DEATH BY RODREGO by Ron Liebman

DEATH BY RODREGO

By Ron Liebman

Simon & Schuster

$24.00, hardcover, 280 pages, ISBN 978-1-4165-3527-0 (2007)

 

            The author, Ron Liebman, is a senior partner in a prestigious Washington, D.C. law firm.  He’s a former federal prosecutor and is the author of two previous books: Grand Jury and Shark Tales. 

           

            This book is a comedic legal story about two ex-cops, Salvatore “Junne” Salerno and Mickie Mezzonatti, who become criminal defense lawyers in their hometown of Camden, New Jersey.  They’re street-wise, Italian bred, attorneys who practice together and represent an assorted bunch of criminals, mobsters, pimps and drug lords.

 

            The title of the book comes from the attempts by Junne and Mickie to get an El Salvadoran crime boos, Rodrigo Gonzalez, out on bail for the crime of drug trafficking.  Once out, Rodrigo will hightail it back to El Salvador.  The only problem is that the judge denies bail.  Rodrigo isn’t pleased and soon has some unsavory friends calling on Junne and Mickie. 

 

            This book is a lighthearted romp through the seamy aspects of the law.  It’s peppered with quirky characters and an assortment of lowlifes that Liebman somehow makes likable.  

 

            My only criticism with the book is that Liebman spends far too much time telling – instead of showing.  The book is written from the first person point of view of Junne and all too often Liebman writes page after page of internal dialog when actions could better illuminate a character.

            My favorite part of the book is when Junne and Mickie attend the bar association meeting with a couple of hookers and run into the Chief Judge of the state supreme court.  That chapter alone is worth the price of the Death by Rodrigo.

Buy it here.