Where the Lies Begin

I like mystery novels where I'm not twelve steps ahead of the protagonist. (The DaVinci Code? Puh-leeze -- could they have been ANY slower figuring everything out? It was torture.) In Where the Lies Begin, it's hard to tell the good guys from the bad ones. That's more like it! Deceit, lies, and trickery are the stuff of a good mystery, and Where the Lies Begin has it all. I'm now a confirmed fan of Robert S. Levinson.

Levinson has done it again. I still miss Stevie and Neil, but this latest book is definitely my favorite. The action started from page one, and my head spun round all the possible angles until the very last sentence. Levinson has been my favorite author for years, and this novel proves I remain ahead of the curve finding good new authors. (Although he's not so new anymore! I have something like six or seven of his books now!)

Federal chief of the Department of Domestic Terrorism legendary Rupert Bachman asks former LAPD chief turned County Board of Supervisors Daniel "Duke" Marion to help them. Apparently, terrorist Bruno Guy is willing to turn himself in, but only if his friend Duke is there to insure his safety. Rupert further explains that in exchange for amnesty Bruno will provide the location of seven bombs at seven government buildings in seven cities planted by the Freedom Militia. Duke agrees. Duke and Bruno are to make contact with one another at the Lifetime Achievement Award gala honoring legendary actress turned Princess Nell Fontanne. However, Duke is forced to kill an assassin who was trying to shoot Nell. Thus he fails to meet Bruno. Current Police Chief Paul Crescent leads a media blitz condemning vigilante justice, which leads into a Grand Jury investigation that Rupert manipulates. A distracted Duke realizes he needs to meet with Bruno not just because they are pals, but more so because the clock ticks away with many lives in jeopardy. WHERE THE LIES BEGIN is a complex espionage thriller in which it is impossible to tell who the good guys are at least from the vantage point of Duke. For instance Rupert's men are zealots in which means does not matter only the ends; if innocents die so what as collateral damage s**t happens. This makes the tale even more complicated and that much more fun to read as the audience tries to determine who's on whose side. Robert S. Levinson writes an interesting tale of deceit in high and low places that his fans will appreciate. Harriet Klausner