Terminal Justice

by Lyle Howard

What would you do, if you only had three months left to live?
And, what if all of your money had gone to pay your medical treatment? And you had nothing to leave for your loved ones?
Think about it. . .what would you do?

Now, a mysterious stranger has approached you with an intriguing offer. . .

Four million dollars will be inherited by your family, upon your death, if you will strap plastic explosives around your waist, and blow yourself to bits, along with someone who has just been acquitted of a heinous crime.

Would you do it?
You're going to die anyway.
Think about it . . .
Most terminally ill patients, spend their last days and hours sharing that most precious of time with their family and friends.

In Lyle Howard's new pulse-pounding thriller, TERMINAL JUSTICE, terminally ill patients spend their last few hours tracking down murderers and felons who have walked free on technicalities or horrible miscarriages of justice. Then, the patients become violent avengers - killing the murderers in explosive suicide bombings.

A mafia kingpin, a homicidal televangelist, and a handful of others. . .none of these acquitted transgressors are safe from the explosive retribution of the evil mastermind behind this brand of terminal justice!

When Gabe Mitchell, an ex-police detective, who himself has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, is enlisted by the mysterious organization responsible for the suicide bombings, he will have to chose pulling the trigger on his own suicide bomb, or risking everything to expose the deadly conspiracy.

Genres: Thriller, Amazon, Suspense

376 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 24, 2013

About the author

Lyle Howard was born and raised in South Florida. Married to his wife Riva, Mr. Howard has always been an avid writer. "As long as I can remember, writing fiction has always been my creative outlet."

Lyle Howard first hit the literary scene with his first published novel "Mr. Sandman" in 1995. In the nineteen years since, he has been teaching journalism classes to aspiring young writers.

"I don't look at the world the way others do." It's this perspective on life that makes Mr. Howard's novels unique and thought provoking. "I look forward to getting back into professional writing."

So don't think that Mr. Howard has ever stopped writing during his teaching hiatus. He has eight more novels waiting for editing, so his fans can look forward to more excitement and tension for a while to come.

In his free time, Mr. Howard loves to walk the beach with his wife and hit the links with his golf buddies.

He hopes his readers will also post their reviews to the Terminal Justice page on Amazon.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so fortunate to be able to download a free copy of "Terminal Justice: by Lyle Howard to read on my Kindle, in exchange for an honest review. What an amazing author!

The author takes the concept of "The days of an eye for an eye have long since gone", to a new level. What would you do, if you were dying and all your money had been spent on medical treatment, with nothing to leave to your family? But then a stranger approaches you with a offer to be recruited for a suicide mission, in exchange for four million dollars to be inherited by your family, upon your death, and the death of a criminal, who walked away free on a technicality.

This was a crusade against injustice in the legal world. The legal system wasn't working anymore. The guilty were being protected by loopholes, and getting out. Someone had to stop them!

Gabe Mitchell, an ex-police detective, diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, is recruited by the mysterious organization responsible for the suicide bombings, and will have to follow through with the suicide bomb, or expose the deadly conspiracy.

Terminal Justice is a character driven story, and a fast-paced mystery and suspense crime thriller, that won't let go of you till you read the last word. Can't wait for the next book.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the plot is totally out there, I did enjoy this book. It actually started quite slowly and I thought it was going to be awful but it got much better pretty quickly.

Someone is setting up terminally ill people to blow themselves up alongside a prominent person who has apparently escaped justice for horrible crimes. The payoff for them is $4 million for their families. Unfortunately these explosions also take a lot of innocent lives.

but when the shadowy puppet master targeted Detective Gabe Mitchell they picked the wrong man. And that is all I'm prepared to say about the plot, I don't want to spoil your enjoyment. Needless to say, Gabe get himself into all sorts of trouble. Can he, with his motley band of helpers, thwart a ruthless madman's plans? It sounds insane and it kind of was, but it was also a bit of fun and a riveting read.

[Lisa Eirene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The topic interested me and awhile ago I thought of the idea and wondered why no one made a book/movie out of the concept. There were things that annoyed me about this book--the writer needs to work on dialogue. It was often cheesy and/or there was overuse of exclamation points. There were parts that felt clique and silly but I liked the book so much and kept wanting to read it.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heart-pounding action in this fast-paced thriller drew me into the story and didn’t let go. The twists and turns were unpredictable and, except for a few skirmishes that demanded a temporary suspension of disbelief, the storyline maintained my interest till the end.

[Joseph - Relax And Read Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of the author Lyle Howard, until I came across his fast-paced thriller 'Terminal Justice'. After reading it, all I can say is Wow!! This book kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

The concept behind this thriller is quite singular and original and I have never read anything else that is remotely similar.

A mysterious company is tracking down terminally ill persons, who have spent all their money on unsuccessful medical treatments. It offers them millions of dollars to be left as inheritance for their families once they end their lives in a suicide attack.

The company secretly provides these persons with explosives and leads and directs them to their designated victims. The victims are usually criminals who have got away with murder due to some technicality. So this company's primary aim is revenge.

Gabe Mitchell, a police detective, begins to suffer from frequent bouts of sickness and disorientation. Unfortunately he is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and is told that he has only a few months to live.

During his stay in hospital, Gabe is approached and offered 4 million dollars to be inherited by his son, in return for carrying out a suicide mission on their behalf and kill a very prominent person who has been acquitted of murder. With nothing else but his son's welfare in mind, Gabe is intrigued by this offer, but which road will he take: go on with the mission and guarantee his son's future, or expose this terrorist cell and lose everything...but 4 million dollars are quite a lump, how can he refuse? He's gonna die, anyway.

'Terminal Justice' is a brilliant, action-packed thriller, full of dramatic explosive scenes, believable characters and dialogue.The twists and turns take place throughout the whole book up till the very last sentence. Highly recommended!!

[Na'ama Yehuda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story, overall engaging, but careful editing would have helped.

I enjoyed the storyline and characters but should note that the author would have done better with some more editing for content, consistency, timeline and characters...
More editing would have helped very cut out the over-flowery sentences about destinies, probabilities, and triumvirates... Which kind of distracted from the scenes and story.
But more importantly it would have caught the errors in the story to make sure that characters that die in the first chapters do not somehow continue to run their business as if nothing happened...much later in the story... And would ensure timelines made sense (something that just happened in the story is then reported as if it had happened years earlier), and that descriptions made sense in basic scientific proportion (if a force evaporates a vessel and boils all the fish in a radius of 500 feet, the very air right above the water in that radius would do the same to anything in that range..., not to mention the water itself be boiling).
The book is still an enjoyable read, but I did find myself wishing quite a few times that the author had done a bit more preparation--with some edits and corrections I think that the story could be a lot more engaging and believable.
I would gladly revise the review to reflect an updated edition if it happens.

[Michael S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best FREE ebook I've read yet!

Most free ebooks I've downloaded were hard to finish. They just weren't good enough to even keep me reading. (Not counting free classics) But this book is different.

This is a very fast paced, suspenseful story with an instantly intriguing plot scenario that grabbed me from the start.

Is the book perfect? no.

Does it have editing mistakes? yes.

Is it filled with beautiful, sophisticated prose? no.

Are the characters a little one dimensional? sure

But it's FREE!! This is a highly enjoyable and exciting story definitely worth reading. It makes me think of a really good extended episode of CSI or some similar tv show. It would actually make a decent movie.

Did I mention that it's FREE?!

[Mick Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely a brilliant book, kept me hooked from the very first page to the last, and the ending is one of the best I have ever read, did not see it coming and when I did I just had to laugh in relief when I realized what was happening, Lyle Howard you are the reason I love to read books, and I will be eagerly waiting your next novel, but don't keep me waiting to long, I would recommend this great book to anyone who likes a good thriller, this one will not let you down, am still thinking about the brilliant ending, my only problem now is picking my next book to read, as after this one it will be a tough act to follow.

[Janeandjerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book through READING DEALS so I could give an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book even though it was kind of hard to stay with at times but once I got into it I started enjoying it more. The characters were very interesting and made you feel for them.
I really like the description of this book and hopefully you will too...my rating is a 3.5 star since I liked it but I might've given it a 4 if I wasn't so distracted with other things...

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have debated the issue for days, how “honest” this review should be…

First of all, let me make it perfectly clear: I decided to give Terminal Justice a read because I found the premise intriguing. And it is. Furthermore, the overall storyline is rather well-developed, the plot twists brilliant.

Unfortunately, my praise ends there.

Terminal Justice is in need of a serious edit, on several fronts. But the biggest “problem” would be the author’s overuse of – and seemingly random, improper placement of – punctuation. In particular, commas. The commas were so jarringly scattered that quite often I would find myself having to reread the sentence, ignoring punctuation altogether, just to make sense of what I had just read. Perhaps it is just how my own internal voice “reads,” but it was a rather unpleasant experience, enough so that I would often set the book aside for a much-needed breather.

And then, ironically, the obviously missing commas. Quite often to be found in the same paragraph!

The other typo-type errors (missing words, incorrect homonyms) I could easily overlook, as these are to be found in even the professionally edited. Distracting speed bumps, as opposed to brick walls.

Terminal Justice would also benefit from a serious content editor, one who might address issues such as the following:

1. In some passages, it was quite literally metaphor after metaphor after metaphor. Other times, it was a dry, unispired blow-by-blow. He did… He said… He then… It was as if the author at times got stuck in a rut with one extreme or the other. A good once over, reworking from both ends of the spectrum to ensure variance of both style and sentence structure, would greatly enhance the reading experience.
2. If you’re going to run with the flat, one-dimensional tropes, at least stay consistent. The random character flips are as jarring as the commas, unless they were intended as character development, in which case it was just a complete miss. For example, Shayla is supposed to be a stone-faced, cold-blooded psychopath… What was with the catty slut interlude? And why would Gabe go from an almost reverent subservience to cynical derision with regards to Mayor Waxman, all in a matter of two / three days and without any explanation?
3. What thirteen-year-old (Dylan) befriends a child of seven (Casey), and what was the purpose of writing his character directly into the story anyways? I kept waiting for either the delinquent or the relationship to come back into the picture, having been introduced for some reason…

Overall, Terminal Justice was an incredibly frustrating read. I wanted so much to be able to relax into the refreshingly innovative story, only to find myself time and again jarred out of the narrative by poor editing. Were it not for a message from Lyle Howard himself, I would have abandoned the read entirely, well before reaching the midpoint. But as the author took the time to encourage a review, I made the effort both to finish the book and compose this review.

Kudos to Mr. Howard for a great start, I hope to one day read the finished product!

[Philip Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although a few highly improbable scenarios, but that is what fiction is all about, this is an attention grabbing book keeping the pages turning way past my bedtime. The concept is genuinely unique and callous while at the same time effective except for the extensive “collateral damage”. It reads as if it were a short step away from a terrorist plot using the seemingly inevitable migration of suicide bombers from Middle East to Middle America. The main character being a detective or ex-detective as the story goes, manages to use his police training to his advantage even against overwhelming odds. Kick ass action all the way and while I never try to figure out the ending (that’s why I read the book to the end) this book ends in a complete surprise though I am sure many readers will see it coming, but for myself each page was too intense for me to think that far ahead. Five stars at least.

[Gina Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very captivating thriller. Issac Berger is a police detective the gets caught up in a madman's plot unwittingly. When Issac begins to exhibit concerning health problems that threaten his career at first he ignores them, until they manifest enough to interfere enough that his boss cannot look the other way. Now finding himself in a dire position he is approached with an offer he can't refuse. Around the same time there is a rash of suicide bombers, but what is the connection? This book has exceptional writing and characters and is very hard not to put down. This was my first book from this author but it won't be my last.
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Carol-Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story grips you from the start and does not let up at all. It is fast paced, exciting and draws you into each page. Betrayal, justice, murder and mayhem prevail. What would you do to make sure that your loved ones will be financially secure if you are dying? This is one man's story of just this. A book well worth reading. The only reason this book did not get a 5 star rating is because of the grammar and other errors in the book. I would suggest a re-edit and a thorough proof reading, which will make it superb!

[Margaret Standafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the book's premise—terminally ill people being hired to carry out executions of criminals who have managed to go free after manipulating the criminal justice system. The exorbitant sum promised for fulfilling their end of the deal is just too good to pass up for those faced with their impending deaths and with wondering how to provide for their families.

The book is full of twists and turns, at times a bit difficult to follow, but always compelling. I loved the ending!

[David Huelsmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabe Mitchell is dying and has been offered $4,000,000 to leave for his young sun if he would just die early while killing a man with an explosive belt who was acquitted in the killing of the man's wife . The organization that made the offer is attempting to right the wrong of a man getting away with murder. Might have been almost OK depending upon where your moral compass points. You will have to read this book to get the rest!

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it

I really liked the plot of this story. It had mystery and a little action. I especially liked Bennett. That was a great character. The only thing I would have changed was a little added to the ending. Spoiler*****
I would've liked to have seen Gabe reunited with his son.

[Anthony Boland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but inconsistent

Story was action packed but timeline too confusing. story would have been better served by not using dates. Also, characters were contradicted. One moment a character is dead and later he's not. One relationship was a week old then it was several weeks. it was a good story but needs some tweeking. Recommend reading if you can overlook inconsistencies.

[Jacob Peled · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just one of those action and violent stories that to you know ahead of time what is going to happen. No surprises on any twist and turn. Feels like you read that book many times over. Half way through the book you already know how it will end.
It is obvious that the author was influenced by all those Islamic terrorist using explosive belts in there suicide missions.

[michael waks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced mix of crime and horror that will keep you reading! Lots of fun

Just read terminal justice and enjoyed the mix of genres - lots of funny old time gangster slang, police routines, plus super villain and horror. Readers will not be bored by lyle’s fast moving, jaunty style!!

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a quick and engaging eBook read. Another compelling book by Lyle Howard. Fabulous imagination visiting the justice meted out by those terminally ill; just as the title implies. I look forward to his next thought provoking thriller. Super author!

[Cindi Cramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Terminal Justice, and I can't recommend it enough. Lyle Howard is such an amazing writer and visionary. The only problem I have is that I so thoroughly enjoyed this thriller that I read it too fast. When is the next one? Mr. Howard? :)

[Tara Pridy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was great, sort of Dexter-ish. The characters were also interesting. The typos, grammar, antagonist, and dialogue need some fine-tuning. Words like "loose" for "lose" are distracting to readers. The ending was intriguing.

[Annette Jaramillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Enjoyable

I stumbled onto this book by accident. It was definitely well worth it. I was drawn to the concept and the plot. Some parts are very predictable but overall you find yourself rooting for the good guy. It was a very fast read.

[Fernanda Nieber · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband & I both read Terminal Justice by Lyle Howard. We enjoyed it immensely. Every night when we came home from work we couldn't wait to find out what happened next! I highly recommend this book.

[Greg Schott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great concept but finishes a little too much like a crime series on TV or an action movie. You will have to ignore a lot of grammatical errors. Overall a good worthwhile read that really challenges you to think about what you would do if you were faced with a similar situation.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa! What an incredible story! The ending had me shouting for joy! I grew to admire Gabe Mitchell throughout this book, and yet respecting August Bock's mission, albeit things certainly got out of hand. If you are ready for a wild ride, hang on--this is your book!

[Carol Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story

Wow what a story with lots of innocent deaths Gabe Mitchell a real hero who continued to be the best cop. Meeting Chase at a low point in his life was the demonstration of a real friendship will look for more books by this author. Great book

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an audio book I got for free.

The story had a nice pace but was rather predictable. The guy that was reading the book was a little dry at times like he was reading the news, but all in all it was a fun book.

[Marbea Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal, Heartfelt, Intense and Beautifully constructed writing! This author gave the best conclusion to a story I've ever read that although I should've been sad, I jumped up with a WOOHOO for Chase!👐✈🙏

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a MUST! Loved it, can't wait for the next one...