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Criminal Code
When the elite legal firms of Beverly Hills need problems erased for their most select clients, not argued in court or boardrooms, they contract downward to lesser law offices—ethically compromised “ambulance chasers” with no qualms about getting their hands dirty. Shadowy intermediaries are summoned like genies and the best of these is Tag, a veteran fixer with a brutal past, a dark personal code, and a clear warning to clients: vengeance comes at a cost they may not be able to afford in the end. But in Los Angeles, the rich are used to getting what they want, making Tag a very busy and rich man.
Contracted for a devastating act of retribution against Walter Greene, a Hollywood mogul with a dark legacy of sexual abuse, Tag penetrates Greene’s guarded world to exact the revenge his client sought, winning a battle but starting a war. Far from learning his lesson, Greene enlists his own fixer. Morgan is competent, detached, and even more ruthless. But instead of two champions from mythology facing off, like David and Goliath, or Achilles and Hector, Tag and Morgan don’t see themselves as enemies but friendly competitors in an illicit market that’s booming.
What follows is a shadowy war of revenge and spiraling violence, well outside the boundaries of the law and society.
Contracted for a devastating act of retribution against Walter Greene, a Hollywood mogul with a dark legacy of sexual abuse, Tag penetrates Greene’s guarded world to exact the revenge his client sought, winning a battle but starting a war. Far from learning his lesson, Greene enlists his own fixer. Morgan is competent, detached, and even more ruthless. But instead of two champions from mythology facing off, like David and Goliath, or Achilles and Hector, Tag and Morgan don’t see themselves as enemies but friendly competitors in an illicit market that’s booming.
What follows is a shadowy war of revenge and spiraling violence, well outside the boundaries of the law and society.
- GenresThriller
258 pages, Paperback
Published June 22, 2025
1 person is currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
John Scheck
5 books17 followershttps://www.instagram.com/johnscheck_...
https://johnscheck.blogspot.com/
John Scheck has lived in four countries on three continents. In no particular order, these include eight years in Lower Queen Anne in Seattle; the Miraflores district of Lima, Peru, during a university program; the Glyfada area of greater Athens, Greece, as part of his short and distinguished service in the U.S. Air Force; and now the Ruzafa neighborhood in sunny Valencia, Spain, is home.
His humor essays have appeared on several websites and magazines, as well as National Lampoon's Not Fit for Print. He writes crime fiction and other stuff.
https://johnscheck.blogspot.com/
https://johnscheck.blogspot.com/
John Scheck has lived in four countries on three continents. In no particular order, these include eight years in Lower Queen Anne in Seattle; the Miraflores district of Lima, Peru, during a university program; the Glyfada area of greater Athens, Greece, as part of his short and distinguished service in the U.S. Air Force; and now the Ruzafa neighborhood in sunny Valencia, Spain, is home.
His humor essays have appeared on several websites and magazines, as well as National Lampoon's Not Fit for Print. He writes crime fiction and other stuff.
https://johnscheck.blogspot.com/
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 2, 2025
"Just seems this whole ‘an eye for an eye’ thing has left a lot of blind people, and more to come,” Tag said. "
A "Weinstein-esk" movie mogul who believes women have been placed in his path for his pleasure, a woman who decides to get justice her way, a couple of "fixers" to clean it all up, and a morally questionable ex-cop, mix it all together and you have a dark story of power, privilege and revenge. An entertaining hardboiled crime novel recommend it to noir fans everywhere.
A "Weinstein-esk" movie mogul who believes women have been placed in his path for his pleasure, a woman who decides to get justice her way, a couple of "fixers" to clean it all up, and a morally questionable ex-cop, mix it all together and you have a dark story of power, privilege and revenge. An entertaining hardboiled crime novel recommend it to noir fans everywhere.
June 27, 2025
John Scheck, have you heard of him? If not you should look him up. He hasn't written much but what he writes is solid gold. Criminal Code deals with what happens in Hollywood but don't stay there. It deals with dodgy men who thinks they can do unto women whatever they please and the lawyers and fixers that deals with the problems after the fact. It is also about retribution and revenge in many layers. The writing is as always with this author flawless and he has a magnificent way of dealing with lifes events in a rather surprising way. I have read four of his books so far and I recommend them all. I hope you grab some of his work and enjoy it as much as I have.
September 29, 2025
Another great page turner from John Sheck, great suspense and very intriguing characters (even the “bad guys). There are some fun Easter eggs too, connecting some of his other books if you’ve read those (and of course Mr. Sheck always throws a few jabs at American transportation). Some heavy subject matter, so this one maybe should come with a “readers discretion advised” if you’re sensitive to such things … but as Bart Simpson said, “If you don’t watch the violence, you’ll never get desensitized to it.” Also, let’s just say, Sheck has a writing knack for scumbags getting what they deserve.
