An Eye for an Eye

The dedication of this novel--to three young women whose lives were ended by ``men who collectively served fewer than 10 years in prison for their murders''--encapsulates Telushkin's ( The Unorthodox Murder of Rabbi Wahl ) strong feelings about the failings of the judicial system and the rights of victims and their families as compared with those of criminals. A law student has been strangled by an ex-lover, Ron Martin, who subsequently turns himself in and receives a minimal sentence. Her distraught father, Gerald Braun, retaliates by murdering Martin. Prominent rabbi Daniel Winter pleads for leniency on behalf of his congregant Braun, who is granted bail. Shortly after, Leonard Goode, the despicable attorney who defended Martin, is also found dead. Although there are several people with motives--Goode's ex-wife, his current wife and her lover--Braun is the prime suspect. Winter refuses to believe Braun is guilty and rallies to support him at the expense of his own career. Well-written and intricately plotted, this is a thought-provoking novel. (Oct.)