Reviews
ABOUT THE BOOK From The Publisher
When Cassandra Ringwald, a psychologist, accepts an offer from an attorney to do a psychological evaluation on one of his clients, she thinks it will be good for her budding career. Cassie has no idea that she might end up nearly paying with her life. Cassie is hired to evaluate Homer Johnson, a young Native American man who has been brought up on kidnapping charges. The first time that Cassie meets with him, she is repulsed by his attitude and also by the swastikas that he has on his shoes. She is also semi intrigued by his character -- he is clearly more intelligent than the skinheads that he hangs out with, but he seems to want to protect them. As the story of what happened the night Anerd Woods disappeared continues to unravel, with little help from Homer, Cassie becomes even more determined to find the truth. She wants to know why Homer is staying so quiet when his whole life is hanging on the line. Cassie sets out on her journey to find more answers. The deeper she digs, the more she learns that there are many hidden aspects of this case -- greed, self -- interest, private agendas and danger to her and those around her.
Author Bio: Marilyn J. Wooley is the 1999 winner of the St. Martin's/ Malice Domestic Best First Novel Contest. She lives in Redding, CA, and like her protagonist is a clinical psychologist.
Reviews From Library Journal
Biting prose, easy-to-hate villains, and a forceful-but-sympathetic protagonist result in this appealing winner of St. Martin's 1999 Malice Domestic First Novel Award. Psychologist Cassandra Ringwald, who lives with her great-aunt in northern California, tries to evaluate Homer, a recalcitrant Native American accused of various crimes against a mealy-mouthed and bigoted junk dealer. Paradoxically, Homer hangs with--and covers up for--a couple of racist skinheads terrorizing the area. Cassandra's interrogations of key witnesses reveal the truth of the matter, but then the junk dealer disappears. Solid plot, promising debut.
Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|
Publishers Weekly: March 27, 2000
Jackpot Justice, Marilyn Wooley. St. Martin's Press Minotaur, $24.95 (352p) ISBN 0-312-25455-5
This winner of the 1999 St. Martin's Malice Domestic First Novel Award marked the debut of an appealing new sleuth, Cassandra Ringwald--who, like the author, is a California clinical psychologist. Cassie must evaluate part-Native American Homer Johnson, who stands accused of kidnapping Anerd Woods, the owner of Jackpot, a used auto-parts lot, in a seemingly cut-and-dried case. To her surprise, Cassie discovers Homer to be a complex young man, a basically gentle soul enamored of Anerd's daughter, who with her boyfriend has been jailed as an accomplice. In particular, Cassie can't understand why Homer, who's one-quarter Jewish, would belong to the White People's Brigade, a local skinhead group. Since he won't talk about the kidnapping, Cassie has to figure out why he did or didn't take part in it. Before she gets very far, however, Homer is released on bail; when the used auto-parts king goes missing, Homer is charged with murder. Balancing the care of her 80-year-old great-aunt in whose house she lives and the pursuit of two eligible bachelors, gutsy, charming Cassie eventually works her way through Homer's defenses to find out why he acts the way he does--and who really killed Anerd. With so much suspense and emotion, Wooley is sure to win fans. (Apr.)
S. Smith, a 'Cedar Gulch' resident, April 10, 2000,
It's a Page-Turner! If you are a Sue Grafton fan, or a fan of any type of mysteries with re-occurring characters, you have got to read this book. Wooley's characters and description are graphic, but the plot will keep surprising you and the setting is unusual and fresh. This book is terrific and a great read!
A Page Turner. With the opening words, this first novel by Marilyn Wooley, the winner of St. Martin's Press/Malice Domestic Best First Novel contest, grabs the reader's attention. It is a book that is hard to put down once it is started. Clinical psychologist Cassie Ringwald is hired to do a psychological evaluation on a young Native American, Homer Johnson, accused of kidnapping Anerd Woods. Cassie does not realize at the time that she might nearly end up paying with her life. I enjoyed the fast pace of this book and the different type of story line (compared to other books I have read in this genre). I highly recommend it, but don't start it in the evening. You'll be up all night finishing it.
A reviewer (harstan@ix.netcom.com), February 17, 2000,
Interesting story line
Why would a Native American whose ancestors were killed or ran off their land join a Neo-Nazi group? Clinical psychologist Cassandra Ringwald has just opened up a practice out of her elderly aunt's home and needs to learn why a her client joined a hate group like the White People's Brigade. She needs to understand the motives in order to help her get acquitted of the pending charges against him. He along with Sally Woods and Verlan Crumm are accused of kidnapping Sally's father and tossing his unconscious body in the city dump. Homer proves to be a frustrating client as he refuses to be honest with Cassie or his lawyer. The psychologist is initially turned off by Homer's behavior and political ideology filled with hatred. However, she begins to feel sorry for Homer because she realizes he is not a hate-monger. Instead, he is trying to protect someone. In spite of his lack of cooperation, Cassie is determined to help Homer though it places her in danger from people who want the charges to stick.
JACKPOT JUSTICE is the winner of the 1999 St. Martin's Malice Domestic first novel award due, in large part, to the freshness of the story line. The characters are not fully developed and Cassie at times seems juvenile, leaving the audience more interested in the fast moving story line. Marilyn Wooley shows her talent with the intriguing plot, but the audience will expect healthier protagonists in her future books.
Harriet Klausner
From Amazon.com
Marilyn Wooley is a wonderful storyteller June 14, 2000 Reviewer: Vanessa Norman (see more about me) from Seattle WA
I stayed up half the night to finish this fabulous page turner. I loved the characters, even the bad guys. I can't wait to read more about Cassie Ringwald's adventures in Covenant's Child.
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Monday, August 14, 2000 8:44 AM
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