Ultimate Dilemma

Justice Again #2

by M.A. Comley

From M A Comley, the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Justice series, who has sold over three million copies worldwide, comes Justice Again, the next generation.

A despicable murder covered up for twenty-five years...

A family ripped apart by an atrocious crime...

Who is responsible for this cruel deception, a brutal loss of life? And why?

DI Katy Foster has the ultimate dilemma when a young woman discovers her father attacked and left for dead.

Countless clues lead to one suspect in particular, but with all the time that has passed and the lack of potential evidence needed for a conviction, Katy's team are left feeling exasperated.

Will the team be able to unravel this complex case with dozens of untruths to sift through, to capture a killer who has been roaming free for a quarter of a century?

Other books in the series are:
Gone in Seconds

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2020

About the author

New York Times, USA Today, Amazon Top 20 bestselling author, iBooks top 5 bestselling and #2 bestselling author on Barnes and Noble. Over one million copies sold world wide. I am a British author who moved to France in 2002, and that's when I turned my hobby into a career.

When I'm not writing crime novels I'm either reading them or going on long walks with my rescue Labrador, Dex.

I hope you enjoy reading my books, especially the Justice series, Cruel Justice, Impeding Justice, Final Justice, Foul Justice, Guaranteed Justice, Ultimate Justice, Virtual Justice, Hostile Justice, Tortured Justice, Rough Justice, Dubious Justice, Calculated Justice, Twisted Justice, Prime Justice. There are several novellas and short stories in the series too.

My other successful series are: The DI Sally Parker thriller series, which includes WRONG PLACE, NO HIDING PLACE and COLD CASE

The Hero series, TORN APART, END RESULT, IN PLAIN SIGHT and DOUBLE JEOPARDY(published by Bloodhound Books)

I have three books in the Intention series, Sole Intention, Grave Intention and Devious Intention.

I've also written a couple of standalone novels - EVIL IN DISGUISE and FOREVER WATCHING YOU.

As well as co-authoring The Caller with Tara Lyons.

And Clever Deception, Tragic Deception and Sinful Deception co-authored by fellow NY Times bestselling author Linda S Prather.

If you'd like to keep up to date with new releases you can find me on Facebook by following this link http://smarturl.it/sps7jh or sign up for my newsletter http://www.hyperurl.co/su1xnt

If you fancy a lighter read, why not try one of my romances: A Time to Heal, and A Time for Change--Based on a TRUE story. I also have a selection of short stories and novelettes available which I know you'll enjoy.

You can find out more about me at the following blogs.

http://melcomley.blogspot.com

http://melcomleyromances.blogspot.com

Reviews

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

The young woman arrives home after a long day of nursing patients. Her father will prob ably be waiting for his dinner. Bur she finds him lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

DI Katy Foster and her team are called in to investigate. There are no clues, no evidence, it wasn't robbery as no money or valuables are missing. Katy has a person of interest .. the woman who found her father .. but there's no proof. Katy even attends the man's funeral to keep an eye on the family.

Not long after, another body ... and Katy has her first connection. This victim was one of the pallbearers at the first victim's funeral. And he won't be the last pallbearer to be found dead.

Katy discerns that everyone lies ... and has secrets ....

As with all this author's books, this one is well written with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing throughout. The characters are solidly drawn and I enjoy how they relate to each other. The ending came to an unexpected conclusion. Although second in this series, it reads easily as a stand alone, but I highly recommend getting in on the ground floor on this series and reading the books in order.

Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a smashing book!! This is the second in the 'Justice Again' series and has Everything you could ask for!! I read this so quickly, but was left thinking about it long after I reached the end, and I felt drained...Living through the case, right beside Katy and Charlie, actually brought me to my knees...There is a murder of a man in his house...With absolutely No clues to follow...After the man's funeral another person, who he knew, is also murdered...Are they connected?!
An intriguing, exciting story, as different suspects are thought of, then found definitely not guilty! Katy is a great leader, asking her Team to investigate every person who seems involved...And Charlie, although still new to the Team, gets cracking into everything she can find, working so well with Katy as her boss and partner...There is So Much happening!! Impossible to explain here, when this book is published 10/22/2020 you better Grab it for yourself!!
This author continues to amaze me with the intricate relationships she writes about, and when you find out the killer you just may feel a little sorry for them..They lived through a degrading, horrific life...I can Not Wait for this amazing series to continue!!!

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow, wow. Sitting here open mouthed in complete shock and wonder. There is no way I would have ever seen that ending coming. I'm not even sure how the author came up with it, but it works so well, and has completely taken my breath away.

Oh and the lead up to that point was fabulous too, it is another fabulous book in this promising new series. In some ways I was happy to hear less direct mentions of Lorne in this one, as Katy and Charlie are starting to become more respected detectives in their own right.

I was though delighted to see a rather familiar face, from The Justice series make an appearance. Glad to see she is still about and happy to help the police when asked.

As this series is starting to hit its stride (well as much stride as you get for a second book, but for fans of the Justice series then we have known these characters for many years), it is clear that it seems to be Katy that is key at the moment, her personal life we are getting to know.

I feel I don't really know the person behind adult Charlie the police detective that well yet, but I'm sure it will come, and ultimately Katy is the senior detective in this partnership so it makes sense at the moment.

It was a really baffling case at least initially and I'll admit around half way I had an epiphany, utterly convinced I knew both murder and motive - which may be why I'm so amazed at the real outcome - I was kind of close for both but the reality I'd have never come up with in a million years.

I do love it when an author can take you completely by surprise like that.

If you have read my reviews in the past you will know just how much I love M. A. Comley's writing, I ran out of superlatives about a year ago, but imagine all the positive superlatives you would like to use about a thriller and I'm pretty sure they would be apt for this one too!

Bring on Book 3, I can't wait!

Thank you to the author for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Joanne Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having finished Gone In Seconds very quickly (the first book in this new Justice Again series) I was thrilled to be able to move onto the second book almost immediately. Like the previous book, DI Katy Foster is once again in charge of a difficult to solve case and this one was definitely a hard hitting and heartbreaking one and also one with one of the best endings I think Mel has delivered so far! It was a real surprise for me as I hadn’t realised exactly where the plot was heading until I got there. The last few pages were very powerfully written and delivered perfectly-I absolutely loved it!

I have to say that the series of murders here are very nasty, delivered by a killer with no mercy or sympathy towards their victims or their families. But to be honest-neither did I! And once the threads of the story came together and I connected all the dots, I actually felt sick at what had happened 25 years ago-the event that linked the murder victims all those years ago…

As always Mel delivers a fresh case for her characters that touches her readers deeply. She has such a talent for understanding what people want to read and why. I absolutely loved this one and felt very connected to both the plot and the characters throughout. Bring on book 3!!

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in the  new series that basically restarts the Justice series.  While it isn't the same because no Lorne but in her place Katy is the new queen of the squad and Charlie is  part of this team.
I love this story and is definitely showing more versatile characters and relationships.  Charlie is really a great part of the team already and she still feels new.
Katy is a great leader and her interactions with Sean are very different as well.  She has a great personality and her personal life seems to be very squared away.
The story in itself is very fun and had a lot of intricate parts.  The powerful story of this book shows a lot about the characters. 
The story was all about revenge and I love a great revenge story.  It has more potential then most other plots and I find that these types of story really resonates with me.
This is one of tbe best books I have read this year and I think the start of justice again.

[Julie Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Loved this book, read it in less than 24 hours. Katy, Charlie and the team are called in to investigate the murder of a man in his own home. With nothing really to go on another murder occurs which they find is connected. Great interactions again between the team as they fight to find the killer. Revenge is at the centre of it all and in the end it was hard to not feel sorry for the murderer after learning what they had been subjected to.
This series has so much going for it, looking forward to more.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katy and Charlie are working well as a team but with a spate of murders, the killer seems to be running rings around them. They have no idea of the motive, no forensic evidence to go on and no matter how long a day they work they just don't seem to be getting anywhere. This is the second book in the new series and it doesn't disappoint, although macabre the ending is brilliant and will blow your socks off.

