tackling his quarry with the same dogged approach for a story, Ben comes up against the power, wealth and might of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of LA (Cardinals and bishops with plenty to hide in fact), murderous Latin American assassins, closeted priests etc. His trusty side-kick Alexandra Templeton is back again, with a storyline all for herself this time. Ben's parent figures - Maurice and Fred are definitely a welcome plus anytime they show up. And what would be a good old noir-type whodunnit without some gorgeous distractions for our intrepid sleuth (who is now single-again since the end of book 4 in the series); cues to enter stage for one drop dead beautiful dark-haired priest and one tawny-haired, toned and tattooed construction worker - both with their own secrets of course. The rare sex scenes are tastefully done and not overwrought nor dragged out.
The 'blind eye' used for the title can be applied to so many aspects of the plot - quite cleverly done actually. Apart from the metaphorical use of the phrase when applied to hidden crimes within powerful institutions, Ben has to come to term with yet another awful reminder of his physical fallibility / frailty. I shudder to imagine what Morgan Wilson will do to our broken and battered sleuth in the remaining books in this series!
The author does not fail to provide me with yet another gripping read - strongly developed MCs, a good array of suspects and bad guys, no less than three killings/murders and the repulsive nature of the historical crimes associated with Ben's quarry which cry out for justice and retribution. And as Ben discovers at the end of the book, a need for forgiveness, restoration and absolution. A four and half star read.
July 31, 2013
Wilson adds a new twist to the Catholic priest pedophile scandal by having the priest in this story not only molest children, both boys and girls, but murders a few as well. And it just so happens that the priest, Father Stuart Blackley, used to have sex with Benjamin Justice when he was a young boy and, of course, Justice fell in love with him while it was happening. Fast forward 30 years, when Justice is doing research for the autobiography he's trying to write and has received a hefty advance from his publisher for. He finds out Fr. Blackley died in a hiking accident some years earlier, and of course there's a cover up by the bishop, Anthony Finatti, and the cardinal, Kendall Doyle. Turns out they did more than just cover up Blackley's crimes; they probably murdered him, and they're in league with a terrible Latino assassin, "el Mutilador" Pablo Zuniga. Apparently they hire Zuniga to take on Justice when he gets too close, because he catches Justice one dark night (after he's had violent sex with Nick Gash) and carves the word FAG on Justice's back, then uses the knife to stab Justice's eye. That part is horrific, but I still can't manage to feel much sympathy for Justice because he's still as big of an asshole as he ever was, with or without both eyes. He's strongly attracted to the local parish priest Ismael Aragon, but in addition to trying his best to seduce Fr. Aragon, he also punches him out. He causes Cardinal Doyle's death in the cathedral fire and doesn't show an ouce of remorse for it, believing he's justified in killing Doyle because of his role in the pedophile coverup. He continues to treat everyone around him, even his closest friends, like shit. Alexandra Templeton's fiance, Joe Soto, is killed at the beginning of the story but Justice is too selfish and wrapped up in himself to give her comfort - he avoids her like the plague, won't return her calls, stays away from her as best he can until she finally shows up on his doorstep and demands his attention.
I just can't feel sorry for Justice in any way, because he brings it all on himself.
I just can't feel sorry for Justice in any way, because he brings it all on himself.
February 26, 2017
In this fifth Benjamin Justice novel, Wilson deals with the sexual abuse scandal of the Catholic Church.
His plot brings out the true madness behind these heinous crimes, and the depths that people will go through to hide them. It’s a forceful and thought-provoking read.
His plot brings out the true madness behind these heinous crimes, and the depths that people will go through to hide them. It’s a forceful and thought-provoking read.
August 17, 2009
I debated over this review. On the one hand, the book really grabbed me and held on, as I finished it in one weekend. On the other, I hate the violence the author perpetrates on poor Benjamin. God hasn't he had enough? Lost the love of his life to AIDS, professionally disgraced, raped and infected with HIV, struggling to maintain while on the HIV regime...
Poor Benjamin puts his life and health on the line to solve a case. There are plenty of twists and turns, although the premise, in the end,is not believable to me. Once again, for me, it's the characters that carry the story, not the mystery. So that's where the 4 stars come from, because I couldn't put the book down until I knew Benjamin and Alexandra were safe. I cared deeply when they hurt and were in danger. I celebrated their victories. That's enough for me.