June 27, 2025
Right away the author, John Scheck, explains in his novel Criminal Code that the modern version of a "fixer" has great comparison to the mercenaries from the late Middle Ages to the time of Machiavelli, men who sold their swords and leadership to the many small and large wars that were fought between the various kingdoms and duchies of that period, led by rapacious feudal princes, barons, and other high nobles who lusted for power, territory, and glory. These mercenaries swore allegiance to the highest bidder, and most were not subjects to the fiefdoms for whom they fought, often bringing companies of their own cutthroat men from diverse backgrounds--except they were all seasoned fighters--to bolster the legions already in the field, often turning the tide. Some changed sides during the battle if the price was right to betray their overlords.
Modern capitalists, as rapacious and power-hungry as the kingdoms of old, do not need legions of warriors to fight their battles in the free marketplace, but they do need teams of lawyers and other functionaries to carry out their bidding to surmount the law in the pursuit of great wealth and power, or to protect their lives and reputations, especially from their own misdeeds and horrid behavior. Powerful men, drunk on their hubris and privilege, often act badly simply because no one around them tells them no. Therefore fixers, usually hired by their lawyers, help to right the ship if the wealthy capitalist veers off course. Most of what fixers do is extra-legal or even criminal, so it takes a certain ruthless individual to perform these jobs, someone with questionable morals and shady ethics.
Criminal Code introduces two of these modern mercenaries, Tag and Morgan, both of whom hail from military backgrounds, two smart, ruthless, and dangerous practitioners of the dirty art of fixing problems for rich folks. In this case they work on the opposite sides of the same gentleman, a Harvey Weinstein-like Hollywood magnate named Walter Greene, whose bad behavior towards female actors has left a trail of destruction behind him that could ruin his reputation as well as his vast fortune. Tag works to further this demise while Morgan works to cover it all up.
The ensuing battle between these two clever operatives, like mercenaries of old, forms the battle lines of the novel and gives it its vitality and excitement. The fun is witnessing which of these two daring and ruthless men can pull dirty tricks out of their respective bags to outdo the other in either protecting Walter Greene or ruining him. Scheck throws out morality in this tale because, really, how moral is our modern version of hyper-capitalism, where billionaire winners get to set the rules and have the wealth to build their own armies to protect their vast realms. In this case Walter Greene is a despicable human being, but his obscenely vast wealth protects him way more than any average Joe could ever imagine. But his competitors also have that power, and the battle is on, led by these mercenaries who are driven by their own ambition and not a higher moral purpose.
Tag and Morgan are not even enemies to each other as much as just adversaries in some modern version of two feudal barons fighting for supremacy and the warriors-for-hire they employ to do their dirtiest work. That the two mercs are almost carbon copies of each other is what brings the story so much juicy weight. They're driven by greed and not chivalry, even if, deep down, they do possess a certain chivalric code; it's just twisted by circumstance and a desire to win at all costs, not that different than the sham chivalric code of old that never stopped Medieval knights from raping and pillaging as they fought what they claimed were noble and even holy wars while brandishing the Christian cross before them.
Don't try to read Criminal Code with the hope that the good guys will eventually win, or that good defeats evil. There are no good guys, no heroes, and no "good" outcomes, just ruthless functionaries who operate at a vicious efficacy in supporting the vast amoral and immoral wealth employing them. Maybe it sounds cynical and nihilistic, but can we all agree that's pretty much where we're at in 2025? Scheck just presents the ugly truth in his fictitious story, but we all know this ugly world is right before us.
Modern capitalists, as rapacious and power-hungry as the kingdoms of old, do not need legions of warriors to fight their battles in the free marketplace, but they do need teams of lawyers and other functionaries to carry out their bidding to surmount the law in the pursuit of great wealth and power, or to protect their lives and reputations, especially from their own misdeeds and horrid behavior. Powerful men, drunk on their hubris and privilege, often act badly simply because no one around them tells them no. Therefore fixers, usually hired by their lawyers, help to right the ship if the wealthy capitalist veers off course. Most of what fixers do is extra-legal or even criminal, so it takes a certain ruthless individual to perform these jobs, someone with questionable morals and shady ethics.
Criminal Code introduces two of these modern mercenaries, Tag and Morgan, both of whom hail from military backgrounds, two smart, ruthless, and dangerous practitioners of the dirty art of fixing problems for rich folks. In this case they work on the opposite sides of the same gentleman, a Harvey Weinstein-like Hollywood magnate named Walter Greene, whose bad behavior towards female actors has left a trail of destruction behind him that could ruin his reputation as well as his vast fortune. Tag works to further this demise while Morgan works to cover it all up.
The ensuing battle between these two clever operatives, like mercenaries of old, forms the battle lines of the novel and gives it its vitality and excitement. The fun is witnessing which of these two daring and ruthless men can pull dirty tricks out of their respective bags to outdo the other in either protecting Walter Greene or ruining him. Scheck throws out morality in this tale because, really, how moral is our modern version of hyper-capitalism, where billionaire winners get to set the rules and have the wealth to build their own armies to protect their vast realms. In this case Walter Greene is a despicable human being, but his obscenely vast wealth protects him way more than any average Joe could ever imagine. But his competitors also have that power, and the battle is on, led by these mercenaries who are driven by their own ambition and not a higher moral purpose.
