Book Review: Vigilante Justice

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

Vigilante Justice     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Michael LaRocca
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Hard Shell Word Factory, 2002

Drugs are being stolen from police evidence lockers and sold on the street. These same drugs are killing the users. Internal Affairs officer Gary Drake’s brother is one of the victims, and so Drake swears to avenge his brother’s death and find those responsible.

‘Vigilante Justice’ had an interesting premise, but failed to live up to it. It could have been a powerful and compelling novel about the dangers of vigilantism and the failings of the judicial system, yet it turned into what was ultimately one man’s unbelievable crusade. The protagonist, Drake, manages to lose his job twice and his descent into his own personal Hell simply does not ring true.

Other than this, it is hard to know what to say about the novel. At only 152 pages, it can be read in one sitting without any trouble at all, as there is nothing here that is going to tax the brain. The plot is simple, there is not a great deal of character development and overall, this is a below average novella. There are many better police stories out there that deal with both drugs and vigilantism. Try those before you try this!

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

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