Gone, But Not Forgotten And Wild Justice [Paperback]

I took a gamble on Gone, But Not Forgotten based solely upon an endorsement from the early 90's by Larry King (yes, THAT Larry). To be entirely honest, it was and remains to this day one of THE most compelling novels I have ever read. Terrifying and creative are just two words that come to mind when describing this book...but saying that the story is incredibly original is an enormous understatement.

As the novel begins, women are disappearing in Portland, Oregon and in their place is discovered a rose dyed black on their pillows with a note that simply says, 'Gone, But Not Forgotten'. The police are stumped, but this isn't the first time that this has happened. Back East years before women were going missing with the same black rose and note. Authorities closed in on who they knew had done it--but in an amazingly creative and horrific twisting of the legal system, the man got away with it. Everyone didn't just believe he was guilty, they KNEW it beyond any doubt. And yet he walked away scott-free, eventually moving to Portland, changing his name and beginning a new life.

But years later women are disappearing yet again. One detective has come to Portland and does her best to convince authorities that she knows who they're looking for and that he's done it all before. Our culprit is arrested rather quickly, but this time seems a bit different: he is actually claiming his innocence this time. Last time he not only admitted to what he had done, but was actually PROUD of it. Why the about-face? Why deny it this time? Is he guilty? Is he being set up or was he not responsible for ANY of the women's kidnapping from the very beginning? The answers are compelling to say the least and incredibly creative.

Wild Justice brings probably the best and most creative ending to all of Mr. Margolin's novels to date. After a few novels where the title actually GAVE AWAY too much (however, that isn't necessarily giving too much away until after you get into the book) Wild Justice came out and gave us a twisted plot to say the least. Bodies are discovered with vital organs missing--obviously removed by a skilled surgical hand for illegal harvesting. However, attorney Amanda Jaffe is absolutely convinced that Dr. Vincent Cardoni is guilty regardless of the technicality her father used in order to secure his acquittal. Before long, more bodies are discovered, and without giving it a second thought Amanda already believes she KNOWS who is responsible...again.

Cardoni skips town this time and out of left field, his ex-wife Justine is charged with the murders and comes to Amanda for her defense. Amanda is convinced that Vincent is responsible (again) due to how similar the murders are. Cardoni is discovered after a bit of a search, and yet before you know it, Amanda now wonders whether or not she has it all wrong, and maybe, just MAYBE he was innocent from the get-go. Could Justine actually be the killer, and if so, what does a defense attorney do when faced with the possibility of HELPING a murderer go free? Evidence continues to accumulate, seemingly pointing to Vincent and yet from her unique angle as Justines lawyer Amanda sees things a bit differently. IS Vincent guilty? Could it actually be Justine, or is it someone else altogether? I won't spoil the surprise--and it IS a surprise--but I will say this: the title of the book again comes into play and won't necessarily make total sense until the very END...but boy is it fitting.

Simply put: if you count yourself a legal thriller fan and you HAVEN'T read Phillip Margolin, run--don't walk--to a bookstore and BUY THESE BOOKS. You're in for an amazing treat. I LOVED both of these books, but Gone, But Not Forgotten remains my all-time favorite legal thriller to date...and for good reason. Buy, read, repeat. You can thank me later.

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