Justice Delayed, a mystery/suspense novel from Patricia Bradley tells the story of intricate relationships that prove better in some ways than the crime plot itself.
The nearly 20-year murder of Stephanie Hollister convicted Jimmy Shelton. However, a friend of Stephanie's, Lacey Wilson, declares that he's innocent of the murder and she has proof. But before she gets that proof to him, she's killed. This sets in motion Jimmy's cousin Will Kincade, a Memphis Homicide Detective recently promoted to the Cold Case Unit, to re-open the Hollister case and possibly free his cousin Jimmy.
This angers Stephanie's sister Andi, a TV reporter, budding documentary filmmaker and risk-taker and her protective brother Brad, also a Memphis Detective. To them and the rest of their family, what's all the fuss about anyway? The book cover shows the answer: Diamonds. Was Stephanie involved in a diamond smuggling ring? Will authorities find Lacey's key piece of evidence in time to save Jimmy who has only days to live?
Bradley paints a convoluted plot for sure and envisioning the relationships both professional and personal was worth spending some time watching develop. For me and this is just me, the character's interior monologues of how the interests of their hearts make them feel made me think, okay, let's move on though I did appreciate the restraint of Bradley in her depictions of growing affection.
The other more critical groan I have with Justice Delayed arrives late in the mysterious goings-on with a couple of rather convenient information exchanges. Some of the characters abuse substances that clouded their memories so maybe that's the steel construction behind the stucco. In the end, Bradley ties up the relationships and takes the reader on a labyrinthine journey. The romance, a few of those conveniences, though in one case it comes off as a semi-surprise and a lack of a real sense of danger barring the climax couldn't reward my review of the pedestrian Justice Delayed any more than three stars.
Posted By: Cortez Law III
Thursday, October 12th 2017 at 6:13PM
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