I am, for the most part, a slow reader...and I read 210 pages in one sitting. That's at least half the book, kids! READ THIS WOMAN'S WORK!
Now that I'm done raving about how fantastic this author is, on to the book!
In Justice for Sara, we initially meet Katherine (Kat) and learn she left her home of Liberty, LA after being acquitted for the murder of her sister, Sara. She was able to open a chain of organic and all natural bread stores/bakeries in Portland, OR. But, for the past 10 years, she's been receiving anonymous letters from someone asking "What about Justice for Sara?" and the latest one she has received has dared her to return to her hometown of Liberty. Kat finally decides 10 years has been long enough so maybe she should return home in order to find Sara's murderer.
We learn the evidence, all completely circumstantial, that was stacked up against Kat; and we learn the Chief of Police had an alcohol addiction of his own that began after one of his son's drown back in the earlier 90's. Cut to 10 years after the fact, the Chief is battling cancer, and his son, Sergeant Luke Tanner, is now acting chief. Upon the return of Kat, he knows something wasn't right about the original investigation and after talking to Kat about her suspicions that the killer still resides in Liberty, he reopens the case; much to the chagrin of his father. I like how we get to see a different perspective in this book. There are sections that float between each person's life from 2003 when the murder occurred so we're able to take a peek inside everyone's lives. We get to know about Luke and his strained relationship with his father. We get to know about Chief Stephen's struggle with alcohol after the death of his son. We get to see the breakdown and rebuilding of the father/son relationship between Stephen and Luke. I liked that this book was from a third person perspective. I like a peek behind the curtain and yet most of the time, I still can't figure out who the hell did it! I have ideas but never the whole story! It's why I keep turning the pages...I must know what happened! And why!
Anyway, Kat begins doing her own investigative thing, even though Luke has warned her not to...women are stubborn though. She first basically points the finger at her sister's boyfriend (at the time), Danny. Turns out his skeleton is that he's got a gambling addiction. But, he was also madly in love with Sara. Downside is though, he viewed her kind of like his ticket into bigger and better things than just being a high school P.E. teacher. We don't all always get our happy ending.
Then she points the finger at Ryan and Bitsy. So...back when she was a shitty teenager, Kat was just that. She was 17, rebellious, ran with the wrong crowd, was being raised by her sister because their parents had been killed in a car accident, and was madly in love with a 20 year old boy, Ryan, who viewed her as his ticket out because she stood to get A LOT of money from her trust fund....and even more upon the death of her sister. Bitsy was her childhood best friend who apparently always wanted Ryan, and was therefore always envious of Kat because she always had everything Bitsy wanted. Oh cry me a river, girl. Count your own blessings! Turns out, none of them did it. I was so hoping Ryan and Bitsy played a part in it...I just didn't like them. They're were snobby assholes...
And...another frustrating thing...the nosy neighbor across the street, Mrs. Bell...everyone has that nosy neighbor, especially in small towns...she had a fucking stroke the day after Sara was murdered so the one key witness who probably would have been able to solve this whole thing can't remember who anyone is or where she's at! IT'S SO FRUSTRATING! And then, some asshole went and killed this little old lady! All she wanted was for someone to come visit with her, drink tea, and eat cookies. Fuckers had to kill her...
Turns out there was this whole convoluted plot that came about after Sara was killed in a rage but someone I never suspected. I suspected there was just something not quite right about them, but I didn't expect everything they did. After all, Sara had her head bashed in with a baseball bat...if that's not a personal murder with a lot of rage spurring it on, I don't know what is. I'm not going to reveal the killer or killers or the elaborate scheme that caused all of this...after all...I want you to read Spindler! All I will say is...Oh what a tangled web we weave. People can seriously get themselves in some deep shit. They seriously should have lived by the saying that the truth hurts but it's always welcome...
Honestly though, if you're a murder mystery fan, love some fantastic plot twists, and like a little romance thrown in...go read everything by Erica Spindler! This is the second book for me and I have nothing but positive things to say about both of them.
READ ERICA SPINDLER!
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