Silenced Justice by Joe Broadmeadow @JBroadmeadow reviewed for #RBRT Corruption & Organised Crime #SundayBlogShare

• Author: Joe Broadmeadow
• Published: July 2015 by JEBWizard Publishing
• Category: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
• 

Lieutenant Josh Williams is back in this latest thriller from Joe Broadmeadow, Silenced Justice. 

When his former boss, retired Lieutenant Chris Hamlin, asks him to reopen an old case, Josh uncovers the shocking truth behind an innocent man’s death in prison. In 1972 Darnell Grey, accused of a series of rapes and a homicide, was beaten to death in the prison while awaiting trial.

I haven’t read the first in the series and there were one or two moments when I was left wondering about certain aspects of the back story. It didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of this book although it took a little while to get my head round all the characters. Once I was into the story, though, it held my attention completely as the pace accelerated and the drama and suspense built.

Josh Williams is a Lieutenant in the Special Investigations Unit of the Providence Police. The story, set in East Providence, Rhode Island, begins with an attempt on the life of Keira, Josh’s wife, while she’s driving his truck to work. As Josh begins an investigation into the two men responsible, his former boss, Chris Hamlin who now runs a private investigations company, asks him to look into an old case. The niece of one of the other two women who work with Chris, wants some information on her biological father. Darnell Grey was arrested in 1972 for rape and murder and was subsequently beaten to death in prison before he could stand trial. It’s a chilling scenario of racism at its worst, combined with a tense and explosive prison system. 

Darnell Grey was an angry man.

Rubbing his fist, wiping off the blood, he stormed out of the Warren Avenue Shell station. He would not be back. The rage, taking control of him once again, made sure of it.                                   

His wife would not be happy.                                                                

He wouldn’t let them push him around.Nobody pushed him around. He’d find another goddamn job.                                              

He knew he needed to control this anger. Yet the nightmares haunted him still. Sounds of the Ia Drang Valley echoed in his head, robbing him of sleep, depriving him of any sense of peace.      

No-one understood.                                                                            

All they saw was an angry black man.                                                

Darnell Grey was an angry man, with good reason

The investigations intensify and the more Josh uncovers, the murkier and more dangerous it all gets. The Justice System failed, manipulating evidence and witnesses, and corruption is widespread. An unscrupulous and disturbing conspiracy is uncovered layer by layer, involving government, the police and organised crime lords. It’s a horrifying but convincing sequence of events.

I love the skilfully created, complex plot, with lots of strands all coming together in a great ending, leaving the way open for more. The characters are all well defined and likeable, or not as the case may be. The narrative and dialogue are believable (unfortunately so in the case of the 70s police and government officials) and realistic. I like Joe Broadmeadow’s writing style, how he  shows the evident camaraderie between Josh and his colleagues with sarcastic and humorous interaction. It’s obvious the author knows his subject and setting which adds to the authenticity. 

This book is reviewed for Rosie Amber‘s book review team and is based on a digital copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion or the content of my review.

Book links ~ Amazon UK | US

About Joe Broadmeadow

Joe Broadmeadow retired with the rank of Captain from the East Providence, Rhode Island Police Department after twenty years. Assigned to various divisions within the department including Commander of Investigative Services, he also worked in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and on special assignment to the FBI Drug Task Force.

Silenced Justice is his second novel in the Josh Williams series. His first novel, Collision Course, continues to garner rave reviews and is available on Amazon.com

When Joe is not writing, he is hiking or fishing (and thinking about writing). Joe completed a 2,185-mile thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in September 2014. After completing the trail, Joe published a short story, Spirit of the Trail, available on Amazon.com in Kindle format.  

Joe lives in Lincoln, RI with his wife Susan.

Author links ~ Website | Facebook | Twitter