From Publishers Weekly
The sights and sounds of contemporary Hollywood lift Wilson's well-plotted sixth Benjamin Justice mystery (after 2003's Blind Eye). When actor-turned-writer Bruce Bibby is brutally murdered in his apartment, journalist-sleuth Justice takes on the task of finishing a booklet Bibby was working on that celebrates the 20th anniversary of the City of West Hollywood. It seems a simple enough task, but proves to be only the tip of the iceberg. Bibby's murder is somehow connected to a shady condominium development deal, as well as to the still-mysterious, decades-old disappearance of a local handyman. The advantages of the glitzy L.A. setting include glimpses of the rich and famous: Robert Duvall makes a cameo appearance, as does the Chateau Marmont, where John Belushi died of an overdose. The ghosts of Hollywood past hang heavy over all, despite the aggressively up-to-the-minute detail. Justice, for example, is gay, uses Prozac, is HIV-positive and is minus an eye, giving a whole new meaning to the term "private eye." Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
*Starred Review* Wilson turns in another first-rate, increasingly engrossing, multilayered novel in the acclaimed Benjamin Justice series, one that meditates on the changes within friendship and community--in every sense of the word--while serving up another compelling West Hollywood crime read. Disgraced prizewinning journalist Justice is temporarily laboring as a civil servant, completing text and captions for an important twentieth-anniversary booklet on historic West Hollywood sites, when the writer who preceded him on the job is found murdered. Stacks of notes and old photos lead Justice on a trail that involves him not only with the investigation of his predecessor's demise but also with the decades-old disappearance of a hunky heartthrob who was as irresistible to both sexes as a flame is to moths. Along the way, the amateur sleuth's longtime friendship with newswoman Alex Templeton is severely tested, in deeply disturbing ways, as she is poised on a slippery slope of journalistic ethics during her quest for a story. Her actions and the spin of the news story itself call into question the underpinnings of her relationship with Justice, bringing forth feelings of betrayal and even jealousy in Justice, whose heart aches for humanity's imperfections. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Benjamin Justice used to be one of Los Angeles's most respected journalists, but a scandal over invented sources cost him the Pulitzer, his job and his reputation. With his life in ruins, he's spent much of the past decade slowly piecing it back together. Now he's under contract to write his biography, but the writing is going slowly and he's in need of a job to tide him over financially. So when Bruce Bibby, a freelance writer, is murdered during an apparent burglary, Bibby's uncompleted assignment for the city of West Hollywood is a much needed opportunity for Justice. Hired to complete the dead man's assignment-researching and writing a booklet on the city's historically relevant buildings - Justice resists becoming involved in the murder investigation, wanting only to maintain his quiet, stable life.

But it's not going to be that easy. There's a fight brewing over the fate of a set of rundown cottages - some believe them historically significant and wish to preserve them, others want them torn down to make way for a new condo project and both sides see Justice's pamphlet as the key to winning the fight. As Justice tries to go about his business, he finds himself intrigued by the complexities of the murder case - the young Russian immigrant tied to the Bibby murder scene may be damned by his father's notorious crimes; the detective leading the murder investigation is quietly searching for her own long missing father; the owner of the houses in question, the would-be developer, and their main opposition all share a secret connection that dates back nearly three decades. When the leader of the local preservation group is found murdered on the grounds of the controversial cottages, Justice must unravel the secrets that surround the murders or let an innocent suffer for another's crimes.



About the Author
John Morgan Wilson is the author of five previous novels featuring Benjamin Justice and is the co-author of Blue Moon with Peter Duchin. He won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel for Simple Justice and the Lambda Literary Award for Justice at Risk, The Limits of Justice and Blind Eye. He lives in West Hollywood, California.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Benjamin Justice used to be one of Los Angeles's most respected journalists, but a scandal over invented sources cost him the Pulitzer, his job, and his reputation. With his life in ruins, he's spent much of the past decade slowly piecing it back together. Now he's under contract to write his biography, but the writing is going slowly and he's in need of a job to tide him over financially. So when Bruce Bibby, a freelance writer, is murdered during an apparent burglary, Bibby's uncompleted assignment for the city of West Hollywood is a much-needed opportunity for Justice. Hired to complete the dead man's assignment - researching and writing a booklet on the city's historically relevant buildings - Justice resists becoming involved in the murder investigation, wanting only to maintain his quiet, stable life." But it's not going to be that easy. There's a fight brewing over the fate of a set of rundown cottages - some believe them historically significant and wish to preserve them, others want them torn down to make way for a new condo project, and both sides see Justice's pamphlet as the key to winning the fight. As Justice tries to go about his business, he finds himself intrigued by the complexities of the murder case - the young Russian immigrant tied to the Bibby murder scene may be damned by his father's notorious crimes; the detective leading the murder investigation is quietly searching for her own long-missing father; the owner of the houses in question, the would-be developer, and their main opposition all share a secret connection that dates back nearly three decades. When the leader of the local preservation group is found murdered on the grounds of the controversial cottages, Justice must unravel the secrets that surround the murders or let an innocent suffer for another's crimes.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The sights and sounds of contemporary Hollywood lift Wilson's well-plotted sixth Benjamin Justice mystery (after 2003's Blind Eye). When actor-turned-writer Bruce Bibby is brutally murdered in his apartment, journalist-sleuth Justice takes on the task of finishing a booklet Bibby was working on that celebrates the 20th anniversary of the City of West Hollywood. It seems a simple enough task, but proves to be only the tip of the iceberg. Bibby's murder is somehow connected to a shady condominium development deal, as well as to the still-mysterious, decades-old disappearance of a local handyman. The advantages of the glitzy L.A. setting include glimpses of the rich and famous: Robert Duvall makes a cameo appearance, as does the Chateau Marmont, where John Belushi died of an overdose. The ghosts of Hollywood past hang heavy over all, despite the aggressively up-to-the-minute detail. Justice, for example, is gay, uses Prozac, is HIV-positive and is minus an eye, giving a whole new meaning to the term "private eye." Agent, Alice Martell. Regional author tour. (Feb. 1) FYI: Wilson is the coauthor with Peter Duchin of Blue Moon and Good Morning, Heartache, which likewise use real-life celebrities for verisimilitude. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Washed-up L.A. reporter Justice (Blind Eye) takes over for a recently killed writer by finishing a booklet for the City of West Hollywood. His research uncovers possible clues to the writer's death: a controversial condo development and a decades-old disappearance. For series fans and others. Wilson lives in West Hollywood, CA. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews