Alternate cover edition for ASIN B07CSNFCM2 For other cover editions go here and here
One of LA’s most powerful men is charged with murder, and criminal attorney Brad Madison is called to defend him.
But murder is only the start of their problems…
In this first instalment of the Brad Madison novel series, Madison finds himself defending Patrick Strickland against a mounting evidence base. Despite Strickland claiming he has no criminal connections, there are clear signs his involvement in organized crime runs deep.
When the case receives national attention, the underbelly of power in LA is thrown into the limelight. Madison fights desperately to find the one piece of evidence that will prove his client’s innocence.
But where’s there’s power, there’s danger. The further Madison digs for the truth, the more he puts his life at risk.
In a case full of twists and turns, Madison confronts one of the most difficult challenges of his career.
Will justice triumph?
Or will the power of LA’s dark forces send Madison to an early grave?
JJ Miller's "Force of Justice" is an Amazon bestseller (Pulp Thrillers). JJ aims to write the kind of thrillers he likes to read: ones that grab you by the collar from page one and never let go. He lives with his wife and three kids, and two cats.
Force of Justice grabbed me from the very first page and I was positive I was going to be leaving a five-star review. That made it especially sad for me when things changed. One thing I reeeally dislike is when a character gets the absolute crap beat out of him/her, and then a day or two later they're fine! This book also needed much better editing.
On the positive side, I liked the courtroom parts, and really like the twist at the end!
I guess you should take this review with a grain of salt. The book has received a lot of fabulous reviews but it just wasn't for me.
Be prepared to read to the finish with no stopping along the way. Brad Madison, attorney, has a heck of a battle on his hands defending his client, Patrick Strickland, Hollywood movie mogul. Everything looks dim for Patrick until the very end when a certain person is discovered to have been key in the events. The real catch comes on the final page when someone's true identity is discovered. I leave it to you to read this book and make that discovery for yourself!! You'll love it if you enjoy a good thriller with a twist.
Not horrible, but not good. At best, mediocre. Watch the movie Legal Eagles and be better entertained. I felt something for the main character when he gave up on his marriage, and when a defense witness turned hostile at trial. The grammar mechanics were good, but character and story development were weak. The book had possibilities which I hope the author develops in his next books. He has the talent to do so.
A story that is basically gossip about the subject of pedophilia in Hollywood. Lots of side stories that are not part of the plot itself. Already at the beginning of the book we encounter a long description of the wife and daughter of the main character of the book, which contributes nothing to the plot itself. There are also illogical developments, which try to add a romantic touch. This is far from
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in legal thrillers as this book was good from the beginning to the end with no shortage of twists and turns. I'm a new fan and will be reading the entire series.
This was a great book I have it a 5 stars for all the twists and turns. It kept you guessing On the ending will send you far a look loved it.Get the book.
Attorney Brad Madison defends a Hollywood bigwig against a charge of murdering a young actor. Pediophilia, child star exploitation, drug abuse, PTSD are all touched on, not always convincingly.
One problem with this book is I wasn’t sure of the author’s point of view towards some of his characters. For example, was he defending or condemning the dead actor’s adoptive parents. He seemed to defend them, but the prosecution made a good case against the way they behaved. Brad’s putting the adoptive father on the stand and then feeling shocked at how he was treated by the prosecution just didn’t make sense. And I wasn’t clear on the author’s feelings about his lead protagonist. I think a more skillful author could have done more with these ambiguities.
My general conclusion: Not always believable courtroom scenes and lots of superficial characters, but some good twists and an interesting if not always persuasive plot.
Good plot, fairly entertaining characters and a gripping pace; however, as far as I'm concerned, this is not a legal thriller. Being an avid legal reader (Grisham, Connelly, Dugoni, Pratt, Martini, Margolin, to name a few), and having just finished the latest Scott Turow book, I must say I’m severely underwhelmed with this book. Sure, its main character is a lawyer, and yeah there are some courtroom scenes. But, and it is a big but, it feels as if the author really has no real idea of how legal proceedings actually work, no grip of what kind of things are and aren’t allowed at trial (rules on hearsay, leading questions, lawyers testifying, fifth amendment rights, addressing the jury on cross-examination, springing surprise witnesses, dealing with hostile ones, etc.) and it really bugged me to keep reading things that no judge would allow in their courtroom. What some may consider minor details, really peeved me because it felt as though the author hadn’t done research and that’s always annoying. Another thing that bothered me, and I’m aware this is fully a personal preference, was the fact that much of the trial was summarized, instead of played out: opening statements, some witness testimony, the rather abrupt end. I always love me some play by play of things but in this case I didn’t get to see it and that’s another strike. Finally, and this may be my own fault for reading too many thrillers, the shocking twist didn’t really come as a shock at all; while I wouldn’t necessarily say I saw It coming from miles away, it was a plausibility the author would end up going that route and that route he went. All in all it was an entertaining read, but not one I terribly enjoyed.
This was entertaining, my first read by this author. I'll probably buy another book by the author, J. J. Miller. Not having read "about the author" notes, I'm not certain whether he writes primarily for a British audience but, based on quite a few British english uses throughout the book, I think he does.
That's probably the reason for 4 stars instead of 5. There were many instances where I had to look things up in order to understand the author's meaning. That's not a very big deal but the author might consider two versions of his books; one for American readers and one for British. (If the author or his editors are interested, I have a couple of pages of things I looked up for clarity.)
Without " casting dispersions" I would suggest hiring ( or firing) an editor. This was an interesting plot, with enough balanced dynamics to keep one wondering. The minute detail of evidence at the eleventh hour, which turns the tide, seemed a bit of deus ex machina. Readers of a lot of court fiction will find the trial scenes very unrealistic, with extensive "testimony" offered by cross examining attorneys, as well as facts not in evidence, and extensive heresay in testimony that is not challenged. The Perry Mason factor is very high, but if that is not bothersome, makes for a good read. The characters and relationships are complex and believable.
I almost never write a review. But this story held me captive from beginning to end and I read it in a day. It’s a relevant topic of discussion and the plot twist at the end was perfect.
On of the few novels where the author didn't include allot of unnecessary verbal babble/ dialog as page fillers. The story keeps the reader from putting down the book and it has some interesting twists.
The author has written a very intriguing story of the deception and under handed thinking that go on in the movie industry. Very enjoyable and entertaining reading.
It would take an ability to suspend disbelief on steroids and a lack of knowledge trial procedure to enjoy this book. Because in some previous case Brad Mason had gotten his client acquitted by exposing the real killer, a major Hollywood producer hired hired him, offering astonishing extravgent fees (mid five-figure retainers fees just to be available prior to being charged). The case goes south, until incredible series of events, followed by a preposterous final chapter.
The courtroom scenes deliver a prosecutor and a defense attorney who appear to have no familiarity with the rules of evidence, and a by-the-book judge whose enforcement is erratic. E.g., the only times an attorney can address a jury is during jury selection, opening statements, and closing argument; but Madison routinely talks directly to the jury about things that in evidence while in the midst of cross-examining witnesses. Having tried 2 dozens of cases to Superior Court cases to verdict, I can say that this would never happen.
I decided to give the author a second chance and started his second. I abandoned afteer about three chapters; Madison, whose marriage was ruined by his PTSD night-time violent reactions after 2 stints in Afganisthan, now takes his daughter to some YouTube convo and a mass shooting breaks out. Madison has six-year old daughter hide, while he goes to try to save the day. He doesn't; others do.
After 3 or so chapters, I gave up.
Also, those who are sensitive to the niceties of diction and punctuation will find reasons to be annoyed.
Just for the summer Abby Jimenez Romance (some but low spice) 2024-36 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️5.0 📚📚 traveling nurse Emma is cursed when it comes to love. Whoever she dates and breaks up with, finds and marries their true love next. She’s curious when a viral Redditt post comes her way of a man (justin) having the same experience. Justin proposes that they date so they can break the curse—as they should now find their true loves next. Encouraged by her best friend Maddie, the girls take their next nursing job in Minneapolis so Emma and Justin can try to break the curse. Neither expects a silly idea will result in each being intricately involved in each others lives. Justin is about to gain guardianship of his 3 siblings. And Maddie’s toxic mother comes back in her life, setting in motion unresolved trauma. Can they break the curse? 📖📖📖 Hands down my new absolute favorite rom-com—with so much more. There is the light, airy, funny, sexy, rom-com and then it hits a true adult love. The discussions of how trauma can impact a person are profound as is the character growth—and in an authentic manner and time period. Absolutely fantastic. ❤️❤️❤️JJ’s last words.always choose empathy.
I enjoyed the Cadence Elliot series by this author so I picked up this book, number one in an earlier collection of cases of another character. The setting for this story in Los Angeles. The background is the movie business. Brad Madison is an attorney who suffers occasional PSD from his time in Afghanistan. His marriage is troubled but he cares deeply for his young daughter. In this story he becomes involved with a wealthy movie producer who is about to be charged with murder.
