Justice Served: A Barkley & Parker Thriller

Chilling, cold, truthful and numbing. This is fiction but it gave me nightmares even after the book was long finished. Looking out of the window on a warm breezy sunny day did not help to dull the frightening images created by the author. It felt real like it happened somewhere, sometime or it might just happen in your own backyard. Flowers is talented. No doubt. He gave me such an adernalin rush. I was sweating profusely.My heart pounded. I could scream. This book had such an effect for such a small price. I recommend it highly even for the faint heart.

The media has latched on to a new feeding frenzy, the Vigilante Killer targeting abusive males who escaped punishment due to plea-bargains, frightened hung juries, or bogus legal wiggles. Detective Sergeant Ray Barkley and Detective Nina Preston lead the investigation that has two other links besides the so-called victims being abusive male predators. All the dead men walked free after their assault case was heard in the courtroom of Criminal Court Judge Carole Cranston and their female victims recovered at the Rose City Women's Shelter; coincidentally or vigilante Judge Cranston donates plenty of money to the facility. Nina believes the circumstantial evidence enhanced by the Judge's attitude towards male abusers make her, the guilty party. On the other hand Ray likes the Judge and is convinced she is innocent. Nina assumes he is thinking with the wrong head. Is Carole a frustrated judge who has crossed the line or just the foci of an avenging angel? The magic behind R. Barri Flowers' terrific suspense thriller is that the serial killer is in plain sight as the clues are laid out for the audience to determine whether Carole is the Vigilante or not. The story line is action-packed as the two cops follow leads that each interprets differently as Ray wants Her Honor innocent while Nina is totally convinced otherwise. Fans of police procedural serial killer thrillers will want to read this fine tale while anxiously waiting to follow the next investigation, the opening tickler being the abduction of the Mayor's daughter. Harriet Klausner

I have read most of Barri's books and I will continue to buy them. I waited a very long time for Justice Served to be released and it was well worth the wait. From the time I opened the book and read the first page, it was difficult to put down. I recommend Justice Service highly and I also recommend you look for the name R. Barri Flowers wherever you buy books. He's a keeper.

Portland detectives, Ray Barkley and Nina Parker, are faced with a serial murderer that is going against all odds. This killer is wiping out men who have abused and beaten their wives or girlfriends, yet have gotten no punishment in the judicial system. Four men have been brutally slain with baseball bats and the count is rising. The killer beats them until they are unrecognizable. Not only is this criminal smart, the person appears to be a woman, which is a bit outside the profile for serial killers. To further complicate issues, Ray and Nina had an affair in the past and Nina becomes just a touch jealous when Ray falls hard for the judge involved in the case. Meanwhile, the judge's former lover, a defense lawyer who appears frequently in her court, has married and wants the judge to counsel his wife Vivien, on whether or not to have an abortion. The judge, Carole Cranston, is not sure whether to trust the friendliness of the wife or not. Maybe Vivien is the murderer; however, Nina is sure the judge is the guilty party. R. Barri Flowers has created a superb mystery. Every time you think you know who did it, another monkey wrench is tossed into the mix. Some characters seem so guilty but then you find yourself praying that they didn't do it because although they have good reasons for killing, it would just break your heart. There's just enough romance and romantic triangles to keep the interest going. It's a great book that any mystery lover will adore. Reviewed by alice Holman of the RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Criminal Court Judge Carole Cranston hates the battered-women cases the most. She chose her career in hopes of putting the abusive men in prison and off the streets. Yet far too often Carole can do nothing but watch as the guilty men go free due to a plea-bargain, hung jury, or some sort of small technicality. But that did not make her resort to becoming a vigilante. Or did it? Detective Sergeant Ray Barkley and his partner, Detective Nina Preston, are the ones on the Vigilante Killer case that is getting so much media coverage. Seems that there is a serial killer, possibly female, on the loose. She targets abusive men who escape the justice system. As bodies pile up, the few clues they have point the finger at Judge Carole Cranston. All the murdered men had been in her court room. They all walked free. And the women abused had all spent some time in the Rose City Women's Shelter, where Carole donates a lot of money. Nina has no doubt that Carole is guilty and is doing all she can to prove it. That is hard to do without hurting Ray, who is very attracted to Her Honor. It causes tension between the two partners as well, because Ray is just as positive that Carole is innocent. In fact, Ray and Carole begin seeing each other, even though it is NOT a good idea. **** I am lucky enough to be able to state that in my personal life almost half the people I know are black, almost half are white, and there are a few numbers of other races. So I am used to hearing titles such as "brother, sister, dude, amigo, man, guy" and the likes every day. When I read a book where most, if not all, the characters are African-American it does not surprise me to read "brother" or "sister" in it. It seldom even registers to my brain. However, in my opinion, those two titles are use far too frequently. I felt as if they were being used on every second or third page. It seemed unrealistic and became frustrating. As for the story plot, characters, and suspense, R. Barri Flowers proves, once again, that he chose the right career. This author weaves a magical web, as well as, a tangled one. The clues are all there, but even toward the end I could not be positive that I had tagged the right culprit. I will be recommending this title to many! One last thing, if you hate to be left hanging do NOT read the last page or two. This is a stand alone story. The author wraps up the mystery thriller beautifully. But the last couple of pages begins with the killer of the next novel kidnapping his first victim. I was left feeling incomplete. **** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.