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Tim Green's latest novel is a story that tries to answer the question, What would you do?, if someone harmed your child. Jack Ruskin is a lawyer disgusted with the criminal legal system. His teenage daughter was brutally assaulted by Eugene Tupp and has left her psychologically scarred. Her father has been chastising himself constantly for not being able to save his little girl. Due to a legal technicality, Tupp is not convicted on the rape of Janet Ruskin but on some lesser charges. He will spend some time in prison but will be back out and might do it to someone else. Jack is furious and he plans to do something about it. As a former prosecutor, Ruskin knows the mistakes criminals make while performing their crimes. Now with that knowledge, he will randomly target level three child molesters who have gotten off easy in the legal system and execute them. His job as a corporate attorney gives him leeway to travel and a chance to work while he hunts. He is very meticulous in what he does and efficient, unfortunately, sooner or later, law enforcement agencies will start to suspect. Suffolk County Detective Andrew McGrew is angry that there have been two murders committed in his backyard. He is aware of the similarities those murders have with deaths of child abusers around the country and uses everything under his power to get his man. Using his political clout, he gets the assistance of FBI Agent, Amanda Lee to help with the case. She is one of the best serial killer trackers in the nation and reluctantly agrees to help. After they identify Jack they try to capture him and fail. McGrew is power hungry and knows what he needs to do. There is one thing Jack wants and he is willing to use it as bait. He just is not aware what the consequences are going to be. What at first promises to be a good novel about ethics turns out to be a complete mess. The author focuses all his attention on Jack and gives some characterization on Amanda, even though her role is minimal in this book. Jack is supposed to uphold the law and while still working as a lawyer, he decides to make a mockery out of it. He claims he is looking for justice for the parents of other victims, when instead he uses it as an excuse to make himself useful after failing his daughter. There are several instances of convenience put in the book that is just not credible for the plot. The biggest one is when Jack uses MapQuest, an Internet directory system, to find someone's address with a common name in Manassas, Virginia. If it were a small town, then it might be possible, in Manassasñ no how, no way. There should have been several people who should have filled out the criteria Jack inputted, not just one. Amanda's story acts more like a fluff piece to this vigilante novel than part of the general plot. Jack will help Amanda with her own personal situation and either makes a friend or an enemy with the FBI agent. The way their two paths converge in The Fifth Angel is just too implausible to describe. It is a story that we have seen before with a predictable and unconvincing ending. If you are new to Tim Green, do not let this novel deter you. The Letter of the Law is a more strongly plotted novel than this one. Perhaps Tim Green's next novel will prove to be better.
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, January 2003
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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