CAB Reviews A Kind of Justice by Renee James

Book blurb:
“Against all odds, Bobbi Logan, a statuesque transgender woman, has become one of Chicago’s most celebrated hair stylists and the owner of one of the city’s poshest salons. She is finally comfortable with who she is, widely admired in her community, about to enjoy the success she deserves.

Then her impossibly perfect life falls apart.

In the space of a few weeks, the Great Recession drags her business to the brink of failure, her beloved ex-wife needs help in facing a terrible tragedy, and a hateful police detective storms back into her life, determined to convict her of the five-year-old murder of John Strand—pillar of the community—and a sexual predator.

As the detective builds an ever more convincing case against her, both of them will be shaken by revelations—about themselves, about their own deeply held secrets, and about the bizarre ritual murder of John Strand.”

I didn’t realize this was the second book in the series, despite it clearly stating that in the title. Although, I don’t think it’s necessary to have read the first in the series, I did find myself wondering about the details of Bobbi’s back-story. As a result, there is a strong possibility that I will go back and read “Transition to Murder.” Having said that, I was sucked into “A Kind of Justice” from the outset. Bobbi Logan could have been written as a caricature of a stereotypical transgender woman. However, the author takes the time to make sure Logan is a well-developed and interesting character, juxtaposed against Detective Wilkins who is vulgar, crude, and obviously bigoted against the LGBTQ community. As the reader, we get to see the story develop from two distinct points of view: Logan’s and Wilkins’.

On a personal note, I found it interesting that I assumed based on Wilkins attitude that he was white, when in fact he is black. This made me re-evaluate my own point of view/prejudice. I was also happy to see Wilkins’ character development throughout the storyline. The author was able to move him from being a completely bigoted arse to a somewhat sympathetic character in a manner that felt natural.

Overall, I was impressed with the flow of the story and the characters themselves. I’d give this 4 stars and I will definitely keep an eye out for new stories coming from Renee James.

I picked this book up from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You can download a sample or purchase a copy of A Kind of Justice by clicking here.

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