Above the Law

By: J.F. Freedman

Narrated by: Dick Hill

In a remote northern California town, a huge task force from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration conducts a raid on the stronghold of one of the biggest drug-dealing rings in the country. During the raid, the infamous, reclusive leader of the ring, Reynaldo Juarez, is shot and killed - despite direct orders from the Attorney General that he is to be taken alive at any cost because of his immense value to the government as a witness in other drug cases.

District Attorney Nora Ray is called upon to investigate the killing, which she believes is a government cover-up, and calls in Special Prosecutor, and old friend, Luke Garrison to help her find out. Because the DEA has stonewalled its own internal investigation into the killing, Nora suspects that the killer might actually be a member of its investigative task force and that it's being covered up. Nora and Garrison soon uncover a snakepit of intrigue, crime in high places, and lies - ending in a shocking trial that uncovers a wealth of dirty secrets of some of Garrison's closest friends.

©2001 J.R. Freedman (P)2008 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Good Book great ending

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. The beginning was a little slow but boy did it pick up! About 1/3 of the way through this took off. This was so convoluted (but in a good way), very complex relationships between characters which is why the beginning was slow, the characters had to be fleshed out. I was not disappointed with the ending. This story was complete and all conflicts resolved which was a plus for this book.

What about Dick Hill’s performance did you like?

Dick Hill did an Excellent performance as always.

Any additional comments?

This book is worth the $ spent on it. Long and complex but I don't think the author would have done it justice had he shortened it. I tend to look for longer books that will occupy me for a while but I also want something that's not going to bore me for 17 hours or more, this one certainly fit my criteria.

Loud background, music and noise

This is the second book. I’ve listened to it had loud music and background noise to the point where I couldn’t enjoy the narrator who actually was very good. Please don’t put music in background noise in your titles.

Hollywood audio

The author is a screenwriter? A 60's-type? Why do I think 'Oliver Stone'? PC?....you 'betcha!

ABOVE THE LAW is BELOW Average....

Dick Hill is one of my favorite narrators and I can usually listen to him read ANYTHING and be completely entranced.

Unfortunately, even Dick Hill could not save this novel. I was a huge fan of J.F. Freedman's "The Disappearance" and I also enjoyed the author's "Bird's-Eye View".....so I am not sure how such a compelling writer could have penned such a dud.

Freedman's "The Disappearance" and "Above the Law" are both 17-hour books. I was very disappointed when "The Disappearance" ended because I could have listened to that book for another 17 hours. "Above the Law" was very, very different -- I gave the book one hour of my time and abandoned it. There was no way that I was going to waste 17 hours of my time listening to that book.

Sooooo disappointed!

awash in cliche

Floated from cliche to cliche. Arrogant and entirely unsympathetic protagonist. Overall, formulaic and predictable effort.