Book Review: Limits of Justice

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Limits of Justice     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
John Morgan Wilson
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Gay / Lesbian   Amateur Sleuth   Noir
Series: Benjamin Justice # 4
Doubleday, Aug 2000, $22.95, 309 pp.

His Pulitzer Prize winning career ended when his award-winning story proved phony. His health has turned shaky when he learned that he turned HIV-positive. Now as he sinks deeper into the morass of non-living, all Benjamin Justice wants is to be left alone. However, ignoring her calls, not washing, shaving, brushing his teeth, and insulting her fails to deter Charlotte Preston. She wants Benjamin to write a book counter-arguing sleazy celeb-biographer Randall Capri’s degrading look at Charlotte’s recently deceased father, TV and movie star Rod Preston.

Unable to refuse the $25K advance and $25K follow-up, Benjamin accepts the job. He explains to Charlotte for that amount of money she owns full editorial license to change his words to include whatever the hell that she wants to write. However, before Benjamin can begin his inquiries into the lives of Rod and Randall, someone kills Charlotte. Feeling obligated to continue with the assignment, Benjamin expands his investigation to include discovering Charlotte’s murderer.

THE LIMITS OF JUSTICE is a well-designed Hollywood mystery, but it is also a redemption novel. The story line belongs to Benjamin who in his fourth “Justice” tale uses Charlotte’s murder as a rallying cause to regain his own lost humanity. Though one of the major underlying themes is out of an X-rated B horror movie, Edgar winner John Morgan Wilson paints a fresh landscape of Southern California. Anyone who enjoys a private investigation story starring an individual on a personal vendetta to regain his former champion status will find this wondrous novel does that and much more.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner