Dead End (Law and Order)

By Jack Gregory

Cerretta and Logan investigate the murder of a prominent medical researcher who was close to a breakthrough in developing a new abortion pill. Third in a gripping series of novels inspired by the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312925751
• ISBN13: 9780312925758
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.8" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Rare but Decent Book series

The triumvirate of early LAW AND ORDER novels are pretty good pastiches of the TV series in its likewise early years, if a bit longer winded where speeches are concerned. Some odd trivia: Senior District attorney Adam Schiff is called Adam Wentworth in the books, which seems to have been an editing mistake (rather than a writer's mistake). "Jack Gregory" is a pseudonym for veteran novelist Robert Vaughan (who would later also pen the three WILD, WILD WEST novels published by Berkley/Boulevard), and a number of years ago, while IMing him in a Writer's Chat Room, I asked him about the change of character name and he expressed surprise at it (I guess he didn't check his galley proofs that carefully, or he was absent-minded about Schiff's name when he did.) The error seems to have been made by the designated overseer at MCA-Universal Publishing, who created the book package eventually published by St. Martin's Press. Whoever oversaw the manuscripts must have been referring for continuity to the pilot script/episode, in which the district attorney was indeed named Wentworth and played by Roy Thinnes. But despite the misnomer, the character in the books is still undeniably the Adam Schiff character as played by Steven Hill.

Only three tie-in books from an evergreen like Law & Order?

Especially when you add the fairly good success of two of the spinoffs. Can it be that sometimes the supposedly airhead TV viewer knows a good story better than their allegedly more "thinking" printed-word counterparts? The other day I read a letter on the TV Guide "letters" page that condemned "Law & Order" as "self-righteous". Okay, it's clear by creator Dick Wolf's tendency to write cop shows that his work sort of constitutes a "bully pulpit" on the issue of criminal justice. But to call someone who believes in the real law and order enough to base a body of entertainment work on it "self-righteous" is a very worrisome statement on just how far we've sunk as a society into moral relativism. Apparently, nowadays we'd rather "git et up" by society's human predators than "imposing on their rights" by standing up for what's right and wrong, huh? Those of us tied to the "idiot box" seem to see this series as worthwhile enough that we stick with it more that its cast can. None of the cast and characters with the original series back in its premiere season are still with it today. One of the spinoffs absorbed an actor and his character from a now-defunct series not done by Wolf (Richard Belzer as "Munch", originally from "Homicide: Life On the Street"). So that ought to tell you that Wolf strikes a chord with his audience. Which means he ought to be able to extend that into print.

Why'd it have to stop here?

The "Law & Order" series of novels, I mean. Through the writing of Jack Gregory (which included two other "L & O" books, we have only its second-earliest cop team and the very earliest DA team on the job. I think the series could have benefitted from latter-day players such as the Briscoe/ Curtis team (crusty old gumshoe teamed with hip young dude) and McCoy with either of his female partners (edgy, temperamental veteran with non-arch feminist--she knows she's primarily a lawyer and is needed as such). Maybe a book crossover with the "Homicide" series the way they've done twice on TV and reaped huge rewards. If Gregory didn't want to continue with the books, someone else should have picked it up. It's not like the TV series has been on the decline these days. Or at least that's not what the critics say. If that sounds like a hint-hint, it is. How about someone who can write well giving Dick Wolf's people a call, huh?