Beyond Justice by Cara Putman Series: Hidden Justice #1
Published by Center Point Large Print on June 2, 2026
Genres: Fiction / Christian / Romance / General, Fiction / Christian / Suspense, Fiction / Legal, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General
Pages: 455
Format: Audiobook
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Hayden McCarthy is on track to become the youngest partner in her prestigious D.C. law firm . . . if the case she's just been handed doesn't destroy her first. Hayden McCarthy knows firsthand the pain when justice is not served. It's why she became an attorney and why she's so driven in her career. When she's assigned a wrongful death case against the government, she isn't sure if it's the lucky break she needs to secure a partnership -- or an attempt to make sure she never gets there.
Sometimes I regret an audiobook. Not because it’s bad, but because there are times I feel like I missed something, some thread, some nuance, some something. I did love the narrator, though, and her ability to really show distinction in voicing the different characters. Okay, there’s a lot to discuss with this book, and I’m not going to lie: a lot of my thoughts aren’t necessarily about the book itself but about the topics it covers.
Let’s start with where I struggled. Hayden has a backstory with something about her Dad. But . . . it alluded to a couple of times in relationship to her sense of worthiness, but we literally never find out what that is. Meanwhile, Andrew doesn’t like Hayden because she’s a lawyer and he’s got some issues with that career path (having dropped out of law school), but he suddenly just lets that go without any real thread of resolution while he falls in love with her. There were a few things that were wrapped up a little too neatly for me, but let me tell ya, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! The dual thread of the ‘bad guy’ and Hayden was interesting to unravel, and honestly, while I was side-eying the bridge character, I was literally in the dark up to the reveal. That alone is magic in my world!
Here we go, and please note that this is in no way political but more about just my deeper thoughts. This book was published 9 years ago, so giving a year before, a decade ago, Cara Putman was thinking about ICE and juvenile detention centers. At that time, the climate around ICE was not nearly as divisive as the one we have now. This centers around a death (murder) of a juvenile in a detention center. For me, there are a lot of threads throughout the book that feel a decade before it’s time. While this situation was a great catalyst, it was also a glimpse into the immigration situation, how people come to America, and the whys. This is not near ever story, but it really did make me think about where we are now as a society. And how we can be better. This book is so much more than just this, but I really thought about then vs now and how maybe it was meant that I would read this book now and not back then.
About Cara Putman
Since the time I could read Nancy Drew, I have wanted to write mysteries. In 2005 I attended a book signing at my local Christian bookstore. The rest, as they say, is history. There I met Colleen Coble. With prompting from my husband, I shared my dream with Colleen. Since those infamous words, I’ve been writing books.
In addition to writing, I am an attorney, lecturer at a Big Ten university, active in women’s ministry, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, my husband and my kids. I graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!), George Mason Law School (JD), and Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management (MBA). You can learn more about my books at https://www.caraputman.com.
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