The Warriors

October 1, 2018
Last seen in 2016’s The Borzoi Killings, defense attorney Raquel Rematti defends Sen. Angelina Baldesteri, the widow of assassinated President Jimmy Young, against charges of money laundering, perjury, bribery, and obstruction of
justice, in Batista’s twisty, fast-moving legal thriller. Raquel is trying to do her best, but she must fight not only the case presented by the prosecutor but also the senator’s need to do things her way. The situation rapidly deteriorates in the courtroom, as witnesses are caught lying and someone bribes a juror with sex, drugs, and money to hold out for not guilty. Outside the courtroom lurks maniacal drug lord Oscar Caliente. To complicate matters, Raquel’s lover, TV news anchor Hayes Smith, is murdered while on assignment, and somebody may be gunning for Raquel. Powerful courtroom scenes and well-drawn characters are pluses, but the omniscience and barely motivated malice of the villains makes the whole less than believable. Still, fans of TV commentator Batista won’t want to miss this one.

October 15, 2018
The warriors in this corker of a thriller are two redoubtable women. One is Senator Angelina Baldesteri, widow of a slain president and up for a White House run herself?too bad she's charged with fraud, tax scams, and money laundering. Her defense lawyer is Raquel Rematti, who isn't there to lose; she's set free any number of filthy-rich clients. Then the truth comes out about the senator, reminding us of the adage that power always goes to the wrong people because they're the ones who want it. The fight-within-a fight is told in a stripped-down, effect-free style that would do for a war story, which is what this is. Scumbags from Batista's earlier The Borzoi Killings (2016) emerge as Raquel learns what's really funding the senator's career. And they come after her in the dark. The treachery and backstabbing startle the reader as they pound at Raquel. A real pleasure here is the literate language in the courtroom clashes, plus electric scenes stolen by diminutive, ancient judge Naomi Goldstein. "Play with me," she warns everybody, "and you're playing with fire."(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)