Open-on-the-print

From TV to movies to a dark history of mystery noir, we just can't get our fill of that slice of humanity that passes for L.A. underbelly. And when we're talking L.A. Low, we're talking L.A. Law. For some reason, the lawyers getting theirs in this book never come off as quite slime-ball enough for my taste. But in fairness, there's a balancing act going on here between the ongoing plottings of a serial killer (so bland he blends) and his deserving victims. It's hard to tell who the real bad guys are without a good detective so Cannon delivers up her most well rounded protagonist yet - Joanna Davis, an empty nesting middle aged career cop who gets the case of a lifetime - especially after it becomes intensely personal. Cannon's SoCal circus is populated with a great sideshow of characters all given their marching orders by the masterful mystery ringmaster. How she loves to get crack that wit. On Viki Vale, trophy wife: "The lady shopped at some classy stores, but she had a gift for finding the sleaziest apparel each had to offer. Basically this was a room to get naked in. Trash will out." In the whatever happened to Vicki Vale category, hey? What did happen to Vicki Vale? No matter. Another character. "Nothing in this office indicated that its occupant had a personality. Including the occupant." Or the Midwest sheriff. "The big, barrel-chested sheriff wore no overcoat and his improbable uniform featured a lot of silly cords and complicated braids and shiny hardware. He looked like an organ grinder's monkey on steroids." Or a victim's wife as "an ebony stunner". Good stuff. This is a well plotted, highly engaging and entertaining read that cascades to a clever and unpredictable action climax. Mystery trolls will appreciate that this is an honestly written caper - the planted clues all come together in the end as Cannon gets the last laugh. Sometimes the author's sharp wit works against her; i.e. - "The Atterminator" - the name the local then national press ascribes to the lawyer killing antagonist works against giving the book a really gritty anchor. The female detective is almost too perennially optimistic - is this woman too nice to be a cop? I don't know. But she's likable. While investigating a twelve step program, she observes "Nobody had founded Cigars Anonymous, a program she considered desperately overdue." She doesn't have the angst or sex drive of Robert Crais' lady cop in L.A. Requiem and the only reason I bring that up is cause this book is close to being as captivating as that great piece of L.A. noir, imho. Any comparison in that company is pure compliment. Open Season on Lawyers is a good read that really gets up on its legs after the case breaks, running all the way to a heart pounding finish.

If you've ever had a less-than-happy experience with an attorney, you'll LOVE this book! It's everyone's fantasy about how to rid oneself of an enemy. Or perceived enemy, at any rate.

Joanna Davis is a wonderful creation; a police detective on the LAPD force who is tough yet sensitive, smart yet cautious, feminine but strong, a very young grandmother and an almost-menopausal woman, all rolled into one delightful bunch of contradictions. Any woman who reads this book would like to have a Joanna in her life as a friend.

Of course, almost anyone who reads this book would probably like to have the 'perp' as a friend, too, as long as one stayed on his good side. He's clever and funny and thoughtful and kind to the elderly; it's just most of the legal profession of which he's not overly fond.

This is a delightful book, satisfying in every way; it's well-written with a most unusual plot, right up to and including the last page, and peopled by characters you won't soon forget. I'm off to find more books by this author who was previously unknown to me. No longer, though.

This was an extremely fast paced book with infinite innuendoes. The suspect is revealed early on, but the mystery is at large until the very end. Ms Cannon appears to have an in depth knowledge of the LAPD workings and she skillfully uses this to her advantage. Warning - this is a hard book to put down!