Justice Betrayed – Patricia Bradley – Memphis Cold Case #3 – Revell – Published 5 June 2018

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Synopsis

It’s Elvis Week in Memphis, and homicide Detective Rachel Sloan isn’t sure her day could get any stranger when aging Elvis impersonator Vic Vegas asks to see her. But when he produces a photo of her murdered mother with four Elvis impersonators–one of whom had also been murdered soon after the photo was taken–she’s forced to reevaluate. Is there some connection between the two unsolved cases? And could the recent break-in at Vic’s home be tied to his obsession with finding his friend’s killer?

When yet another person in the photo is murdered, Rachel suddenly has her hands full investigating three cases. Lieutenant Boone Callahan offers his help, but their checkered romantic past threatens to get in the way. Can they solve the cases before the murderer makes Rachel victim number four?

My thoughts

Justice Betrayed is the third book in the Memphis Cold Case series, a collection of stand-alone novels that follow individuals with a gift for finding answers to crimes long left unsolved. Justice Betrayed follows its predecessors as an exciting romantic mystery.

Detective Rachel Sloan joined the police force hoping to one day solve her mother’s cold murder case. When an Elvis impersonator demands to speak with Rachel about another cold case he is sure is tied to her mother’s death, Rachel isn’t sure if he is crazy or has discovered fragments of truth long buried. But when Rachel receives threats to leave the case alone, she and her supervisor, Lieutenant Boone Callahan will have to work hard to piece together the clues of this puzzling case.

Justice Betrayed opens with a prologue set nearly 40 years ago, and offers the first tantalising clue in this story that combines both cold and new cases. Readers first met Detective Rachel Sloan and Lieutenant Boone Callahan in the second book in the Memphis Cold Case series, when they handled the main case involved in that story. However, if you haven’t read Justice Buried, it’s easy to pick up on their shared history and roles within the police department.

Boone and Rachel dated for a few weeks when Rachel was working in the burglary department. Now that she has switched to homicide, Boone is her supervisor and a relationship between them is prohibited. But it’s more than just department regulations preventing them from seeing where their intense chemistry and sparking connection leads. Both have a painful history that they are unwilling to share. Working together on the case allows them the opportunity to start peeling back the layers. Yet, because of the restrictions, the romance in Justice Betrayed doesn’t much stray beyond romantic tension and the promise of more.

Thanks to sections written from the murderer’s perspective, it’s clear to the reader early on who committed the crimes that Rachel is investigating. Yet, it’s not clear who that is in the wider scheme of things. There are plenty of possible suspects and enough clues, hints, and red herrings to keep any amateur sleuth guessing. The mystery culminates in a suspenseful finish.

Justice Betrayed is a thrilling mystery, with enough Elvis for any fan and a touch of romance.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

More information

Category: Fiction

Genre: Christian mystery-thriller.

Themes: Cold cases, detective, murder, police investigations, romance, relationships, family, father-daughter relationships, music, Elvis.

Published: 5 June 2018 by Revell.

Format: Hardcover, paperback, ebook. 352 pages.

ISBN: 9780800727161

Find it on Goodreads