Thursday, May 1, 2008

Review: Embittered Justice

Summary: Jennifer Campbell is a beautiful, talented woman with ambition and drive to succeed in corporate America. Moving to Virginia into the tightly knit community of Norfolk was a dream come true, with a house on the beach, family and security for the first time in many years providing the comfort and serenity Jennifer had searched for.

All is well, until the fateful day Jennifer received a telephone call. “Jennifer, go someplace and hide; don’t trust anyone. You can’t trust the police or internal affairs. Just go somewhere you can’t be found. I’ll call you in a few hours.” -- publish america

I decided to read EMBITTERED JUSTICE by Michaela Riley for two main reasons: I thought the concept of the book sounded interesting, and it meets the criteria for The Novella Challenge. This books deals with a woman who is basically framed and faces a nightmare situation within the court system. It is evident from the outset that the author is extremely passionate about the subject matter.

I read Ms. Riley's bio and I have a feeling that the character of Jennifer is actually based on her real life experiences. The book is considered a fictional story, but it almost reads like an account of what actually took place in someone's life. Having said that, I would be amazed if everything that happened to the book's main character could really happen to Ms. Riley. But some people say that truth is stranger than fiction.

One interesting part of the book was Jennifer's faith in God. Throughout the story, she prayed to him to help her get through this ordeal. I liked that she was able to gather strength in her beliefs; and that she was able to hear God's messages through the people that she encountered. Ms. Riley concludes the book with a very pertinent bible verse: "The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still." - Exodus 14:14

While I'm sure that there will be a lot of controversy surrounding her story and her views on the court system, I think the reader can take away a good message from this book. If you put your faith in God and stay true to yourself, things will ultimately work out for you.

Also reviewed at:
Bloggin' 'Bout Books

8 comments:

Cheryl said...

This sounds like a great book! Thanks for the review.

Good luck with the tour Michaela.

Cheryl

Michaela Riley said...

Thank you very much for stopping by and posting a comment.

Always Blessings,

Michaela

Susan said...

I'm scheduled to review this one in a week. I haven't started it yet, but it sounds interesting. Your review makes it sound even more intriguing - thanks!

Michaela Riley said...

Thank you Susan! I look forward to your review.

Michaela

thewriterslife said...

Great review, Julie, and on behalf of Michaela, thank you!

Karen Harrington said...

Great review post! I like/write legal thrillers so I am intrigued by this story..particularly the faith vs. legal issues. I'll have to check it out.

Much success,
Karen Harrington
Author, Janeology

Michaela Riley said...

Julie,

Thank you so much for the review and letting me share Embittered Justice with you and our guests. Truth is stranger than fiction... It was an awesome day blogging with you.

Blessings always,

Michaela

Michaela Riley said...

Hi Karen,

Thank you for stopping by and visiting on day 1 of my book tour.

Have a great day!

Michaela