Poetic Justice is the first book in a new traditional mystery series by Andrea J. Johnson, which is scheduled to release on September 29, 2020. I was fortunate enough to snag an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC).
Victoria Justice is a twenty-five-year-old court stenographer. For the past five years, Victoria has worked with her mentor and family friend, Judge Frederica Scott Wannamaker, the first African-American Superior Court Judge in Trident County Delaware. When Victoria’s high school nemesis, Langley Dean Mulligan appears in court, Victoria relives the bullying and the traumatic circumstances which nearly cost her life in high school, and from which she has never fully recovered. Yet, Victoria manages to push past her anxiety, even after evidence goes missing and the trial is jeopardized. However, when she finds her mentor has been murdered, she is forced into action. Could her trial transcript hold the key to unlocking the truth and figuring out whodunit?
One of the things I enjoyed about this book was that Johnson creates realistic characters. Victoria Justice is a clever sleuth who is vulnerable. Readers will be able to relate to the fact that while she’s intelligent, she’s no superwoman, able to leap tall buildings with a single bound. Like most of us, Victoria is still wrestling with the demons in her past. In fact, most of the characters in this book are flawed (aka realistic). No Mary Poppin’s sleuth who is practically perfect in every way or villains who resemble Death Eaters more than human beings. In addition, this book is full of secrets that unfold as the story continues and the plot is full of twists and curves and it kept me guessing until the end. The idea of a mystery featuring a court stenographer is unique and avoids many of the typical mystery tropes as does this entire book. If you like traditional mysteries, get in on the ground floor of this new series and check out the Victoria Justice Mysteries.
Poetic Justice releases on September 29, 2020. Preorder your copy today: BUY LINK