3 out of 4 stars
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A Cry for Justice by Stone Grissom is one great thrill ride! It is a true page-turner that keeps you guessing until the very end.
The book centers on Gavin Brady, a newly minted civil attorney. Gavin takes a job at a high powered law firm in the Pacific Northwest, and is immediately thrown into a difficult case. Gavin is tasked with finding a way to get a payday for the Harrington family (and the law firm). Sara Harrington, a sweet and talented teenager, had been senselessly murdered two years ago. The trial against her killers had torn the local community apart. Despite locating the killer, having a confession, and obtaining testimony from multiple witnesses, the killer was acquitted in criminal court. Gavin decides to find justice for the Harrington’s in the civil court.
As soon as he begins with the case, Gavin realizes that he is in way over his head. At first, he is only intimidated by the legal aspects of the case. As he starts to dig deeper, Gavin discovers that cover ups and lies are coming from every direction. Gavin soon finds himself in real danger as he works to uncover the truth about Sara’s murder. Despite these threats, Gavin refuses to back down until he can achieve the justice he promised Sara’s parents.
It’s clear from the beginning that Grissom has an intricate understanding of the legal field. The book provides an in-depth look at both civil law firms and the prosecutor’s office. The author clearly did his homework to create such realistic portrayals. He accurately captured the politics, priorities, and relationships in these offices. Grissom also had a very strong grasp on the actual laws that were applicable to the case. He did an excellent job of explaining the technical aspects of the law without overwhelming the reader with jargon.
This story was a great example of small town politics and its impact on the everyday residents. Small amounts of power within a community can quickly lead to full blown corruption. This book incorporated a good variety of characters. Gavin was the main narrator, but many other characters were also highlighted. This provided a balanced perspective of the situation. The book also gave some very interesting information about Samoan culture. I was impressed by the level of research provided about Samoan-Americans.
One thing about A Cry for Justice that bothered me is that many of the secondary characters weren’t fully developed. For example, Gavin’s wife was not given any sort of personality. She existed only to be a sounding board for Gavin. In addition, there was a love triangle situation that fizzled out without ever being fully addressed. The author built it up like it was going to be a significant issue, but it never developed. It seemed like a waste. It felt as though a lot of the book was written as if it is going to be part of a series. I’m not sure if that’s what Grissom has in mind. If so, then maybe the love triangle will be addressed more in future books. I also was a little frustrated by the author’s frequent summarizing of the plot points. I think Grissom underestimated his readers. I didn’t need constant reminders of prior events while I was reading. I found these frequent and unnecessary summaries to be distracting.
Overall, this was fun thriller with a satisfying ending. This book didn’t have any shocking twists, and the big reveal at the end was exactly what I had guessed. However, it was still very entertaining to read. I would recommend A Cry for Justice to anyone who enjoys legal thrillers and mysteries. There were a few minor editing errors throughout the book, but nothing significant. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I really enjoyed reading this book, even though there were a few components that could use improvement.
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A Cry for Justice
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