Justice in the Shadows [Paperback]

"Justice in the Shadows," by award winning author Radclyffe, is the fourth action-packed mystery in the Justice series following the engrossing prequels, "A Matter of Trust," "Shield of Justice," and "In Pursuit of Justice." To her credit and her fans delight, Radclyffe has successfully produced another wonderful addition to her impressive writing résumé. She is the author of twenty (and counting) published novels. Her writing is posted on-line, included in anthologies, and is available in other venues. Not surprisingly, "Justice in the Shadows" is a 2005 Golden Crown Literary Society award finalist.

In the latest Justice book, two cops have been assassinated, a young girl is dead, and an innocent woman lies in a coma, all the result of a child pornography ring. Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) Detective Sergeant Rebecca Frye wants to find out who is behind the murders of her partner Jeff Cruz, Officer Jimmy Hogan, a young prostitute, and the attempted murder of J.T. Sloan...that is until Clark Avery, the Justice Department Investigator, pulls the plug on the investigation. Something reeks of an inside job and Rebecca Frye will not rest until justice is done; she does not intend to add the unsolved case to the dead pile. Captain Henry gives the okay for Frye to head her own secret task force to see what she can uncover.

Rebecca puts together a team of unlikely candidates including her new partner, Detective William Watts, internet sleuth J.T. Sloan, and Sloan's business associate Jason McBride. Other members of her team include rookie cop, Dellon Mitchell; young prostitute and certified informant, Sandy; and Rebecca's lover, PPD psychiatrist Dr. Catherine Rawlings. With a great cast of characters, the reader can't help but root for each one. Sloan's lover, Michael Lassiter, lies in a coma after she becomes a mistaken target meant for Sloan...who will go to any lengths to avenge her attackers.

Radclyffe is a master at combining intense police drama and mystery along with an in-depth look at three loving and fulfilling lesbian relationships. She keeps the reader interested, excited, and guessing; it's hard to put the book down. As always, Radclyffe's work has compelling narrative, enough conflict and drama to sustain the story, unforgettable characters, natural sounding and credible dialogue. In addition, her writing is a perfect example of how sex does not get in the way of the plot; the sex scenes move the plot along and add depth to her characters. The author shows us the tough exterior of Rebecca when she is commanding her team, then contrasts that with her tender side when she makes love to her soul mate, Catherine. The same can be said about the budding relationship between Mitchell and Sandy. Mitchell is a hotheaded young cop, while Sandy is a street wise, smart mouthed kid. The growth of these two characters is particularly captivating.

As in all good series, several major story lines are resolved, while a few loose threads remain to keep us on edge for the next book in this series. I'm looking forward to the continuing adventures when "Justice Served" comes out June 2005. I recommend Radclyffe's "Justice in the Shadows" to anyone who enjoys intense crime stories with lots of intrigue, and with hot sex thrown in for good measure. If you like this kind of drama, don't miss "Justice in the Shadows"...a five star novel.

I can't get enough of Radclyffe's Justice series. I reach the end of a book and am immediately thristing for more. Luckily, for all us readers, Radclyffe keeps writing about the lives of these amazing women.

In this installment, Dr. Catherine Rawlings and her lover, police Sergeant, Rebecca Frye, work together to continue to try to uncover a pornography ring, one which has already resulted in the near death of private cyber consultant, JT Sloan's lover Michael. Sloan assists Catherine and Rebecca while anxiously siting vigil at the hospital bed of her injured lover. Young rookie cop, Dell, works undercover on the case and finds herself falling for Rebecca's informant, Sandy--who happens to be a prostitute. The exploration of Dell and Sandy's new attraction is a highlight of the book. Radclyffe continues to stretch and never rests on her laurels. The sex scenes are Radclyffe's trademark-- bold, passionate, romantic, edgy and very steamy.

It may just be wishful thinking on my part, but I believe we could see another in this series. I, for one, can't wait.

First introduced to readers in A Matter of Trust, computer genius JT Sloan and her team join Detective Sgt. Rebecca Frye, who was herself, first introduced to readers in Shield of Justice and then again in it's terrific sequel, In Pursuit of Justice, on a case fraught with drama, danger and intrigue.

Joining JT and Rebecca on a "secret" task force is Del Mitchell, a police officer with her own secrets along with Sandy, a hooker who works as a confidential informer for Rebecca. Their objective, "to find the people behind an underworld ring involved in pornography." JT, however, also has her own hidden agenda...find out who sent Michael, the woman she loves, to the hospital in critical condition. As they work to uncover the truth and expose the ring an unexpected kink is thrown into the mix. Signs point to there possibly being a traitor in the police department itself! Will Rebecca, JT and the rest of the team be able to stay one step ahead of them? What happens when and if they are able to blow his or her cover? When Rebecca's lover, Dr. Catherine Rawlings is asked to join the task force, Rebecca is NOT a happy camper! Will she have confidence in their relationship surviving this ordeal? While Rebecca is trying to keep JT from going off on a vendetta, another new wrinkle is thrown in...Del's seemingly attraction to Sandy. Can Rebecca hold the team together, uncover the criminals and keep everyone safe? Will relationships survive? Will the ordeal cost one of the women their life and/or their lover?

With a well known and well documented track record of tremendous, well-written novels such as her "Honor" series, Safe Harbor, Beyond the Breakwater, Fated Love, Passion's Bright Fury, Love's Tender Warriors, Tomorrow's Promise and Love's Melody Lost, all filled with danger, suspense and intrigue, along with a definitive, strong romantic influence, Radclyffe once again grabs the reader and places them smack dab in the middle of non-stop, often heart-wrenching action. With her newest release of Distant Shores, Silent Thunder, this extremely talented writer is sure to have another hit on her hands!

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