L.A. Justice

Darden has done a fine job at stirring up murder, mystery and mayhem in "LA JUSTICE". This engrossing page turner opens with someone being murdered and the race is on to convict the accused of a crime he doesn't remember committing. Filled with excitement and sure to have your attention from the very first page, LA Justice is a novel for those who need to read a well written story with no stones left unturned. Told as one would come to expect from an ex-lawyer (Darden), this novel is definately a great read!

I enjoyed this book because the African American female character, Nikki Hill, is strong, independent and intellegent. So few novels offer up African American characters who challenge the intellect while not making clowns of themselves. Other top-notch serial mystery authors (with interesting African American female characters) who deserve attention include Eleanor Taylor Bland (The Marti MacCallister Mysteries), Grace F. Edwards (The Mali Anderson Mysteries), Penny Mickelbury (The Carol Ann Gibson Mysteries)and Paula L. Woods (The Charlotte Justice Mysteries). Christopher Darden and his co-author are breaking into a level of excellence heretofore only shared with the mystery divas mentioned above. I look forward to more of the Nikki Hill character and the substantially improved writing of this duo.

It is very easy to dismiss this book as a continuing opportunistic money generator from a notable trial Mr. Darden was involved in. Suggesting it resembles anything to do with the infamous Criminal Trial Mr. Darden prosecuted is just too easy and lazy. The truth is that this book would probably be more highly rated if his name were not associated with the book. Cynicism is a sport in this Country, and if that kept people from this book it's their loss.While the Courtroom plays a role in this book it does not monopolize the story. Mr. Darden could easily produce courtroom tales from his 15 years as an L.A. Prosecutor. The book is more of a mystery and it is much better than what most Lawyers turned Novelists are offering by the truckload. You never know who really wrote what in these collaborations, but Mr. Dick Lochte deserves his share of the credit as well.I have not read the first installment in this series but I enjoyed this volume enough that I will backtrack to the first. I view books of this type as clever and entertaining if done reasonably well, and this book certainly qualifies. The book did contain a couple of comments that were based on the fruit who was, "responsible for but not guilty of", killing two people. I found these distracting at best, and petty cheap shots at worst. In his book on the trial his personal feelings were appropriate, to continue to drag them into novels just gives credence to the charge he continues to use and profit from the one trial.I don't read many books like this, however this is worth the time. My only criticism is that the book was a bit longer than it needed to be, and the more of this type of book you have read the earlier you may puzzle out the plot. I believe the Authors started tipping their hand too early almost as an effort to justify the continuation of the story they wished to tell.Entertaining read. 3.5 Stars

See storyline above.Lochte and Darden have written a fast-paced, very readable, action mystery. I didn't get a chance to read the first Nikki Hill novel 'The Trials of Nikki Hill',so the character of Nikki seemed a little shallow. Overall though, the book reads well by itself. The story moves at a steady pace until the action packed finale, which was entertaining, yet surprising. The relationship between Nikki and Virgil seemed a bit contrived. Didn't seem to have much chemistry holding them together. Overall a nice effort by Lochte and Darden.Recommended for legal thriller fans.

Though the suspect comes from wealth, the case against Randy Bingham is as tight as a glove on a hand. Los Angeles police detectives Virgil Sykes and Dan McNeil immediately upon arriving at the crime scene in the Hancock Park section of town realize that someone sloppily tried to change a murder into a suicide, making the homicide even clearer. The culprit shot Shelli Dietz in Randy's home. Shelly's preadolescent son testifies that Randy killed his mother.Deputy District Attorney Nikki Hill sees holes in the case that her lover Virgil and his partner provide to her, but continues with the prosecution against Randy. As she gathers more information, Nikki finds her own office hoping she will fail in this headline case. Also causing credibility problems for the prosecution is IA looking into Dan's recent killing of a prostitute. Still, the predominance of the evidence clearly points towards Randy even if Nikki begins having reasonable doubt. The second Hill legal thriller is an exciting tale that keeps the octane flowing at its highest levels. The story line is fast-paced, filled with action, and never slows down for a nanosecond though readers will need to keep an open mind about the facts in the case. The relationship between Nikki and Virgil crumbles too easily due to misconceptions, misinformation, and miscommunication and adds little but unnecessary turns to the plot. Still Christopher Darden and Dick Lochte provide an enjoyable tale that sub- genre fans will appreciate because of its insider's look at the system at a supersonic pace.Harriet Klausner