Criminal Justice

by Barbara Parker

Dan Galindo, a young Miami prosecutor, suddenly finds himself on the other end of the law when his girlfriend is found murdered in his apartment and he becomes the prime suspect in the crime. By the author of Suspicion of Innocence. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Legal Thriller, Suspense, Crime

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Barbara Parker was an American mystery writer. She wrote 12 novels, the first of which, Suspicion of Innocence, was a finalist for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best first mystery novel by an American author. Parker was on the national board of the Mystery Writers of America and was the chair of its membership committee for two years.

Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Criminal Justice by Barbara Parker is set in 1990s Miami. Dan Galindo used to be a successful federal prosecutor. He used to be happily married. He used to live in a luxury home and belong to an exclusive country club. Now his ex-wife lives in luxury, while he lives in a tiny apartment and works out of a has-been defense attorney’s office in a seedy part of town. He has limited visitation rights with his son. He has a spoiled-brat girlfriend who plays in a hoping-to-be-discovered rock band.

Dan’s downfall came when he refused to put a key witness on the stand, because he knew the witness lied. He followed his conscience. But when the feds lost the case, Dan was fired. None of the hotshot Miami legal firms wanted a failure. Lacking work and self-confidence, he drank away his marriage.

Dan lost everything important in his life except his integrity, which makes him a sympathetic hero in this story, surrounded by criminals and biased law enforcement. But Dan has an unrealistic fantasy of taking his son on an international fishing trip…and takes dangerous risks to achieve it.

Federal prosecutor Elaine McHale respected Dan for his integrity when they worked together. She’s on a money-laundering case with the DEA. Dan enters their radar by representing a rock musician as a favor to a friend. The DEA suspect the rock band is a front for criminal activity, assume Dan is fully aware and participating in the crimes, since Dan is seen regularly with the criminals. The DEA doesn’t know (nor would they believe) Dan is just doing a favor so he can borrow an exotic speedboat.

Dan’s friend is holding back secrets. He is badly in debt with his recording studio, suspects his major backer is “dirty”, but must keep working for a “break” with the band. The money-laundering kingpin is a sexually attractive man who is brutal and amoral. People under his control do not get away alive.

When Dan’s girlfriend is viciously murdered in Dan’s apartment, after leaving a recorded message that she was going to tell him something important, the police are so certain Dan committed the crime, they don’t investigate the murder. Dan must track down the killer himself. His efforts link him further to the federal investigation and the criminal kingpin.

Suspense mounts as the feds set a trap for the kingpin, more deaths occur, the rock band desperately tries to produce a demo record, and Dan struggles to fix his life. Betrayals abound. A fast-paced thriller with interconnecting plot threads, “recommended for mature audiences” due to violence. Overall, it’s a fairly dark and depressing depiction of Miami’s underbelly, with only Dan and Elaine shining through.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the first pages of the book are short phrases of reviews on this title as well as on other titles by Barbara Parker. For Criminal Justice, the Key West Citizen said, "Realistic dialogue, gritty details, and plot momentum!" I really enjoyed this book not only for the story but as a thought-provoking glimpse into our criminal justice system and maintaining the balance of one's own integrity and ethics to "do the right thing" at each step of our life journey.
After posting this review on GoodReads, I thought I'd check to see if Barbara Parker was on FB as many of the authors now have pages. My search led me to this site to learn that she passed away. I'm so terribly sorry to learn of her death and that there was a long illness. I am definitely a fan of her writing and am so grateful for the stories she shared. Very sad that her life was cut short so young. RIP.
http://www.ilasting.com/barbaraparker...

[Reba Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

This. Book is filled with unexpected turns.

I really liked the protagonist. He is far from perfect but at his core he's a really good guy. The author has a real feel for Miami and the south Florida lifestyle. I'm a great fan of Barbara Parker. It's too bad she didn't write more.

[Rob Leininger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen a few reviews that said the dialogue was poor. Well, in my opinion (as a writer often praised for the dialogue of my characters), I can say the dialogue was excellent. A few other reviews said the novel had few (if any) "nice" characters. Wrong again, and where is it written that novels can only be populated by nice people. But I'm not going to put in spoilers since I don't do that. I think this is a 4.5 star novel, but since I can't give it that, I'll give it five. It's clear that Ms. Parker knows a lot about scuba diving, fishing, aquariums, and the music biz. The legal "stuff" rings true, as well it should since she was a prosecutor in the Dade County State Attorney's office.

[Lori Robinett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan Galindo, a disgraced former prosecutor, is working out of a small firm. His client, also a friend, leads him into a web of drug lords, DEA, federal attorneys, and a rock band. The characters were interesting, but there were so many of them and the plot was so complicated, I occasionally got lost with who was who and who was doing what. The action was well written. Overall, the book was enjoyable and I'll read more in the series.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good who "dunnit"set in the music recording industry.
Lots of information on how a recording is actually made using sophisticated equipment and moody musicians. Good mystery to sit by the pool and read; nothing to make your heart race.

[Barbara Bales · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really a 3 1/2. An okay book.

[Avard MacPhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed with the flow of this novel. 3.3 Stars

[Deborah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not her usual "Suspicion of" quaity.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story was a bit jumbled and was a difficult read

[Cheyenne Surprise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very slow start but once the story picks up it doesn’t stop. Lots of twists and turns

[Arlingtontexican · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book I read By this author. Sorry it took so long I let this when it caught in the rain out by the pool. Had to let it dry out before I could read it. I enjoyed the book enjoyed the characters. They call this a romantic mystery or thriller but it kept things moving along and didn't spend too much time on the romantic side. I have to say enjoyed the book I would've given it three stars but I'm giving it four stars because I'm optimistic that the next when I read be just as good and they both will serve four stars.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy books set in of Florida and Ms Parker is one of my favorite Florida authors. As far as I know, this book is a stand alone, which is a good thing...I got sick and tired of Anthony and Gail's rocky relationship!

The plot of Criminal Justice is complicated and the characters are a bit over the top... a very good read.

[Linda B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very interesting story line. It shows just how tangled things can get and usually not for the reasons you would think. It has love, action, and peril. I would recommend this book to people you like mystery.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the story interesting but I wasn't really invested in any of the characters. Once I found myself liking someone, they usually made a choice that took away some of their redeeming qualities for me.

[Jackie Simons]

Read 11/06

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast moving story of lawyer and an undercover federal operation in a recording studio. Characters interweave.
Misunderstandings.
A bit confusing keeping it all straight.
Good.

[Wynd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this author.