I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
Delayed Justice by Cara Putman Series: Hidden Justice #3
Published by Thomas Nelson on October 16, 2018
Genres: Fiction / Christian / Contemporary, Fiction / Christian / Romance / Suspense, Fiction / Christian / Suspense, Fiction / Thrillers / Legal, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Mystery
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
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She had long given up the desire to be loved. Now she only needed to be heard.
Jaime Nichols went to law school to find the voice she never had as a child, and her determination to protect girls and women in the path of harm drives her in ways both spoken and unspoken. As Jaime, now a criminal defense attorney, prepares to press charges against someone who wronged her long ago, she must face not only her demons but also the unimaginable forces that protect the powerful man who tore her childhood apart.
Chandler Bolton, a retired veteran, is tasked with helping a young victim who must testify in court—and along with his therapy dog, Aslan, he’s up for the task. When he first meets Jaime, all brains, beauty, and brashness, he can’t help but be intrigued. As Chandler works to break through the wall Jaime has built around herself, the two of them discover that they may have more to offer one another than they ever could have guessed—and that together, they may be able to help this endangered child.
This thrilling installment of the Hidden Justice series explores the healing power of resolution and the weight of words given voice. And as Jaime pursues delayed justice of her own, she unearths eternal truths that will change the course of her life.
First, I gotta start reading those book synopses and not just flying by the seat of my pants when I’m reading a series. I was convinced this would be the story of Brandon and Caroline; it was just set up, for me, that way at the end of Imperfect Justice. And while it was not their story, they did feature quite a bit. This is the story of Jaime and Chandler, and there’s a LOT to unpack, so buckle up. I was quite on edge throughout the entire read, but before I start unpacking my thoughts, I’ll throw out some disclaimers. This is not a cozy read. There’s military trauma, there’s childhood sexual abuse trauma, but there’s also a lot of healing and overcoming. Nothing is ever graphic or even full detailed outside of this thing happened, but it could still be an obstacle for some readers.
This time, we have two stalkers, another lost job (oops, spoiler!), a budding romance, and a solid faith thread. I gotta give huge props to Cara Putman as she builds suspense in such a way that it keeps you on the edge of your seat, even when you know what’s going on in the background. And sometimes you have no clue what’s going on in the background until there’s a bomb and a gun and chaos. The suspense here was on point, and I kept checking how many pages were left while not wanting the book to end. I gotta talk about Jaime and the romance thread. This is not a boy-meets-girl story where they fall for each other. I mean, it is, but with a lot of hesitancy and trauma response. And Jaime girl, she got trauma. 20-year-old trauma that she is just not, at the exact wrong time, feeling strong enough to face it.
And that’s where faith comes in, and again, Jaime is not your typical Christian Fiction heroine that is already faithful. Like, in my opinion anyway, she’s a normal person who blames God for not protecting her as a child. She is surrounded by friends of faith who love and encourage her without pushing her, which I love. Sometimes the best witness is an example, not a shove. And I love that Chandler can respect all her boundaries while also respecting his own. He knows he has feelings for her, but as a non-Christian, she’s not available to him. But he also lets their friendship develop on her terms, not his, respecting her trauma and her process. Overall, I really loved this book. It hit the natural faith notes for me; it was seriously out of the park for the suspense parts, and even the romance was good.
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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