Wild Justice

By: Phillip Margolin

Narrated by: Anna Fields

Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

In a mountain cabin, a detective opens a Pandora's box of horror that will haunt him to his dying day. Within hours, Vincent Cardoni - a brilliant surgeon with a history of violence and drug abuse - is arrested for the heinous crime. Facing a seemingly insurmountable wall of evidence, he turns to top criminal defense attorney Frank Jaffe and his daughter Amanda. Her first taste of criminal defense work raises moral questions Amanda is loathe to address. Is she defending an innocent man or using her considerable skills to set a monster free? Then, Cardoni mysteriously disappears. Four years later, a second set of killings begins...Has Cardoni resurfaced? Is this the work of a copy-cat killer? Or has the real killer been someone else all along? Following a twisting trail of clues, including a harrowing diary that clinically records the killer's deeds, Amanda and detective Bobby Vasquez become targets of the first genuinely monstrous psychopath of the new century.

©2000 Harper Collins Publishers Inc., All Rights Reserved; 2000 Phillip M. Margolin (P)2000 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Skillful plotting, good writing, an excellent cast of characters." (Nelson DeMille )
"It takes a really crafty storyteller to put people on the edge of their seats and keep them there. Phillip Margolin does just that." (Chicago Tribune)

Great twists & turns

Mysteries & thrillers are my favorite genre on audible and this was one of the best I've heard so far. Not THE best but definitely at the top of the list. Riveting, good narration (to what are other reviewers referring?) and well developed plot. Definitely recommend. Also "Sleeping Beauty" by this author is very good.

keeps you guessing

Excellent story line. Keeps you guessing all the way through. there are a lot of characters to keep track of - found it helpful to take notes.

Good book; bad narrator...

I love Margolin's work, and this is another cracking good story that whips you right along. My one complaint is the narration, at times almost cartoonish. It's so bad that I almost stopped listening very early on. I'm glad I didn't, because the story was worth the annoyance. It's not the narrator's normal voice that's the problem, but rather the voice she assumes when she attempts to do various male characters.

I'm giving this one 3 stars, but it would definitely be 4 if not for the narration.

Okay.

The plot twists were predictable, so for me the question was, how will the author get to where it is obvious he's going. Margolin is a good story-spinner and creates interesting characters.

The great Ms Anna for $5

Thanks Audible for the $5-7 sales! If you recognize great narrators names, this sale has some gems.
I have many of this author’s books as, Angela Dawe & Jonathan Davis narrates. Not to be missed. Excellent
If you like Karin Slaughter , this story is for you. There are some gruesome details but not enough to stop hearing one of the best narrators in the biz, may she Rest In Peace. See Susan Elizabeth Phillips series Ms Anna made so famous.
Were my comments of help?

Great story. Wonderful Ending

Would you consider the audio edition of Wild Justice to be better than the print version?

No. There was only one reader on the book and it took a little away from the book, but not much.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked both of the Jaffes

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any additional comments?

I have read the author before and enjoyed his work. The hero in this series is Amanda Jaffe, a defense attorney. A very good book. A lot of twists and turns. I really loved the ending. I will be reading the next book in the Amanda Jaffe series soon.

Excellent story; Narrator needs improvement

This is my first Phillip Margolin novel, and I'm firmly hooked! The story is great, with several well-executed twists. The story also explores the social and moral ambiguities inherent in our criminal justice system, as Amanda Jaffe works through the internal conflicts she faces in her new position as a criminal defense attorney in her father's law firm.
It is unfortunate that such a great story is read to us so poorly. I agree with the previous reviews that the reader's attempt at male characterizations is annoying, and therefore distracting. She also fluctuates the volume of her voice so much that there are times she seems to be whispering (for no apparent reason), and I have to go back and replay that bit with the volume turned up, only to have to turn it right back down again to continue.
Please don't let the reader's flaws keep you from listening to this really great book; I didn't. But I will think twice before I buy another book that she reads.

Awful Narrator

What did you love best about Wild Justice?

Phillip Margolin never disappoints. Most of his books have me hooked within a few pages.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wild Justice?

Towards the end, when I figured out how the loose ends would be tied up.

Would you be willing to try another one of Anna Fields’s performances?

NO

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Would have been except for the awful narration

Any additional comments?

I am a woman, and I have listened to lots of books with female narrators. But this book needed a male narrator, and this narrator was so awful with her forced deep voiced- male dialogue that my mind shut off and I could not process the story for minutes at a time--had to rewind, re-listen, etc. Terrible choice of a narrator for this book, where the vast majority of the characters are men. I would love to listen to this book with a male narrator--I may even bite the bullet and just read it on my Kindle. Very disappointed.

Almost ruined by the narrator.

One character, a cop named Vasquez, was mentioned throughout the book. The narrator pronounced his name ‘væs-quez’, instead of ‘bahs-kās’, so it sounded like a joke. The narrator’s pronunciation was a perfect parody of an ignorant American, with the most obnoxious, exaggerated mangling of a foreign word I can remember hearing. I was completely distracted every time she said the name.

De gustibus...

I have not finished listening to the book yet, although it definitely holds my attention. The reason I came to this page today is that I was thinking how much I enjoyed the narrator and wanted to see what other books read by her are available -- so I was surprised to see all the negative feedback regarding the narration. It just goes to show -- different strokes for different folks... While I like Field's narrator's voice best (it's simply pleasant to listen to), I'm amazed at her ability to give each character his or her own distinct voice, so you always know who is speaking -- quite a feat in my book! So don't be put off by the reviews, listen to the sample and decide for yourself if this is for you.