Poor Benjamin puts his life and health on the line to solve a case. There are plenty of twists and turns, although the premise, in the end,is not believable to me. Once again, for me, it's the characters that carry the story, not the mystery. So that's where the 4 stars come from, because I couldn't put the book down until I knew Benjamin and Alexandra were safe. I cared deeply when they hurt and were in danger. I celebrated their victories. That's enough for me.
August 10, 2016
This is my first read of the Benjamin Justice series, but the 5th installment. The main character, Benjamin Justice, is an interesting one, a former reporter prosecuted for fibbing parts of a Pulitzer Prize winning news story. He's also HIV positive and filled with demons from sexual abuse by his priest when he was young. Yes, in this book, just about all the priests are bad or repressed or both. And pretty much all the Catholics are blind followers of the faith and their authority figures. When the book came out in 2003, I imagine this was a new take. Now it is an old one and it hasn't worn well. What has worn well is Justice's complex personality and his friendships. I'd be curious to see where Wilson takes Justice next, and I'll hope that he takes some of that interesting complexity with his main character and uses it for his villains as well.
July 19, 2011
John Morgan Wilson deals with controversial and sometimes uncomfortable subjects in the Benjamin Justice series – pedophilia in the previous book, The Limits of Justice, and the atrocities of priests and the Catholic Church in this one. In addition Ben is a gay disgraced journalist with a myriad of problems of his own. The graphic and often violent sex in the previous books is much toned down here, partially because of Ben's now being HIV positive.
I like Ben as a character and Wilson as a writer so I continue reading this series despite the ever increasing violence.
I like Ben as a character and Wilson as a writer so I continue reading this series despite the ever increasing violence.
June 10, 2011
One of the darkest books yet, with Benjamin Justice chasing down and confronting ghosts of his past when he begins research for his autobiography. Not only does he uncover memories from his own childhood, but discovers that he's not the only one to suffer at the hands of his priest and that the man committed even worse atrocities comes as a shock...
Still, I got sucked into the story fast and furious and the more I read these books, the more I like them. Well written, edgy, intelligent. Ben Justice has to be one of the most flawed characters I've ever come across, but that's what makes him interesting.
Still, I got sucked into the story fast and furious and the more I read these books, the more I like them. Well written, edgy, intelligent. Ben Justice has to be one of the most flawed characters I've ever come across, but that's what makes him interesting.
July 4, 2007
Blind eye just goes a little farther into the dark side and takes a look at the Catholic church covering up for its pedophile priests. Justice, writing his autobiography, opens up a Pandora box when he wants to find Father Blackey. Blackey, it turns out abused dozen of boys and girls until his death. In between the scandal, the construction of a new cathedral, the Cardinal possibly becoming the first American Pope you get a solid thriller with dark overtones.
May 13, 2013
A gripping, somewhat darker installment in the Benjamin Justice - middle-aged, life-trodden, HIV-positive, disgraced journalist - series. Disturbing and somewhat more violent, this one takes on the Church's pedophilia scandal. Characters and story line remain generally terrific, even when deeply flawed and not terribly likeable on the one hand and not without a few weaker aspects on the other. In my opinion, one of the most interesting mystery/crime series out there, though not for everyone.
April 5, 2015
I enjoy the voice of Benjamin Justice, mainly when he messes up (which happens frequently) and makes poor decisions. The mystery here was a little convoluted because there's so much going on. I wish Wilson had dialed it back a little because I found the story lines to be overwhelming: the mystery involving Soto, the abusive clergy, the Catholic Church cover-up, a Mexican cartel overlord. Oy!
January 13, 2026
I have read all John M Wilson's novels of Benjamin Justice; love them all. If you like disgraced journalist, former aloholic who's been through hell and back - mixed in with a little murder, mayhem and suspense, this book is for you!
August 11, 2012
Very good gay mystery in which Ben's been given an advance to write his autobiography and is trying to track down a priest who made a big impression on his preteen self... These mysteries are good, but Ben goes through so much... and so much of it he brings upon himself.
April 13, 2008
A pretty good mystery, and fairly interesting & complex characters. Not my usual kind of read, but a good story.
January 25, 2012
Love a good detective story. This was first and formost a good story line. The added feature of an openly gay protagonist is a plus.
March 13, 2019
4.5 of 5 stars – Best One Yet Exploring Sensitive, Timely Social Issues.
[Gay Men’s Book Group-Chicago monthly selection]
[Gay Men’s Book Group-Chicago monthly selection]
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews