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Cry Me a River
Vietnam war hero Luke Ballard thought his miserable childhood, ridiculed as a bastard in a small Alabama town, was behind him. Then his beloved mother, with her dying breath, reveals how she was raped by three men the night he was conceived, and he secretly vows to avenge her.
Luke runs for town sheriff and wins. It's the 60's, and his sights are not only on debasing the monsters who violated his mother, but he must confront corruption, gambling, prostitution and the KKK, rendering his own brand of justice.
Along the way, Luke meets Emma Jean, the much-abused wife of his old high-school nemesis, and falls in love.
As secret, passionate rendezvous and deadly determination turn into a maelstrom of retribution, Luke and Emma must unravel the truth to create their own final justice.
Original title: Cry Me a River
Rereleased as Final Justice
Luke runs for town sheriff and wins. It's the 60's, and his sights are not only on debasing the monsters who violated his mother, but he must confront corruption, gambling, prostitution and the KKK, rendering his own brand of justice.
Along the way, Luke meets Emma Jean, the much-abused wife of his old high-school nemesis, and falls in love.
As secret, passionate rendezvous and deadly determination turn into a maelstrom of retribution, Luke and Emma must unravel the truth to create their own final justice.
Original title: Cry Me a River
Rereleased as Final Justice
331 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
66 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Hagan
45 books60 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: Patricia Hagan
Pat is the published author of over forty books of romantic fiction. Several of her titles have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list. One of her books, "Ocean of Dreams", is based on her own shipboard romance when she met her former husband, a Norwegian engineer.
She is also a former Radio/TV Motorsports Journalist, covering NASCAR Grand National Stock Car Racing. Her work has won many awards by the National Motorsports Press Association.
Pat has cruised the eastern and western Caribbean extensively, as well as the Greek Islands, the fjords of Norway all the way to the North Cape, and has made several transatlantic crossings.
She prefers traveling single, because it gives her more opportunities to meet and make new friends. While she admits going solo is not for everyone, she says for her it is perfect, because she is an outgoing person, and, being a writer, enjoys meeting new "characters."
The only thing she does not like about traveling is having to leave behind her best friend and companion, Krysy, a 14-year old Wire-haired fox terrier.
The author also uses the names:
Patricia Hagan Howell
Maggie James (4 spaces)
Please see: Patricia Hagan
Pat is the published author of over forty books of romantic fiction. Several of her titles have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list. One of her books, "Ocean of Dreams", is based on her own shipboard romance when she met her former husband, a Norwegian engineer.
She is also a former Radio/TV Motorsports Journalist, covering NASCAR Grand National Stock Car Racing. Her work has won many awards by the National Motorsports Press Association.
Pat has cruised the eastern and western Caribbean extensively, as well as the Greek Islands, the fjords of Norway all the way to the North Cape, and has made several transatlantic crossings.
She prefers traveling single, because it gives her more opportunities to meet and make new friends. While she admits going solo is not for everyone, she says for her it is perfect, because she is an outgoing person, and, being a writer, enjoys meeting new "characters."
The only thing she does not like about traveling is having to leave behind her best friend and companion, Krysy, a 14-year old Wire-haired fox terrier.
The author also uses the names:
Patricia Hagan Howell
Maggie James (4 spaces)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 9, 2021
Luke Ballard was raised in a small town in Alabama without a father and everyone not so kindly reminded him of it all the time. When his mom was dying she did reveal how she became pregnant and Luke was set on revenge through unconventional justice. Luke becomes the Sheriff of his small town and tries to clean up the riff raff while working on plans of his own revenge.
Emma Jean married a man to get away from her family. Unfortunately he is not a kind man and makes her life a living hell. Both Luke and Emma Jean are trapped in loveless marriages. They end up befriending each other and falling in love. Which of course sets a lot of things in their lives in motion and the rest of the story is action packed.
This story was a little dark and has a lot of evil people and evil deeds in it. The story time jumped, most of the time it was labeled. Time jumps like this make it a little harder for me to read but I did finish the book. I did want to know what happened with Luke. I did keep waiting for Luke to reveal his secret to someone even to the people he was after but he never did. I had a hard time fully liking Luke because he seemed like he was a good guy but sometimes he went a little bit crazy with his plans and went across a line. There was vivid written detail in the book.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own
Emma Jean married a man to get away from her family. Unfortunately he is not a kind man and makes her life a living hell. Both Luke and Emma Jean are trapped in loveless marriages. They end up befriending each other and falling in love. Which of course sets a lot of things in their lives in motion and the rest of the story is action packed.
This story was a little dark and has a lot of evil people and evil deeds in it. The story time jumped, most of the time it was labeled. Time jumps like this make it a little harder for me to read but I did finish the book. I did want to know what happened with Luke. I did keep waiting for Luke to reveal his secret to someone even to the people he was after but he never did. I had a hard time fully liking Luke because he seemed like he was a good guy but sometimes he went a little bit crazy with his plans and went across a line. There was vivid written detail in the book.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own
March 15, 2021
On the heavy side .... but worthy read!
Sheriff Ballard left his hometown to escape from his family roots and his past, which nobody seems to want to forget. Now a Vietnam War hero, his lust for revenge brings him back to his little hometown. Luke believes that this is just a temporarily return but soon he realises that his wish to avenge past mistakes might endangers his future.
Very long and slowly paced book, which means that the plot unravelled also very slowly. Generally speaking I don’t have a special preference regarding the tempo of books as long as this is in harmony with the storyline and generates reading pleasure. However, exactly this was my issue: there were so many details offered that I sometimes had the impression I got lost in them and that these distracted from the plot instead of offering depth to it. Generally speaking, initially I had some difficulties to get used to the style and atmosphere of the book. Especially because it seemed that all subcharacters in this little town were “devious” and had more than one skeleton in their closet. However, as soon as I overcame these difficulties Luke’s and Emma Jean’s story gripped me and kept me riveted until the end of the book.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
Sheriff Ballard left his hometown to escape from his family roots and his past, which nobody seems to want to forget. Now a Vietnam War hero, his lust for revenge brings him back to his little hometown. Luke believes that this is just a temporarily return but soon he realises that his wish to avenge past mistakes might endangers his future.
Very long and slowly paced book, which means that the plot unravelled also very slowly. Generally speaking I don’t have a special preference regarding the tempo of books as long as this is in harmony with the storyline and generates reading pleasure. However, exactly this was my issue: there were so many details offered that I sometimes had the impression I got lost in them and that these distracted from the plot instead of offering depth to it. Generally speaking, initially I had some difficulties to get used to the style and atmosphere of the book. Especially because it seemed that all subcharacters in this little town were “devious” and had more than one skeleton in their closet. However, as soon as I overcame these difficulties Luke’s and Emma Jean’s story gripped me and kept me riveted until the end of the book.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
Read
June 9, 2020CRY ME A RIVER is one of those books, you finish and call all your friends to tell them to read it. It's got everything, a sheriff out for justice in a small southern town where the secrets aren't buried deep enough. They lie just below the surface, seething, and hot, ready for the spark that will set them afire.
Sheriff Luke Ballard is the man with the match. He's just man, loyal to his constituents, patience as they come, and willing to go to creative lengths to avenge his mother's death. He uncovers the secrets, lies, clandestine lovers, and with this knowledge exacts justice for himself and those in the 1960's who are preyed upon by those in power.
Cast with people who are loyal, but pitted against those who wear a facade of respectability, CRY ME A RIVER will have you turning the pages from night into day and into night again. As relevant today as it was in the past, this is story worth your time.
If you only read one book this year, CRY ME A RIVER should be it.
Sheriff Luke Ballard is the man with the match. He's just man, loyal to his constituents, patience as they come, and willing to go to creative lengths to avenge his mother's death. He uncovers the secrets, lies, clandestine lovers, and with this knowledge exacts justice for himself and those in the 1960's who are preyed upon by those in power.
Cast with people who are loyal, but pitted against those who wear a facade of respectability, CRY ME A RIVER will have you turning the pages from night into day and into night again. As relevant today as it was in the past, this is story worth your time.
If you only read one book this year, CRY ME A RIVER should be it.
November 13, 2021
Same stuff. Love making.
August 10, 2014
WOW! WHAT A SURPRISE NOT WHAT I EXPECTED, THIS WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD. I LOVE READING ABOUT LIFE IN A SMALL TOWN, ESPECIALLY A SOUTHERN ONE. THIS REMINDED ME OF PEYTON PLACE MEETS WALLING TALL. TAKES PLACE BACK IN THE 60's IN HAMPTON, ALABAMA, A SMALL RURAL TOWN FILLED WITH MORE THAN YOU'D EVER FIND IN BIG CITY LIFE. IT HAS FORBIDDEN LOVE/LUST, RAPE, MURDER, RACISM, RELIGIOUS FANATICS, CORRUPTION SECRETS, LIES, SEX, ABUSE, RETRIBRIUTION AND A WHOLE LOT MORE. I MEAN THIS PLACE IS UNBELIEVABLY, BELIEVABLE THIS TAKES PLACE PRIOR TO REALITY TV AND JERRY SPRINGER WERE EVER THOUGHT ABOUT. THIS WAS WHEN PEOPLE STILL HAD A PARTY LINE(I remember those days) YOU COULD LISTEN IN ON YOUR NEIGHBORS PHONE COVERSATIONS CAUSE WHOLE STREETS WERE ALL CONNECTED. LOL WHAT A HOOT! THIS WAS GREAT, I'M GONNA CHECK OUT SOME MORE OF MS. HAGAN'S BOOKS SHE CAN REALLY WRITE, LOVED THE STORY LINE. ;D
April 3, 2013
tLuke Ballard is back in Hampton, Alabama. The year is 1969. Thirty years ealier his mom was raped and nine months later he was born.
When his mom reveals her secret before giving up her soul, Luke decides to stay in town and get his revenge.
The opening to the sheriff's job is just what he needs to exert his pay-back.
From the start, the writing is good, the plot enthralling and the characters reveal themselves scene after scene.
A good read.
When his mom reveals her secret before giving up her soul, Luke decides to stay in town and get his revenge.
The opening to the sheriff's job is just what he needs to exert his pay-back.
From the start, the writing is good, the plot enthralling and the characters reveal themselves scene after scene.
A good read.
August 3, 2016
I really couldn't get into this. Looking at the cover and synopsis, I thought that this would be a sexy read. It wasn't. Sure, there's a little romance here and there, but seeing a half dressed hot guy on the cover, usually sends a message that the book is sexy. It wasn't. The plot seems thick, but it jumps all over between characters that I found it hard to keep my interest. If you're looking for mystery, this has it. If you're looking for sexy, it doesn't. Don't let this cover mislead you.
June 28, 2013
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. The opening chapter introduced me to a sheriff who was running around on his wife and dishing out his own form of justice. But I'm glad I kept at it for another couple of chapters. This book is definitely a "things ain't as they seem" book and I enjoyed it immensely.
March 24, 2013
I did like this book. It had a good story line. But for me there was just something missing. I couldn't picture the characters. Maybe it wasn't descriptive enough for me. I'm not sure what it was, but like I said the story itself was a good one.
December 20, 2014
I think everyone in the book was cheating on everyone.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews