John Clarkson is a novelist with a flair for thrilling stories. His first novel, 1992's And Justice for One, begins with brothers Jack and George Devlin drinking away their sorrows in Manhattan bars after their father's funeral. Jack, who is single, finds a beautiful woman to comfort him, while George, who is married, has kids, and lives in the suburbs, visits an illegal after-hours nightclub. George is beaten by employees of the nightclub's evil, sadistic owner, Robert Wexler.

Jack finds his brother lying comatose in the hospital, and he also learns that the police have no leads in the crime and have little intention of pursuing the case. The attack becomes Jack's problem to solve, and he has almost nothing to go on. Jack encounters a couple of love interests en route to answering such questions as whether Does Wexler have friends in high places, including the police department. A critic for Kirkus Reviews called And Justice for One "dark, sexy, tough, and fast. Reminiscent of the best early Lawrence Sanders." The New York Times Book Review notes that Clarkson's first novel "packs a savage punch." ( )