Imperfect Justice

Imperfect Justice

by

Cara C. Putman

A Review

What do you get when you mix spousal abuse, three murders, and an abused child, a stalker, a group of female lawyers, and a successful investment manager - you get Imperfect Justice.  The author did a great job of pulling together too many sub-stories into a very satisfying novel that left this reader wanting more.  

The case was closed when Emilie Wesley’s client did not show up for the Protective Order hearing. She knew it, her boss told her it was true, and the fact that the client had died made it very clear - the case was closed. It did not help that police were convinced that Kaylene Adams, her client, had killed her older daughter, seriously wounded her younger daughter, and then killed herself. The case was closed.

There were two reasons she could not let the case go. First, her own gut told her this young mother would not harm her children. And, then, there was Reid Billings. Reid was the client’s younger brother and, he, too, was convinced that something was amiss. But there was no proof - never was, never would be. Yet, if Emily did nothing, Kaylene’s younger daughter, Kinley, might be left living with a murderer.

Cara Putnam’s experience as a courtroom lawyer has allowed her to write a novel as intriguing as anything coming from the pen of John Grisham or Robert Whitlow. As in her previous book, Beyond Justice, the author weaves in just enough faith and romance with the law to make this book of interest to an assortment of readers. Though not a direct sequel to the earlier work, a number of characters do cross over and help flesh out this newest work. The connection between the two books does not detract from the current story.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

The Featherbone - A Review

The Featherbone

by

Julie Cantrell

A Review

This was one of the hardest books I have ever chosen to read. I almost put the book down and not finish it. But a news headline caught my eye - a Japanese girl had escaped her kidnapper after being locked up in his home for two years. The news story was too close to the fictional tale told in Julie Cantrell’s book. I had to finish it.

Having said this, the book was upsetting. If it was a movie, it would most certainly be rated “R” - a movie I would choose to not see. The abuse that occurred at so many levels was hard to watch, the impact that the kidnapping of one young girl has on multiple families and on a community is hard to understand. The unexpected pain and anguish suffered by the believers who have been touched by this awful crime unimaginable. And the thought of a Christian publishing company choosing to tell this story seem hard to comprehend.

Yet, it was a story that had to be told. It is a story that is played out in the headlines all too often - whether it be in the commission of a crime or in its resolution, the story is too real to ignore. The author does a good job of wrapping the horrific and the faithful response of this broken community to the five-year history of Sarah’s kidnapping by a stranger and his live-in girlfriend just prior to hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans and its surroundings. The various responses to these dual tragedies are hard to watch - even as most of the characters appear to have some level of faith. That faith, and sometimes the lack of it, plays an important part in the story.

I have a difficult time knowing who this book is written for. The story is too dark for some audiences, yet its heavy dependence on scripture and the character’s response to scripture makes it clearly a Christian book. It is those same scriptures that may make some non-believers shy away from the book. Well-written, with a depth of emotion rarely seen in Christian writing, be prepared to be shaken as you read. At the same time, the reader may find his or her faith strengthened as you see the role scripture has in the lives of others going through h-e-double-q.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

The Congregation - A Review

The Congregation

by

Desiree Bombenon

A Review

I almost did not read “The Congregation”; I found the first book in this series so disturbing that I felt that it might not be worth my time.  My concerns were only partially correct. I found this newest book starring Jake and Amanda Bannon to be less offensive and somewhat positive in its presentation.

The earlier book had so much graphic violence that I had to, at times, put it down and walk away before I could continue. The current book did have violence, but not to the extent that I had to walk away. The current book also avoided the use of unexpected explicit sex - the other fault I had with “The Offering”.

Two themes seemed to be driven home by Ms. Bombenon in “The Congregation”.  The first was the ultimate consequence of abuse - whether from parents to child, spouse to spouse, or church leaders toward congregants under their “care”.  Those who are abused are affected by that abuse - and it spreads until someone says, “Stop.” This does not mean people are not hurt, but the abuse does not need to continue being spread.

The other focus of the book is redemption - even the most abuse, the most damaged individuals may have something powerful and positive to offer to those around them. At the same time, abused and hurt individuals may not find redemption. They are so damaged, so wrapped in the life they have created, that they cannot see the good that could come from their lives.

Though wrapped in a package surrounded by religion and the church, the book is not a Christian book. Abuse occurs within the walls of the church; redemption comes not from the church, but in spite of it.  That faith is almost totally absent from the story does not mean there is no value within its pages.

The bottom line: read with care. Though the themes are ones with which my followers will be familiar, they are not presented in a typical fashion.  If this is done, you, like me, may find value in Desiree Bombenon’s latest work of fiction.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.