Tag and Morgan are not even enemies to each other as much as just adversaries in some modern version of two feudal barons fighting for supremacy and the warriors-for-hire they employ to do their dirtiest work. That the two mercs are almost carbon copies of each other is what brings the story so much juicy weight. They're driven by greed and not chivalry, even if, deep down, they do possess a certain chivalric code; it's just twisted by circumstance and a desire to win at all costs, not that different than the sham chivalric code of old that never stopped Medieval knights from raping and pillaging as they fought what they claimed were noble and even holy wars while brandishing the Christian cross before them.
Don't try to read Criminal Code with the hope that the good guys will eventually win, or that good defeats evil. There are no good guys, no heroes, and no "good" outcomes, just ruthless functionaries who operate at a vicious efficacy in supporting the vast amoral and immoral wealth employing them. Maybe it sounds cynical and nihilistic, but can we all agree that's pretty much where we're at in 2025? Scheck just presents the ugly truth in his fictitious story, but we all know this ugly world is right before us.
July 16, 2025
Criminal Code opens with an intriguing setup: Tag, a former soldier turned fixer, is hired to take down a powerful Hollywood predator. Inspired by Giovanni Acuto (John Hawkwood), a notorious “condottiero” in war-torn Italy, Tag is the strongest character, but not necessarily a sympathetic one.
The plot has a noir vibe and a lot of potential, but for me it got weighed down by frequent detours into character backstories - not just for the leads, but for nearly everyone, including law firms. This slowed the pace and diffused the tension.
The style is traditional and serious, focusing on moral ambiguity and personal codes, yet unfortunately none of the characters truly resonated. Even the “victim” Pilar carried a whiff of sanctimony. I prefer my fiction to have at least one sympathetic figure, though I understand that it's not essential for a noir-ish story.
Overall, Criminal Code shows dedication and ambition but left me wishing for a leaner story and characters I could root for. Three stars for effort and heart, and thanks to the author for providing me a copy of his book.
The plot has a noir vibe and a lot of potential, but for me it got weighed down by frequent detours into character backstories - not just for the leads, but for nearly everyone, including law firms. This slowed the pace and diffused the tension.
The style is traditional and serious, focusing on moral ambiguity and personal codes, yet unfortunately none of the characters truly resonated. Even the “victim” Pilar carried a whiff of sanctimony. I prefer my fiction to have at least one sympathetic figure, though I understand that it's not essential for a noir-ish story.
Overall, Criminal Code shows dedication and ambition but left me wishing for a leaner story and characters I could root for. Three stars for effort and heart, and thanks to the author for providing me a copy of his book.
June 25, 2025
You just know that there are men out there who do the dirty work for the rich, stuff that can’t be done with lawyers and pay-offs. Tag and Logan are two slippery operators paid handsomely to take out the trash for the upper one percent. What good is it to be rich if you can’t have nice things, like assassins on speed-dial?
If this isn’t pure noir, I don’t know what that word means…and I speak French. So, don’t enter into this novel if you’re afraid of the dark. A "cozy mystery" this ain't.
If this isn’t pure noir, I don’t know what that word means…and I speak French. So, don’t enter into this novel if you’re afraid of the dark. A "cozy mystery" this ain't.
August 6, 2025
In his razor-sharp noir thriller Criminal Code, John Scheck’s third novel delivers a blistering critique of power, privilege, and justice in contemporary America. Set against the sprawling, suffocating backdrop of Los Angeles, we're introduced to Tag, a mercenary with a military past and a moral compass worn down to a nub. Hired for a job that teeters between revenge and contract killing, Tag navigates a world of morally bankrupt elites and corrupt lawyers.
The prose is darkly poetic, laced with sardonic humor and sharp social commentary. Scheck’s LA is not just a setting, but a character itself: a hellscape of asphalt, strip malls, and soulless affluence. Beneath the slick dialogue and violent undercurrents lies a serious examination of justice systems, both official and extralegal, and the price of retribution.
While the novel owes a clear debt to hard-boiled classics, it updates the genre with modern anxieties: surveillance culture, economic inequality, and post-military trauma. The pacing is brisk.
The prose is darkly poetic, laced with sardonic humor and sharp social commentary. Scheck’s LA is not just a setting, but a character itself: a hellscape of asphalt, strip malls, and soulless affluence. Beneath the slick dialogue and violent undercurrents lies a serious examination of justice systems, both official and extralegal, and the price of retribution.
While the novel owes a clear debt to hard-boiled classics, it updates the genre with modern anxieties: surveillance culture, economic inequality, and post-military trauma. The pacing is brisk.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews