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Dennis Carstens
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Desperate Justice (A Marc Kadella Legal Mystery Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Dennis Carstens (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,579 ratings
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WHEN GOOD MEN DO NOTHING, IT’S UP TO ONE RESOURCEFUL WOMAN TO STOP EVIL FROM TRIUMPHING…

In the follow-up to his first action-packed legal thriller, The Key to Justice, bestselling author Dennis Carstens stirs up a vipers’ nest of corruption that snakes its way from the back room of a Minneapolis restaurant through every law enforcement agency up to the director of Homeland Security.

After winning the case of a lifetime, Minneapolis criminal defense lawyer Marc Kadella welcomes the infusion of energy his career is receiving. Another lawyer asks him to represent the co-defendant in a murder trial resulting from a petty crime that spiraled out of control—the somewhat “accidental” murder of the nephew of Vivian Corwin, grande dame of the influential Corwin family. Disarmingly charming and still downright sexy at sixty-eight, there’s more to Vivian than meets the eye. You just gotta love a society doyenne who can toss off, “… if I wasn’t a lady, right about now I would say: f--- you.”

Marc has no illusions about why he’s being brought into the case, or what will happen. What he doesn’t know is that he’s gotten on the wrong side of a crooked judge; he just knows the guy hates him and will do everything he can to make life miserable for Marc and his client.

So imagine Marc’s astonishment when the judge finds himself on the wrong side of the bar, and will accept no lawyer but Marc to defend him against a murder charge! Marc very reluctantly accepts the case and enlists Maddy Rivers, a strikingly beautiful female private investigator who is totally taking names and breaking noses, to help him build his case.

And it cracks wide open when it overlaps with Vivian Corwin’s. It turns out the two cases are connected to a local crime king who’s getting away with murder and every other kind of mayhem, but what Marc, Maddy, and Vivian can’t figure out is how he’s doing it.

Always thoroughly-prepared and courtly, Marc meticulously builds his case and patiently presses it without heavy-handed courtroom antics or antagonism, even as this compelling legal mystery erupts with courtroom twists that turn into corkscrews.

Fans of John Grisham, Richard North Patterson, and of course the most beloved lawyer sleuth of all time, Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason, will gobble up this one and go back for the rest of the series

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  1. Book 2 of 20
    A Marc Kadella Legal Mystery
  2. Print length
    385 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    December 5, 2013
  6. File size
    2546 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  10. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00HDUBU9K
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dennis Carstens (December 5, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 5, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2546 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 385 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,579 ratings

About the author

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Dennis Carstens

Dennis Carstens

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I try to write a story that is thought provoking, entertaining and has an over-arching theme that is contemporary. I then create a plot (sometimes more than one) to showcase the book’s theme. My books normally contain a larger than normal number of characters mostly because there is a lot going on in the story. I also prefer to use my characters to tell the story through their dialogue and actions. I am not a big fan of novels that are page after page of third person narration. I also have a sense of humor that some people think may be a little odd that I allow into my writing.

As a fan of the genre of courtroom dramas and legal mysteries I have read all of the big name, very successful authors that write within it. Most, not all, have obviously never been in a courtroom, conducted a trial or represented a live human client. I try to be as realistic as possible although I do admit to occasionally using my literary license, mostly to move the story along.

At any rate, thank you for your patronage and I hope you found my books to be interesting, entertaining and a bit informative.

Dennis Carstens was born Worthington, MN a small town in the Southwestern corner of the state near South Dakota. He has lived most of his life in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. As such he is a member of the long-suffering fraternity of Vikings, Twins, Wild and Timberwolf fans. He received a BA from the University of Minnesota and his J.D. from a highly respected private law school, William Mitchell, in St. Paul. He is also a veteran of the USAF having served during the Vietnam war but was among those fortunate not to have been sent to Vietnam itself.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
2,579 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Robert T. Borremans
5.0 out of 5 stars A Thought Provoking Yet Entertaining Murder Mystery
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2024
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Dennis Carsten the author of the Marc Kadella Legal Mystery book series says that he likes “novels that make me think; novels that are not just entertainment for the mind.” Desperate Justice, book 2 of the series, surely fits that categorization. It is a relatively simple and straight forward murder trial but the subplots and side stories elevate the story to much more than a story of a trial.

The book begins with almost too much background details that at times had me wondering what this book is about. It is about half way through story that the reader finds out that despicable and loathsome Judge Gordon Prentiss is charged with murdering his wife. He hires Marc Kadella to defend him even though their past relationship was contentions and agnostic. From that point forward, Desperate Justice becomes a relatively routine trial narrative except for the complicating relationships and unexpected incidents that keep reader thinking what comes next.

Desperate Justice is another rich and complex story from Dennis Carsten. If you like murder mysteries books full of twists and turns this is a book for you enjoy and find thought provoking.
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D. West
4.0 out of 5 stars Desperate Injustice?
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2018
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Desperate Justice is another good Marc Kadella legal thriller. As usual Mr. Carstens has more than one storyline going which adds to the interest of what would otherwise have been a mundane plot line. My only serious complaint is that Carstens has too many characters and it is hard to remember who is who. While the final judgment that was rendered by the jury may have been inaccurate for the particular crime, it may be a perfect rendering for the client.

I was a bit confused as it appeared there were originally 2 murderers and wasn't quite certain what Carstens was thinking as he didn't flesh this part of the novel out. A pro was hired to do a killing, yet a woman testifies it was a suicide and she has proof. So what really happened with the professional hit? Carstens always manages to flesh out his main characters, add new ones with interesting roles, I just wish he wouldn't add so many that are peripheral to the main storyline. This would help to keep the reader on point and remove the confusion caused in my earlier statement regarding who actually killed who.

Marc is making quite a name for himself as a criminal lawyer and the cases are always convoluted but interesting. Carstens is not the best writer but he has interesting stories and this one leaves the reader with a moral dilemma regarding the jury's findings and the guilt of the convicted. Something to ponder. Since I enjoy legal thrillers I will continue to read Carstens and hope his writing improves with each new novel.
2 people found this helpful
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Howard S. Robins
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting Read
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2015
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This was one of the best novels I have read. It is a novel, and some of the things that took place are probably far fetched for real life. There are many characters, all very well defined. There are several things going on at the same time, so it was exciting when they all came together for the conclusion. There are several twists and turns, so you really do not get to the end of the story, until you get to the end of the story!!

Towards the end, there seemed to be a few proofreading/editing mistakes. Gender pronouns were mixed up, punctuation was lost at least one point, and even characters were mixed up on one or two occasions. I was following what and who very carefully - I do some proofreading and editing, so this sort of stuff jumps out at me. It was a good read anyway, and I highly recommend it.
7 people found this helpful
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Somersales
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great legal thriller...love this author!
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2017
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I admit I am hooked on Dennis Carstens stories! Before retirement, I spent my entire career working with law enforcement officers, judges & lawyers within the legal system. And I am an avid reader. No other author I have ever read can compare to this one when it comes to realistically spinning a great legal thriller. He hooks you at the beginning & never lets go. He is phenomenal at describing the behind-the-scenes workings in the courtroom. I love the main character of Marc Kadella because his actions are real & he is easily relatable to the everyday lawyer. I also loved the character of Vivian Donahue...please bring her back!! And I love the twists that keep you guessing throughout his stories. And in this book, the quandary is that while the reader knows the defendant is not guilty, should he really be convicted of a crime he did not commit? If you haven't read Carstens yet, you're in for a real treat....the only negative is that you can't put it down & you'll lose a lot of sleep!! Great job again!
9 people found this helpful
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LeslieSCM
4.0 out of 5 stars Decent read, flawed plot development
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2018
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Author is obviously bright and has nailed many of the skills necessary for literary success ... but where was the editor who should have told him which holes in the story needed filling and when too much is too much? The killer was not determined, nor was this pointed out as a deliberate choice. The professional assassin should either have evolved as a character, or not been introduced. Ditto for the Italian and Russian mafia angles. Ditto again for US government involvement, power play by the wealthy, and the politics of prosecution. Too many undeveloped themes - all potentially interesting - but unrealized. I like the author’s style and would read him again, but please get him some editorial direction to slim down and focus the plot. His principal characters are whole and believable and the primary story was fascinating.
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Top reviews from other countries

Chezlz
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in France on July 27, 2021
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An interesting story line. I particularly like the character Maddie. I also like the 2 intertwined story lines but was it suicide or did the hit man kill Catherine???
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Sharon Lee Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Read
Reviewed in Canada on January 22, 2018
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Wow! This is a legal thriller up there with the likes of Lee Childs or John Grisham. It has a little bit of everything in it from the rich and powerful, Vivian Corwin with a secret Mafia Connection, to a degenerate and arrogant judge, and a government protected "thug." It is a complex plot involving
corruption, murder, the mob, the government, the legal system, the very rich, the very powerful, and the very depraved. A critic may find that the author has a political agenda and that protagonist Marc Kadella was not very effective; however, such criticism ignores the realities of the real world in which we live and how witness protection and courtroom dramas play out.
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Meg
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book. Must read for all legal thrillers fans!
Reviewed in India on December 18, 2017
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I have read the first book in the Marc Cadella series and this is the second. I must say, I am really impressed. The book gives a deep insight into the workings of American legal system.
Marc Cadella is an ethical criminal lawyer who feels that every accused person has a right to be represented by an attorney who gives his 100%.
The thing I love the most about this series is, every character has an established background which helps us understand them better. No character is larger than life. They are just like normal people going through their daily lives. Very human,very relatable characters.
The storyline is gripping,the plot is as complex as a Jeffrey Archer novel and it beautifully comes together at the end.
I am buying more books in the series and I would say all the ardent fans of legal thrillers genre should buy these.
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Galning
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed it
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2018
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Just about scraped in as a 5* - but did really enjoy it. There are a few typos and wrong words here and there (Site instead of SIGHT, for example) - but not too many.

I liked all the characters - although, in the early stages, I struggled to remember who a few people were and just had to role with it (Ike / Ivan for example, was a complication that wasn't necessary in a book with a LOT of players).

Some reviewers have complained about the court process descriptions being too long - but I read a lot of legal thrillers and thought it was about right. There are a couple of twists in the final couple of chapters and I never saw them coming.

Will look out for more in the Kadella series.
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Jean
5.0 out of 5 stars Dennis does it again
Reviewed in Australia on December 22, 2017
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This is the second book of this author that I have read, and they have both been excellent, I like the lawyer side and then the crimes and the familiar people that one way or another are involved as well
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