While I found the story line and setting interesting, I couldn’t warm up to the main character as I did in this author’s other series. Nor did I find the writing as tight. I’ve signed on for more in the series and hope they will be an improvement. I’ll hold back on any recommendations, at least for the time being.
entertaining, riveting and engaging, highly recommend
Wow, the ending truly blew me away. My feelings are so conflicted. I didn’t see that coming but it was so sad. I’m glad those men were exposed bc things like that are happening now to young people in this industry. The twist was explosive 🧨. This’s my first reading this author penmanship and I’m captivated. The suspense was incredible. It very seldom I don’t figure out the culprit. The book have so many monkey wrenches, it throws you off. Everyone I thought was the culprit, wasn’t. This book is well written and the characters are well described and developed. I’m glad the author ended that relationship with Abby, it was just too soon. I think it was just a rebound relationship. So, did Brad get the bonus?
I thought I'd had my fill of Hollywood whodunnits, but you gotta give a guy a chance, right? The story grabs you from the get-go. I felt for Brad right from the beginning, but didn't think it wise to jump into bed with Abby so soon. Thankfully, Brad has a partner, Jack, who I hope to see more of. He sometimes seems to be the only one thinking straight. Lots of unsavory characters, but isn't that Hollywood, after all? Lots of blaming, whining. No real character definition. The end was a sweet surprise, and a victory for Brad. I assume this is part 1 of a series?
This was a good , easy read. Nothing over the top and no real surprises till the last page. The hook was good and the story followed the path that this genre usually takes. I enjoyed the ending .
A lawyer on the up swing financially but with a troubled private life. Get a case that turns his world around and an innocent person is being unjustly prosecuted. Lawyer then gets involved with one of the primary witnesses during this case and must weigh the ethics of his actions against the high of a new relationship. Good work that keeps the reader interested in the final outcome of the story .
In search of something fast yet well-written - this book was presented as one I’d be interested in based on - well you know. The story did keep me interested from the second chapter and I sort of had an idea of how it would turn out - but there were times I wasn’t AS sure. Not too much love story - a little bit heavy on cookie-cutter Hollywood personas (but perhaps it’s the nature of those types) - a very good read that leaves you feeling positive about our justice system and smiling for the good guy.
Book 1 of the Brad Madison legal thriller series by JJ Miller is among the more entertaining "Hollywood" legal thrillers that I've read. It's an easy reading page turner about a likable criminal defense attorney who is asked to represent a movie producer accused of murder. Several dramatic & very unanticipated twists make for a strong finish. There is apparently a pre-series short story that provides some background insight into the main character which I intend to check out before book 2 is published.
This was how I would expect a legal thriller to read. A good story with twists and turns, I couldn't pace myself to read just so much per day as usual, I had to keep at it every chance I had. I really liked the author's style, descriptive and full of content but not overly so and not loaded with filler as some are. The story streamed right along, at each turn I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. It has hooked me for the series. (By the way, no spoilers ever, I don't write book reports. Why do people do that?)
Loved this book and the AUthor, J. John. Miller my . first book by this Author and highly recommend it to every one e who likes a good mystery with a twist at the end. Could not put this book down until I finished it. The more you read the better it keeps getting Highly recommend everyone read this I can hardly wait for my next book from this Author.
Good book. Odd story. Brad is hired to defend a Hollywood producer / director who is being framed for a murder of a main actor who is a young confused boy.
Brad figures out the culprit after a dark dose of sex scandals and under age Hollywood sex parties thrown by some of the elites and his competitors.
Story is odd but to follow how Brad figures out the truth and nails the culprit is interesting.
FORCE OF JUSTICE is a fairly simple whodunnit mystery with a lawyer defending his client, a mega millionaire Hollywood Producer accused of murder. It is a quick easy read but nothing that is memorable or particuarily original. It is enertaining but not anything special. The writer writes well but the plot was kind of a let down. The author is a good writer and has written better books than this one.
Wonderful thriller and a dark and sad picture of the glamorous Hollywood. Everything goes in the search of fame, riches, power. Nothing is sacred in this Mecca. Souls are lost. Murder, betrayal, violence, corruption. There's some hope is justice can shine at the end of the tunnel. Brad Madison, a defense attorney, holds a light in his defense of the innocent on this dirty, evil world
A solid story about some of the worst sins in Hollywood. Several big-name producers were using young boys seeking stardom to satisfy their sexual whims. Eventually, one of the boys is murdered, and everyone starts pointing fingers at legendary producer Patrick Strickland. The evidence points squarely to him. Motive, opportunity, etc. Enter attorney Brad Madison, who is tasked with proving Strickland's innocence. Not such an easy task considering the gig names lined up against him.
This was a well written, constantly moving legal thriller that I would recommend to anyone that reads Grisham, Connelly, and other well read authors! I generally don't leave ratings but in this case I couldn't not. Very impressive ending book. I will definitely be looking to read more of JJ Miller!
I think this book was an excellent read particularly in this time of child pornography and molestation. The story has a believability about it especially in this day and time. The mystery about the killing, and the courtroom exchanges were very believable. The surprise ending was Magnificent !! Linda Harville