Justice Denied

Judge Wilhemina Carson continues her adventures in this engaging mystery set in Tampa, Florida. Judge Carson is an exciting, well drawn character. She leads the reader smoothly and convincingly through the twists and turns that yield a surprising answer to the question on every reader's mind -- whodunnit! Justice Denied exhibits the continuing development of Diane Vogt's writing style as well. I can't wait for the next book.

Judge Willa Carson gawked as controversial Supreme Court nominee, General Albert Randall Andrews, Tampa's war hero, and his secretary John Hamilton stepped out of his limousine at the confirmation hearings. Gunfire blazed as John Hamilton fell to the ground with three gunshots to the chest. The assumption, the shots were meant for the general. Later that night the General argued with Senator Warwick and his wife, about opposition to the general's appointment to the court. George Carson interceded and threw them all out of his restaurant, Minaret. The following morning, the general failed to arrive at a charity golf tournament and was found dead, by suicide. General Randall's opposition built from his extreme views in public. He always had a point to make. His memoirs caused a stir, when he used Army personnel and files to write it. George was an old army buddy of the general's and doubted the death was a suicide. Ever since the issue of General Randall's appointment to the Supreme Court began, George worked with the opposition. Willa thought her steadfast husband behaved stranger by the day, since his outburst at the restaurant. She was struck dumb as George was arrested for murdering the general. The case looked solid; George's gun was the murder weapon. Willa decided to hire a top gun attorney, Olive Holmes, while pursuing George's defense herself. She knew her husband would not "even kill bugs." So she seized the difficult task of keeping her life's partner out of jail. With as controversial as the general was, would she find the real killer among so many possible killers? People with much to lose could be involved in the murder. If he had been confirmed, political careers could have been ruined. Even the President of the United States, though he nominated the general, did not want him in office and sent a memo regarding that the night before the murder. Politicians all the way to the senate could be involved. Did one of the senate decide to veto the decision in their own way? What other hidden secrets dwelled in the halls of politics? M. Diane Vogt has been a lawyer for twenty years. She utilizes her thorough knowledge of law and politics in this, the second book in the series on Judge Carson and her husband, George. Realistic twists and turns keep the reader engaged in this political thriller till the finale.