Shattered Justice

I grew up in a small town, where everyone knows everyone, so it isn't surprising that I immediately identified with the heroine in Shattered Justice. Karen Ball's ability to tell a story is incredible. Her characters are well thought out and believable, she captivates the reader quickly and takes them along on a tide of emotions from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. J. B. Williams Author of Chase Your Dreams

I'm not a reader of suspense, but after the first chapter of Shattered Justice, I was hooked. Karen Ball is one of the best writers I've read. The world she creates on paper becomes real, and I became invested in her characters' lives. The tension increased with the introduction of Jayce's friend, Marlin, who did not like Dan's interest in Jayce. I won't give away any endings, but the stakes got high, and I didn't want to know what was coming. Yet, I was unable to put the book down. I stayed up nearly all night reading. In Shattered Justice, Ball takes her readers on an emotional roller coaster ride, and mine had been rung dry by the time it ended. I absolutely loved it!

Great book! I have read some by this author that wasn't too great, but this one may be her best yet

What do you get when you decide to go off in the woods with your wife for a little fun with the bows and arrows? For most people, an afternoon of fun and memories. But, for Dan Justice, there are only nightmares. He and his wife, Sarah, have their afternoon of fun in the woods turn tragic when Sarah's arrow penetrates a nest of yellow jackets that take out their anger with an onslaught attack that renders Sarah dead. To escape the grief, Dan pulls up roots with their two children and move to Sanctuary, Oregon. The move does the children more good than the father and they are soon on the road to healing their pain. Seems like happy times were not meant to be and Dan, once again, becomes the bearer of tragedy when the bodies of several children, including his two, are discovered along with the meth lab that played a keep road in their dismissal. Well, after this, Dan doubts there is a just God in the world. Could anyone blame him? Just when it seems Dan is destined to live out his days in bitter solitude, we have Shelby Wilson, who happens to have more than concern for Dan, wanting to save him from that bitterness. A troubled teen counselor, she decides that one of her more problem children, Jayce Dalton, is the medicine that Dan needs to bring him back to the real world. Both oppose this match up, but in the end Shelby's insistences trumps their resistance. Instead of using harsh tactics, Shelby showers them with so much love, they can't help but to agree to her plans. Needless to say, the two help find ways to deal with their personal issues and, in the end; Shelby's wisdom proves that she is more than your average trouble-teen therapist. As the book ends, Christian fiction fans will discover a book that fills their treasure box with this story about good over evil, beliefs over doubts and the ever eternal battle that even the most faithful believers endure from time to time. Frederick A. Babb

Avidan "Dan" Justice and his beloved wife Sarah went into the woods with bows and arrows for fun. Her shot struck a yellow jacket nest that she failed to notice. The angry insects attacked, stung and killed Sarah. Dan moves with his two children Shannon and Aaron to Sanctuary, Oregon where the trio adjusts quickly with the kids healing faster than their dad. Their renewed happiness ends when several children including his two are murdered. Dan discovered their bodies and the meth lab which is the motive for their deaths. Dan was a believer until he saw the corpses of Shannon and Aaron amongst the dead children. He no longer believes that God is a just being after the yellow jackets and now the random shootings. Shelby Wilson works with troubled teens, but because she has loved Dan from almost day one of his arrival she hopes to reach him with solace. She thinks by matching him with one of her most troublesome teens Jayce Dalton, both will make it through their respective storms. Neither wants it, but she is persistent showering them with love as she fights to save two souls that mean the world to her. Dan has tried to live up to his name fortified by his belief in God. However, the deaths of his loved ones, fine souls that they were, nuke his conviction as he fails to see the justice of the heavenly master plan. The wise Shelby sees inside the torn Dan and the troubled Jayce believing they were intended to help one another through the darkest night. As Dan has one more Job like test to cope with, Christian fiction readers will treasure the inner war for his soul. Harriet Klausner