Justice Makes A Killing by Ed Rucker

Private, for profit, prisons are on trial in this book.   The author provides some interesting arguments that provide a great deal of thought.  It was an entertaining novel but it was much more as it makes you skeptical about the societal benefits of the three strike laws.  

An attorney finds herself in need of defense when an incarcerated whistle blower is murdered.   Bobby Lee Earl is a defense attorney who finds himself up against not just a murder but a conspiracy that not only threatens his client but puts his own life and relationships in jeopardy.

Rucker did a great job with this book.  It is a legal thriller but it also made me do some research.   If you consider the percent of people incarcerated in our nation, it is significantly higher than any other major country.   Consider for a moment the astounding number of immigrants who have recently been incarcerated.  All of this cost money and where there is money to be made, there will be corruption to follow.   Rucker’s suppositions may not be too far from the truth.

An excellent novel and an even better as a thought provoking treatise. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Speaking in Tongues by Jeffrey Deaver

For some reason I found this book more emotionally provocative than other Deaver books.  Perhaps my stint as a school counselor sensitized me to the plights of troubled teens, but I found this captivating and disturbing.  Simplistically, the premise of the book is that eloquent oratory can be dangerous.

Megan, a teen, feels alienated and acts out.  Her estranged parents seem oblivious to her pain.  A therapist with a grudge uses his oratory skills to manipulate and murder a wealth of people to get revenge. 

The plot was complex and deviously Deaver.

I recommend the book but it is emotionally provocative.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

The Long Call by Ann Cleeves

This was a British mystery.   It was slow at times but it kept your interest.   A fallen away from a cult gay police detective becomes embroiled in a case that he may need to recluse himself from due to his husband’s connection to the victim.  A murder victim, a center for the arts combined with a work environment for down’s women provides a confusing scenario for Matthew Venn.

I am seeing many more plots with LGBTTQQIAAP (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, ally, pansexual) characters in a setting that places little or no emphasis on their gender identity.  The acronyms may be confusing but the bottom line is that gender identity as plot point really isn’t important.  

The alienation of Matthew from his family due to a charismatic and flawed cult leader provides a lot of motivation for Matthew.  He shows compassion and understanding for a wide range of characters.

Secrets and the protection of the status quo certainly play a part in the plot.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Happy 4th!

Politicians come and go,

Political parties wax and wane.

The strength and spirit of our nation is our acceptance of others. 

A refuge for all, a caring for the less fortunate.

We the people means All of the people!

If we are to survive the current divisiveness of our nation we must not forget our country’s basic truths and what and who we pledge to be, our pledge is to the nation, 

not to politicians, not to consumerism, not to race or religion but our 

Pledge is to the principles of our Constitution and our Bill of Rights.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Off the Grid by Robert McCaw

This book is set in Hawaii.  The main protagonist is Chief Detective Koa who is trying to avoid politics and solve crimes. 

The murder of two invisible, off the grid people leads Koa down political paths he normally avoids at all costs.   Holding a secret of his own, Koa, does his best to bring justice to all.  When he discovers some of the mysterious victims secrets, he finds that Alice’s rabbit hole holds nothing over the spiraling plot he discovers.

The author paints a somewhat different picture of Hawaii.   Generally speaking shows such as Hawaii 50 show sparkling beaches and beautiful people.   McCaw shows that there is poverty, politics and crime hidden under the ubiquitous leis. 

I enjoyed the book and Koa’s implacable tenacity.  

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.