Interest of Justice

by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg

Lara Sanderstone is a young, dedicated judge when her sister is brutally murdered and life spins out of control. She finds herself coping with her troubled fourteen-year-old nephew and the shocking possibility that he is connected to the murder. Then the presiding judge accuses Lara of impropriety and social services try to take her nephew away. Suddenly Lara realises she is no longer the judge, but the judged. When the investigation uncovers shocking facts about the life her sister was leading, Lara is horrified to realise that she may have been the intended target. Now not only Lara's job, but her life is on the line ...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Crime, Legal Thriller, Mystery Thriller

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

With a BA in English and 5 years as a photographic model behind her, Nancy Taylor Rosenberg studied criminology. She served in the Dallas Police Department, New Mexico State Police, Ventura Police Department and as an Investigative Probation Officer in Court Services for the Country of Ventura where she handled major crimes. She lived in California.

Reviews

[Hans Brienesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good enough read, the author does a legal thriller that lies midway between a court and police station. I enjoyed the story but there were a couple of things that were on the cusp of credibility. Nothing too much given away although one could just about pick the criminal about half way through. I do find that there are a plethora of stories where the main protaganists circumstances mesh together much like jigsaw pieces " I have this personal circumstance!""Really? So have I but the opposite!" and so on which spoils the tale a bit. So, I enjoyed the book but only four stars.

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interest of Justice started out very slow and maintained that pace until the last 50 pages or so. I really struggled to get through this book. The main character is Lara - most people pronounced it “Laura” but the author never tells you how it’s truly pronounced. Lara is an unlikeable and lonely judge with no life to speak of. While she claimed to have strong ethics, she made questionable decisions that indicated otherwise. Her sister and brother in law are semi-estranged from her and involved in a whole slew of unsavory activities. They are brutally murdered and she spends a large amount of time trying to solve the crime on her own while being suspicious of everyone around her (except the true murderer). She tries to bully the lead detective (who is married) into investigating her way and they fall in love. She also takes in her nephew who she wants nothing to do with one moment and then suddenly changes her mind and wants to raise him. She’s also good friends with a man with ALS who is integral to the story but she doesn’t seem to know anything about him. The plot and connection between the characters is implausible. The author did keep me guessing on who the murderer was but left out convenient details that disguised it.

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was on the book exchange rack at the library, and I thought it might be a change of pace from the usual Love Inspired type books usually on the rack.

The book starts slowly with a lot of information and background--some of it becomes important later in the book. The narrative style is distant from what's going on which made it hard for me to become absorbed in the story.

Lara Sanderstone is a dichotomy. She's somewhat successful professionally and claims she holds strong ethics. In her personal life, she's estranged from her sister, yet she's loaned the sister and brother-in-law one hundred thousand dollars to purchase a pawn shop (a shop that her name is also on), has interceded on the brother-in-law's behalf when he dropped her name to the cops, and the sister has kept her from seeing her nephew, Josh.

Josh apparently believes what his mother told him about his aunt and resents her for not continuing to visit him and take him places. A short stint in foster care seems to change his mind. I liked Josh's friendship with Emmet; less so his friendship with Ricky. Josh makes some foolish choices though in deciding to contact Tommy Black on his own and to meet him. He also should have been suspicious of the offer of alcoholic beverages to a supposed "pre-teen" as well as accepting drinks from a stranger.

Emmet is a fighter--he refuses to let his ALS get him down. He still teaches and still holds a job designing software. He seems to be a true friend to Lara, wanting to help her and asking for little in return. He's also a friend to Josh, though he does keep a secret for Josh that he shouldn't have.

Rickerson seems to be trying his best to be a good dad to his two sons, to be understanding about his wife (though that seems to change later in the novel), and to do good work as a detective. How he deals with Lara's near constant interfering is admirable. Though his marriage is probably over (except for the divorce proceedings), he is still married and I'd have preferred it if he hadn't pursued Lara until he'd settled the marriage issue with his wife.

In the end, I didn't guess who was behind it all until the characters put it together.

[Dirk Lapere · Rating 2 out of 5]

A plot full of cliches and low credibility. Main character is a judge who believes she is the best thing since sliced bread, yet equally corrupt as the people she judges. When she becomes the indirect victim of violence, she loses all composure and demands justice (this is the only thing I liked : the irony of judges acting one way as judge, but when the boot is put on the other foot, they behave just like all victims : out for revenge and justice).

Throw in a few cliche characters (handsome inspector separated from wife, genius nerd with life-threatening disease, rebellious teenager who will solve the murder himself), the obligatory sex scenes and a couple of red herrings, and you are all set for a very predictable storyline.

Finally, if you hope for a big reveal, you will be disappointed. Never did the author make even half a good case for the character she puts forward as the main suspect, but the real murderer is even less believable or their motivations.

Not recommended.

[Pam Coll · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am tempted to just say one word: "garbage". But there are some redeeming features. It's chiefly the characters that are badly portrayed. The main character is an unsympathetic and contradictory woman who is a judge, but shows scatty and unintelligent reactions to most events, she is an emotional mess. Her sister is equally beyond redemption. Her husband is an ogre. The teenage nephew is unconvincing. The cops have greater credibility. The plot plays out well enough after a tedious beginning and there's enough unpleasantness to make you never want to open a crime novel again. Would never read anything else by this author.

[Anthony L · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know that this is a bad writer trying to churn out a book with lots of trivia to fill up the pages when right at the first page she has the main character fussing about her desk and her chair.
Don't bother wasting your time with the book.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!!! What a Great Author to come up with a story you don't want to put down till your done... In real life you know things like this really happen and so glad this turned out GOOD... In a way that is!!!

[Brandon Conner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. It had a good plot, good twists, and accurate details. The characters were enjoyable. There were some light moments, and also some heartwarming moments. I highly enjoyed it.

[Lissa Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! A great legal thriller that takes you on a wild ride with lots of twists and turns

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish this book, everything on it was bad.

[Christa Ruhnke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. I was hooked and suprised all the way through. Family, relationships, trust, betrayal, etc.

[Lynn Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with a surprise ending. Really enjoyed it.

[Susan Sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

Paperback

Jesus I'm glad that's over

[Sonia Serafini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molto bello

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring!!!

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good gritty read .

[Stephen Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 stars rounded up to 4)

[Federica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bellissimo, super intrigante e coinvolgente, con una scrittura comunque molto scorrevole.

[Elisa Vangelisti · Rating 1 out of 5]

il patrigno che fa mangiare al ragazzino un vassoio di alluminio? troppo orribile per me. peccato, mi stava piacendo.

[Lewis Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of made me think along the lines of a "two" part episode of "Law & Order". Kind of long, and sorta complicated, but an okay read.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grade A++. Pub: 1993. Judge, homicide detective, murder. Judge Lara good character.

[Gene Steinbacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters in this book didn't seem very intelligent. Police officers telling Lara, the judge (and main character) details on an ongoing investigation telling her not to share the information. Then she proceeds to share the information with others, causing even more troubles. The author did keep me guessing on who the villian was.

[Steen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lara Sanderstone is a Judge, whose life takes an unexpected twist when she finds herself having to take care of her nephew, Josh, after her sister Ivory and her sisters husband turns up dead. The last few years her sister Ivory had denied Lara any contact with her nephew so when he has to move in with her since she is the only family he has left, tensions rise.

Lara is determined to find out who killed her sister but as little bits of the pieces come together her suspicions are cast on everyone around her. With the help of a cop Sergeant Ted Rickerson, Josh and a good friend Emmet they track down the person behind the murder.

This is the first book that I have ever ready by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg. I actually have never heard of her until a coworker mentioned her and then lent me this book. I was pretty much sucked into the story right from the beginning. I was a little shocked when her sister and her brother-in-law were murdered because somehow I missed that bit of information from the back of the book. I mean not really sure what I expected the big crime to be but you know, still unexpected, although not a spoiler for anyone reading this review. :)

This book kept me guessing pretty well until the end. I did manage to pin down who was responsible and how others were connected to the crimes though. But even so I still wasn't sure who was responsible until we were able to start eliminating the suspects.

The characters are like-able. Josh acts like you would expect a teenager to act having gone through what he has. You really feel hatred for the characters you are supposed to hate because they are, well, jerks! Those that you are supposed to suspect you are constantly jumping back and forth believing that you know for sure that you have it right this time because of a new bit of information Lara and Rickerson discover.

I do have one problem with the end though because it just doesn't make sense. Basically how the people that committed the crime are actually connected to the murder victims. If you want to know exactly what I mean read the spoiler but for me to say anymore would give away something. Okay so Ivory was a prostitute who specialized in bondage and S and M stuff. Her and her slimy husband had acquired photos of a pedophile and where black mailing him. I'm assuming the got these photos because he was a client of hers. This to me doesn't make sense at all. At the end when we get a glimpse of the pedophile's mind he says that he has no interest in women or men just young males. Sooooo how are they connected then? What possible reason would he go see her for? Even if he pretended she was a young male she isn't? I don't think those types of photos would just be casually laying around anywhere but in his lair. Unless of course maybe the pedo's wife was the client and they got the photos that way. hmmm. Either way though it just seems really thin. Maybe I am being just to picky on that part but it stood out to me and sort of really bugs me.

There was really awesome part that I was giving an imaginary high five to since I can only describe it as an epic save. This to is a spoiler so read on if you want to be spoiled. Emmet despite suffering from MLS manages to follow the pedo when Josh meets up with him and single-handedly rescues him from certain death! I mean because he is unable to really walk he drags his body to the second floor knocks on the apartment and when the pedo (I forget his name) opens it he attacks him with......a lid from a can of food! Emmet startles him enough that Josh is able to tackle him to the ground and knock him unconscious, then the two of them sit on him while a neighbour calls the police. So awesome. I mean Emmet used some mad Macgyver skills there for sure! I am sad to say that I suspected Emmet at one point, even going so far as to believe that he was faking his illness. I know so horrible of me. I'm glad that I was wrong! :(

All in all a really good read! I will check out more of her stuff for sure!

[Legolas Devildog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another huge hit in the legal thriller area. I love the knowledge that Nancy Taylor Rosenberg shows when she writes a book. You can see the truth in the legal scenes and how they play out. More then once you will sigh and wonder why the system is the way it is sometimes but you know that is how it is because we have seen it at work. Judge Sandstone (Lara) has to take her nephew in when her Sister and Brother in Law are murdered and because she was estranged for years it is a huge adjustment. Aside from that is the fact that there is a Murder close to home and she wants to see it solved. Throw in some danger and drug related crimes and you have an intense book which keeps you on the edge of the chair while reading.

For me there were a few plot points I found a little bit weak which is why 4 bows not 5, but the points were not enough to keep the book from being a winner.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

i found this book interesting for two reasons--the fact that it was about a single woman who is a judge in california, and second for the outrageous plot twists and turns that it takes. the lifestyle of judge lara sanderstone is far removed from that of her sister Ivory. There is some drivel about how beautiful Ivory is, and how she was expected to become a Hollywood actress, despite the fact that she seems to have a mental defect. the parts where the orphaned nephew is interacting with a young man with ALS are interesting. Twice it is mentioned that Lara is of Native American ancestry, but that doesn't enter into the story. Again, plot twists so that maybe the person you think is the villain, isn't.

[Cara Byrne]

A gripping page turner from the beginning. Easy to read, not too technical (always a thumbs up from me!) and not too far fetched. Judge Lara Sanderstone hears her sister has been brutally murdered. She finds she is having to cope with her fourteen year old nephew who might be linked to the murder. Then, Lara is accused of impropriety and social services try to take her nephew away. When the investigation uncovers shocking facts about her sister's life, Lara realises that she may have been the intended target.

[Doingitrightdj · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the exception of a slow start, INTEREST OF JUSTICE is a good mystery with some redemption and a surprise ending. The book cover on the book that I read is different from the one in the photo, but the author and title are the same.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was my first book by this author. I am surprised that it didn't get a better rating...I really enjoyed it and was ready to read another as soon as I finished. This book (author) is one of the most enjoyable I have read...perhaps I won't be as impressed with some of her other books.

[Cheryl Galmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read by this author. She has a good handle on the judicial system and the books always leave you on the edge of your chair with the twists and turns. Just when you think you have figured out who did it, something changes.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gripping book from beginning to end, where the courtroom drama was as much a thrill as the mystery itself. Highly recommended. content warning: there's explicit language, violence and sex in this book.