Enemy Within

Butch Karp, Chief Assistant District Attorney for New York County, has inherited several intensely political cases in an election year. The shooting of a black man by an NYPD golden boy is swept quickly aside, leaving Karp to sort out the possibility of corruption and conspiracy. This, combined with other sensitive cases, threatens not only his career, but also the lives of his family, who find themselves enmeshed in the case of a serial killer attacking the homeless. Lee Sellars's clear, controlled narration projects the emotions of the characters and remains distinct and understandable in this taut and fast-paced police procedural. B.F. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

July 2, 2001
Lawyer and law professor Tanenbaum (Reckless Endangerment) brings back his husband-and-wife team of chief ADA Butch Karp and former gunslinger Marlene Ciampi to fight corruption while bringing up their "mutant offspring" in the whirlwind of IPO-era New York City. Opening with two shooting cases Karp suspects are being rammed through "the system" for purposes of political expediency (it being an election year for the DA), the bedraggled-but-upstanding Karp finds himself in a dire situation involving allegations of racism, police conspiracy and potentially misguided use of the newly reinstated death penalty. His spitfire Italian wife, Marlene from Queens, having hung up her guns for a quiet job with a corporate security firm, is swept away on a tide of newfound paper wealth when her company issues a sky-high IPO following a suspiciously well-timed VIP rescue in Kosovo. Meanwhile, their eldest, wayward genius Lucy (who can absorb languages like a sponge), has gotten herself involved in a dicey situation through her charitable work with the homeless when a serial killer begins targeting her charges. Tanenbaum weaves these three main plots (with several subplots attached to each) in a somewhat bewildering pattern of grotesque social inequalities and dirty city politics; while the problems of Karp and his daughter are clearly on a collision course, Marlene provides a form of comic relief via her demented trajectory of reckless spending and alcoholism. The overall story line is more than a bit far-fetched, but fans of Tanenbaum's characters, sharp dialogue and grasp of the intricacies of New York's legal system will not be disappointed.

Politics and the justice system make strange bedfellows. The NYC District Attorney is up for re-election, and it's a tough race. Homicide Bureau Chief Butch Karp refuses to help his boss get elected by looking the other way on three sensitive cases. Fascinating characters, a compelling plot, and crisp dialogue ensue. Reader Nick Sullivan tops it off. His strong conversational style is flawless. Sullivan doesn't read or present; he shares this intriguing story with his listeners. Absolutely wonderful pacing and timing make the story seem so real, so genuine. A minor but annoying editing flaw--the scenes have little pause between them--distracts, but this is a great effort nonetheless. T.J M. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine