The Jinx

Rating:
Summary: An action-packed story and hard to put down.
Review: A young estate lawyer mistakenly opens a sealed envelope among his murdered client's possessions and finds a tattered poems which hints at a larger political scheme. Ben's involvement in a decades-long conspiracy which is aimed at presidents and the furthering of a future civil war makes for an action-packed story which is hard to put down.

Rating:
Summary: Review of THE JINX
Review: Larry Kahn has created a riveting plot of political conspiracy in the legal thriller, THE JINX. Ben Kravner is a truly likeable hero, a guy you really want to know. I love him.

Ben becomes entangled in an unbelievable conspiracy theory when he opens a sealed envelope and discovers a clue hinting at a 160 year old conspiracy against the presidency. Once the conspirators know he is onto their secret, Ben becomes their prime target. The intriguing sub-plots will keep you glued to your seat as Ben races to warn the White House of impending doom in the form of a civil war.

The speeches Kahn's politicians deliver are moving, and will make you think about what shapes the racial discourse in our society. Everyone can identify with hero Ben, and his inner turmoil - advancing his career and doing the right thing.

It is a cleverly written book that will keep you up well past your bedtime. A definite on the must read list!

Rating:
Summary: A truly first rate novel!
Review: Larry Kahn, a tax attorney from Atlanta, Georgia, took a year off of work to realize a long-long dream, avert a midlife crisis; or embrace it, and produce this smashing story. The Jinx is an intelligently written political espionage story that has at its roots the family and tradition. This alluring tale centers around a young up-and-coming estate lawyer named Ben Kravner, assigned the estate of a prominent publisher who was mysteriously murdered. Ben opens a sealed envelope containing an apparent nonsensical poem found among the publisher's papers. Ben quickly discovers the poem itself deals with a conspiracy/vendetta dating back 160 years, which just might explain the assassinations of presidents every 20 years. The final assassination is set for the millennium, and the co-conspirators call themselves "The Royal Order of the Millennium Knight." They communicate via an E-mail chat room, and Ben's computer savvy comes into play in tracking them down: "Ben did not want to contact the Knights as MasterBen. These were intelligent men. If Dean Frederick was one of them, they might already be suspicious of him. He signed off CyberLine, then logged on again using one of the other cyber-names he had reserved, CurvyCarol. He sent a message to The Doctor." Ben's investigation transforms him from a second year junior estate attorney with a long road to partnership to a Top-Ten Wanted Criminal on the F.B.I.'s list. The Knights are determined to squash him before he exposes their conspiracy to the world. Their goal is to create the Second Civil War and emerge as the new Nazis...in control of the U.S. government. Larry Kahn makes clever use of modern-day power careers to carve a story that began with slavery and political aspirations. His characters are politicians, lawyers, paralegals, and advisors. They represent the upper echelons of our society, but the underlying story is one of hatred, bigotry and revenge. Kahn weaves the issue of race relations throughout the story to send a clear message to his readers. Not only are we enjoying a tightly knit story, but we are thinking and learning every step of the way. Kahn has produced a first-rate novel that ranks with John Grisham and Frederick Forsythe.

Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer

Rating:
Summary: Unfair Review
Review: Not even five years out of Harvard Law, Benjamin Franklin Kravner works at an eminent New York firm, working in the Trusts and Estates Department. When his mentor Fritz Fox suffers a heart attack, he is placed in charge of the non-money making cases.

Ben takes over the estate of the recently deceased renowned Adams Thompson. Among the papers, Ben finds an envelope addressed to Fritz as the trustee. Questionably opening the envelope, Ben finds an interesting poem inside it. The words imply that a group calling itself the Royal Order of the Millennium Knight has caused the deaths of presidents since 1840. Apparently, the descendants have enacted vengeance ever since Harrison killed one of their own. Ben soon learns that a special scenario using a race war is planned for the current election that will bring this group to power. Ben ponders the probability that seven presidents serving on the even number ending in zero in a row die in office. Of the remaining presidents, only one dies in office, but that one is a rather healthy charismatic Taylor who might have had the strength to stop the Civil War.

Is THE JINX a far-fetched tale for X-Files buffs or has Larry Kahn proved these deaths are not just a cosmic coincidence? Mr. Kahn provides an entertaining, often winking tale that makes the conspiracy seem plausible because his main hero is bumbling and human while his villains contain self-effacing humor. Is the story line a stretch? Absolutely, but it is fun to wander down that road as Mr. Kahn writes an exciting political thriller.

Rating:
Summary: Likable Hero
Review: Right up there with the "number 1" mystery/thriller writers (even the other lawyer/authors). Believable plot (enough researched facts to make it plausible) and multi-faceted characters. The story pulls the reader in and doesn't let go until the end - a real "can't put it down" read.

Rating:
Summary: Not even worth 1 star
Review: The book essentially degrades women, and has a loosely held together plot, with overdeveloped characters that have no role in the movie, and underdeveloped characters that have a huge role in the book. It appears that the protagonist of the book is the person the author wished he was and only wrote it due to a midlife crisis.

Rating:
Summary: Very original, thought-provoking legal thriller
Review: The Jinx is an entertaining, fast-paced thriller that holds its own against, and possibly exceeds, the best work of Grisham, Baldacci and Turow. Ben Kravner is far and away the most likeable but unlikely legal hero ever--he's a combustible combination of intellectual, dreamer, lovesick pup and goofball. (I'd marry him in a second!) Hopefully, we'll see more of him in Kahn's next novel! In The Jinx, when Ben unwittingly stumbles upon a clue suggesting a 160-year conspiracy against the presidency, he must come to grips with a conflict between his desire to win "the game" by making partner in his law firm and his fading dream of changing the world for the better. While Ben is chasing conspiracy theories, Kahn weaves in two other frighteningly believable story lines. Christy Kirk, a young reporter, investigates the militarization of white supremacy groups and the African-American resistance. LaRosa Smith, a beautiful African-American woman, is the top advisor to the Vice President, who is also running for President in the 2000 election. All three story lines blend together seamlessly as the plot reaches a stunning climax. Curses, Larry Kahn, for keeping me awake at night!

Rating:
Summary: Unfair Review
Review: The Jinx was assigned reading for our class at Georgia State University, and the author, Larry Kahn, was kind enough to visit as a guest lecturer. I recognized the comments of another member of the class who is hiding behind an Ohio address and find it necessary to respond. The Jinx is not Faulkner, but it's an interesting read with good characters and a plot the equal of most other legal thrillers. I disagree with my classmate's opinion that the book is degrading to women and in fact thought that the female characters were unusually strong--a tough reporter, the vice president's chief of staff (also an African-American), and a paralegal who takes matters into her own hands. Some of the characters are better developed than others, but overall I thought this was a very good book, especially for a first novel. I think my classmate has it in for Mr. Kahn for some reason, and I apologize to him for her comments. They are not representative of the rest of the class. I hope he writes another one!