Revision of Justice

John Morgan Wilson's Simple Justice won the coveted 1997 Edgar Award for best first novel by an American author. A brooding tale set in L.A.'s murky underside, Simple Justice featured Benjamin Justice, a gay reporter gone to drink and despair, who is forced into a sleuthing/reporting assignment, against his better judgement, by his ex-boss. Justice is back (and feeling somewhat better) in Revision of Justice, where he once again discovers that L.A.'s glittering high society is filled with gutter-level lowlifes ready to murder at a moment's notice. Wilson has an ear for crackling dialogue and an eye for the convincingly shabby detail (this is James M. Cain territory) but his real art lies in his ability to portray with integrity and intelligence the pain that all humans--journalists, victims, cops, murderers--experience as they live their lives.