This is a sophisticated legal thriller which tantalises you to the end. My first encounter with this author and his style and craft have ensured he is on my 'read more of' list!
Justice Gone is about a homeless war veteran, Jay, who is beaten to death by police for committing no crime at all. When three policemen are shot dead, outraging the community, the police are convinced another war veteran is their man: Donald, a close friend of Jay, so obviously, someone seeking revenge. His counsellor, Dr Tessa Thorpe, knows he's innocent, so she has to place her trust and confidence in lawyer, Nathanial Bodine to prove it: a lawyer who is minutes away from retirement and...blind.
It's a well-structured look into the prejudices against and tolerance of both veterans and police. Lombardi tackles it with skill and the result is a compelling thriller.
This is the first in the Dr Tessa Thorpe thrillers. I'm not actually quite sure why it was a Tessa Thorpe thriller as such. She didn't actually feature that prominently. There were a number of unanswered questions about her past. For instance, why she found herself on the wrong side of the law some years earlier. The lawyer, however, was much, much more interesting as was her co-worker, Casey, in whom I was way, way more interested: a dark and enigmatic character there, without doubt. Though again, where was his background?
I shall look forward to another 'Tessa Thorpe' mystery, but I'd really rather like the blind lawyer and Casey to be in the cast.
This really is a great read!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your review, Cathy
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