JUSTICE GONE.

JUSTICE GONE by N. LOMBARDI JR.

A homeless war veteran is beaten to death by the police. Stormy protests ensue, engulfing a small New Jersey town. Soon after, three cops are gunned down.

A multi-state manhunt is underway for a cop killer on the loose. And Dr. Tessa Thorpe, a veteran's counselor, is caught up in the chase. 

Donald Darfield, an African-American Iraqi war vet, war-time buddy of the beaten man, and one of Tessa's patients, is holed up in a mountain cabin. Tessa, acting on instinct, sets off to find him, but the swarm of law enforcement officers get there first, leading to Darfield's dramatic capture.

Now, the only people separating him from the lethal needle of state justice are Tessa and ageing blind lawyer, Nathaniel Bodine. Can they untangle the web tightening around Darfield and the war veterans in time when the press and the justice system are baying for revenge?

- Back Cover Blurb

Bruntfield, New Jersey, just another banal town in a part of the country that nobody thinks about, was about to become famous.

- First Sentence; Part 1: The Incident, Chapter 1

"Please, I can't ...  not here."  Darfield's face contracted into a woeful grimace, on the verge of shedding tears.

Tessa impulsively, impetuously, hotheadly, stood up and shouted, "STOP IT, NAT!"

The courtroom oohed and aahed.

At this point, Dartfield broke down, bawling in his folded arms.

The courtroom grew agitated. The judge banged his gavel.

- Memorable Moment

   
SOURCE ... Received with thanks from the author.

READ FOR A CHALLENGE? ... No.

MY THOUGHTS ... A book that is essentially in three parts; the first, 'The Incident', the second; 'The Manhunt' and the third (and by much the longest); 'The Trial'. All three put together, Justice Gone is a compelling story; gritty, on occasion violent (but never gratuitously so), politically charged, emotional, insightful (as a Brit I don't know much about the American judicial system and found this aspect of the story fascinating) AND with great characters to boot. 

Tremendous that 'disabled' characters now feature routinely in novels and not just as 'victims'. I loved the author's portrayal of cantankerous lawyer Nathaniel 'Nat' Bodine who just so happens to be blind; that the characters with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder offered a knowledgeable (if perhaps ever so slightly prejudiced) insight into the lives of the many army veterans living with what can be this debilitating condition. Then, of course, there's the wonderfully feisty Tessa Thorpe and Bodine's highly competent daughter-come-legal assistant Emily. Both well written, strong female leads and as anyone who follows Pen and Paper will know I adore well written, strong female leads.

The first in a series of psychological thrillers and what turned out to be one of my favourite reads so far this year. I can't say it was always an easy read (in fact at times its anything but); it left me deeply saddened at times, totally outraged at others but then isn't that what good storytelling is sometimes about?