#BookReview Good Intentions by J.D. Trafford @amazonpub

Good Intentions by J.D. Trafford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The path to justice is paved with good intentions.

Judge Jim Thompson’s world is unraveling. He’s facing public backlash on a decision-gone-wrong for a young boy in foster care and, even worse, he’s just discovered that his mentor, Judge Meyer, has been murdered.

Despite his self-doubt in the face of media scrutiny, Jim is determined to continue his friend’s legacy—and find his killer. As he digs into the mysterious death, Jim comes across a case that had haunted the judge for decades—a case he couldn’t let go of. Judge Meyer had worked hard to find the right solutions for foster children, but rulings in such cases are never simple, and his decisions may have cost him his life.

As Jim searches for answers, he begins to see similarities between his mentor’s past and his own present. Now it’s up to him to learn from his late friend’s mistakes and track down a killer—before he loses everything that matters to him.

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I read Little Boy Lost by J.D. Trafford last year and was blown away by the book's fabulous story. So, picking Good Intentions by J.D. Trafford was not a hard decision.

Judge Jim Thompson mentor has just been murdered and he's the first to stumble over the body. As if that is not bad, he's under media scrutiny after a boy that he decided to go back to his mother was later found dead. He's under pressure, trying to figure out why his mentor Judge Meyer was killed, as well as dealing with media and a new case.

I enjoyed reading Good Intentions. Just as Litle Boy Lost is the story in this book engrossing and it's not hard to be upset and angry when everyone seems to be out for blood. Jim's blood. He's under enormous pressure from work and he can't let go of a feeling that there is something in the past that could be the reason for the death of Judge Meyer. Perhaps an old case...?

The book is well-written and the last part is really tense! I recommend this book warmly!

I want to thank Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BookReview Little Boy Lost by J.D. Trafford @amazonpub

Little Boy Lost by J.D. Trafford
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

In a city divided and broken, this revelation will set it on fire…

Attorney Justin Glass’s practice, housed in a shabby office on the north side of Saint Louis, isn’t doing so well that he can afford to work for free. But when eight-year-old Tanisha Walker offers him a jar full of change to find her missing brother, he doesn’t have the heart to turn her away.

Justin had hoped to find the boy alive and well. But all that was found of Devon Walker was his brutally murdered body—and the bodies of twelve other African American teenagers, all discarded like trash in a mass grave. Each had been reported missing. And none had been investigated.

As simmering racial tensions explode into violence, Justin finds himself caught in the tide. And as he gives voice to the discontent plaguing the city’s forgotten and ignored, he vows to search for the killer who preys upon them.

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Little Boy Lost is one of those books that right from the start felt right. I instantly liked and later came to love Justin Glass, his daughter and the rest of his family, well perhaps not so much his brother Lincoln who is, to be honest, a bit of a jerk now and then. I also love the story. I mean it starts off with Justin being hired by a little girl to find her brother and she is paying him through money from a cuss jar. Yeah, I know, I was sold right from the start.

This is the kind of book that is a true enjoyment from the beginning until the end, the case with the missing and then later found dead boy together with other dead boys are interesting, but I enjoyed as well everything that was going on around in Justin life, from his daughter getting bullied, to him getting a very assertive assistant that makes his working life much easier. The book deals with a lot of issues that plague our time, from racism to bullying. And, as Justin notice, a black man reporting a crime is most likely going to be treated as a suspect and it's awful to read about how violent the police are towards an unarmed man. That is one scene that is very disturbing because how many times haven't I read about a black man or a woman who is unarmed being killed in the US.

Now, the ending was not a terribly surprising, but I liked it. It fitted the story. And, I would very much like to read more about Justin Glass and his family. 

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!