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Official Site of Author Robert S. Levinson
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Reviews: Where the Lies Begin
Special to the Sun
Originally published May 28, 2006
Where the Lies Begin
Robert S. Levinson
Five Star / 340 pages / $25.95
No one likes to be lied to, but the truth, as the saying goes, can be a bitter pill to swallow. It's a lesson that former Los Angeles Police Chief Daniel "Duke" Marion learns all too well in this ever-surprising, character-rich thriller from veteran novelist and Hollywood producer Robert S. Levinson. The first surface truth is when Duke (who has traded guns for a government desk job) is approached by Domestic Terrorism head honcho Rupert Bachman for one purpose: bringing in Bruno Guy, wanted for almost two decades for terrorist acts. So what if Duke and Bruno are old friends dating to childhood? The trap is set, and the bait is aging movie star Nell Fontanne - but it all goes wrong when someone shoots and Duke gets there first. He yo-yos from hero to villain to something in between, and the ultimate goal - finding Bruno - becomes far messier than he ever thought it could. The best moments in Where the Lies Begin involve Duke and his wife, Anny, a couple whose interactions ring wonderfully true thanks to what they say, and what they don't have to say, to each other.
Sarah Weinman reviews crime fiction monthly for The Sun. Visit
her at www.sarahweinman.com.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE By Dick AdlerWHERE THE LIES BEGIN, by Robert S. Levinson (Five Star; $25.95) Even though he seems to have put aside his celebrity-studded thrillers about Neil Gulliver and Stevie Marriner � a hot couple of formerly married Hollywood insiders � Robert S. Levinson can't resist adding a touch of his own past life as a top publicist to his latest tough and funny new book. The hero this time out is Duke Marion (fans of John Wayne will get the joke), a former Los Angeles police chief who now uses his clout as one of five members of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. Part of Duke's perks include invites for himself and his sexy wife Annie to a gala honoring their favorite movie star, Nell Fontanne � now the Princess of a country which sounds a lot like Monaco, who has finally succumbed to pressure to return for a night in her honor. "Jack Nicholson brushed by me�his aging bulk on proud, indifferent display stuffed inside a tux with out-of-date lapels almost as long as his rounded shoulders, lapping up every moment of the gushing adoration," Levinson writes merrily. But Marion is not just on hand as a fan: he's been contacted by a nasty little piece of work called Rupert Bachman, aka "The Bug Man" because he heads up DDT -- a federal agency called the Department of Domestic Terrorism. It seems that Duke's boyhood pal, Bruno Guy, on the run for 17 years after being charged with some political felonies, wants to surrender. He offers details of a very large terrorist bomb plot in return for amnesty � and will surrender only to his friend Duke. The first exchange is to take place at the Nell Fontanne celebration (Bruno is also a big fan). Things begin to go wrong from the first digital camera flash, and Marion finds himself up to his neck in a gang of governmental double-dealers who make the Hollywood press corps look like a church choir. MYSTERY MORGUEWhere the Lies Begin By Robert S. Levinson Five Star Publishing, May 16, 2006 Hardcover, 343 pp; $25.95 ISBN #1-59414-432-X Reviewed by Theodore Feit
A complex tale during which former police chief Daniel F. (�Duke�) Marion faces truth or consequences amidst all kinds of complications and loyalties leads him through a series of tests�to his integrity, his priorities and friendships. Newly elected to the five-member board of supervisors of Los Angeles County, Marion also has to test his beliefs against political reality.
Along the way, he is approached by the head of the Department of Domestic Terrorism to help bring in from the cold a boyhood close friend. This activity is surrounded by scheming and doable dealing. His friend is ready to surrender (he�s a known terrorist and murderer) in return for amnesty (he claims to have knowledge of seven planned bombings of government buildings). Is the deal good�or is he marked for assassination?
Duke shoots a couple of people and is vilified for being a vigilante. He is hounded by his successor as police chief, and suffers a lot of bad press. But that�s the least of his problems. The main thrust of the plot involves his efforts to rescue his boyhood friend and complete the deal, ignoring all the bad deeds committed in the past. To do so, he has to sacrifice his ideals and make bad bargains with power brokers.
Tightly written and plotted, the novel moves forward at a steady but complicated pace, juxtaposing subplots. Each time his friend surfaces, he disappears and a new situation has to be invented to have him come forth the nest time�and the next time, until finally, fruition: he is finally given amnesty and testifies against a series of terrorist groups. And then he supposedly is killed in a plane explosion on the way to the next grand jury. Or was he? I suggest you read it and find out.
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