Justified

by Lawrence W. Gold

Millie Goodheart, the Chief Librarian in Emeryville, California, survived a child’s nightmare; savage abuse at the hands of her father, a brutal, violent drunk. She swears never again, and chooses for her life mate Henry, a gentle giant who promises Millie a loving, safe, and secure life. But when Henry changes from savior to abuser, Millie is faced again with the nightmare of living with an abuser.

No person escapes the residual effects of such violence and Millie eventually reaches the fateful and climactic decision to put an end to the abuse—and an end to Henry’s life.

It isn’t clear whether Millie acted in self-defense, and the DA decides to charge her with voluntary manslaughter. Now Millie faces a whole new battle. Does she have the courage to win this fight and finally enjoy the freedom she so desperately wants?

Kindle Edition

Published June 2, 2018

About the author

Lawrence W. Gold, MD is a retired physician. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War where he served in an evacuation hospital, ran an emergency room and was a Battalion Surgeon. He completed his training in internal medicine and diseases of the kidney in 1968.

He retired in 1995 after 23 years in a hospital-based practice caring for patients with complicated illnesses and served as Chief of Medicine. After retirement he and his wife, Doris, spent time sailing at sea. He has written three screenplays based on his novels. His screenplay for Rage won honorable mention at the 80th annual Writer's Digest contest. He lives in Grass Valley, CA with his wife.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surrender or fight back. How far can a woman who grew up knowing abuse be pushed before she finally finds a reason to push back? Millie Goodheart knew abuse as a child, grew up to marry a man she thought was kind and gentle, but as the children came and he climbed the ladder of success, he became a man who used his size, his hands and his words to brutally tear Mille apart. When he aimed his special brand of meanness on both their children and then the family dog and her pups, Millie knew she could no longer just entertain leaving Henry.

When Millie’s life was on the line, this time she fought back with all of the rage she had held inside, she fought to live and she did, but Henry didn’t.

Now charged with voluntary manslaughter, Millie and her attorney, along with her psychotherapist, Lola Weizman and a team of forensic psychologists must dredge through the evidence, the appearance of intent and Millie’s state of mind to prove she only tried to survive, not kill.

Once again, Lawrence W. Gold weaves a kaleidoscope of intrigue, pain and those pesky what-ifs as we live through the trial, witness behind the scene events and watch a woman under a lifetime of duress slowly devolve, then seem to rally for the sake of her children. In the end, we are left to wonder, was justice served? When is killing JUSTIFIED? When is that moment that pushes a person over the line? Do they ever really come back?

Gritty and emotional, Lawrence W. Gold spotlights an all too common theme of abuse and the limits a human can take. Brilliantly written, tense, intriguing and rife with hot buttons, readers cannot help but cast their own jurors vote, because we lived more than just the courtroom show…

I received a complimentary copy from Lawrence W. Gold!

Series: Brier Hospital -
Publisher: Grass Valley Publishing; 1 edition (June 30, 2018)
Publication Date: June 30, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Fiction | Suspense
Print Length: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon
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[Valery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justified: The Curse of Domestic Violence (Brier Hospital) by Lawrence W. Gold tackles the serious subject of domestic violence with chilling accuracy. With many additions to the Brier hospital series, this book is one more that will make your spine tingle, while having you root for the underdog. Gold's background serves him well in this regard, as he is a retired doctor; those formidable skills along with writing talent make a potent combination when tackling a difficult subject like domestic violence. The story is well paced, with characters you can relate to, especially Millie Goodheart, a very apropos name, who is the protagonist simply trying to escape her past abuse. She appears to marry a good man, but soon finds that is not the case, and life just gets more and more complicated until the unthinkable happens. The plot is suspenseful, well paced, and keeps it going until the end of the book. Highly recommend for a substantial and rewarding read.