[Felicity Gray1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

is the second book in this new series and wow , does it pack a powerful punch !
DI Katy Foster and DC Charlie Simpkins are working flat out on a new case trying desperately to catch the murderer before another victim appears. But this killer seems to always be one step ahead and neither of them can fathom out why!
A truly gripping book that will really have you wondering about the world we live in today.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series and what a brilliant series it is. I'm loving Katy and Charlie working together, they make a great team. As the story started to unravel I was shocked!!!!! Amazing story.

[Lin Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

We start the story with an ambulance arriving at a house.
The daughter, is really worried!

Before long, we meet up with Katy and Charlie.
They need to know what has happened.
Off they go to the hospital.

We follow the cops, as something else happens.

This just got unputdownable.
There was a lot going on in this story.

I will warn you, the end bought a tear to my eyes.

This story was one of the best!

[Dee Groocock · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a man is found with his throat cut, Katy and Charlie have to find out who would do such a thing. Could it have been one of his daughters, Penny or Nadia? When more men are found murdered, the team wonder if the cases could be related and if so, why?

This is the second book in the Justice Again series. It is great to have Katy teamed up with Charlie and I also enjoyed having Carol brought into the story, it’s lovely to have her character back.

This story is all about revenge for a heinous crime. Quite difficult subjects to read but one thing about the author is that she is never afraid to write sensitive issues, she always writes them well and handles the subjects with much care.

This is shaping up to be another excellent series from the author and I highly recommend this book.

[Sue Kitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic new series from this great author and it is fast becoming my new favourite. As much as I enjoyed book one, Ultimate Dilemma is even better, if possible.
DI Katy Foster is proving to be a great leader and DC Charlie Simpkins fits right in and is also proving herself to be a really good team member.
As the bodies start piling up, it becomes clear that these seem to be revenge murders but the killer always seems to be one step ahead. Katy seems sure she knows who the killer is but just can’t prove it.
An excellent story line that kept me guessing throughout until the revealing twist at the end.
Another 5* excellent thriller that I can highly recommend.

[K-BRC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this new series, the Justice spinoff. There are characters who continue, but you can pick up the series here or the series beginning, the book before. The characters are well-developed and the plot rich with feeling and deep study. This series has such a great cast that is so well-meshed. Excellent ending.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Justice Again series which is a spin off from the, now concluded, Justice series. You'll get the best if you have read all that has gone before but I do accept that that's a heck of a lot of books but, do please read the first in this series before this one at least for a bit of background.
Well... this book hit the ground running and didn't let up until the very end. It had Katie and Charlie running about trying to solve a rather convoluted and very heinous series of crimes. We start with the death of a man, found by his daughter. Is she a suspect? Is her sister? Then, another man is found dead. Coincidence or connected. And then another. And a pattern starts to form. The clues start to emerge allowing Katie and Charlie to do what they do best and try to solve the darn thing! With a little help from an old and favourite friend.
I was devastated when the author took the brave decision to end the Justice series. It was the right decision, albeit a tough one. But then, and all the yays, she decided to spin off to Katie, Lorne's former protégé and, if that wasn't exciting enough, throw in Lorne's daughter Charlie to be Katie's new sidekick. A new pairing, and with Charlie still a little green, a lot to learn both about and from each other. If you've read the Justice series, you'll have see Charlie grow up, through all the usual phases a teenage girl with warring parents goes through, rebel, devoted, and then also what she went through (no spoilers). She's come through all that to be, well, a rather cracking cop. Pairing her with Katie is a stroke of genius.
The story is cracking, well plotted and executed, and gets on with itself without padding or waffle. Characters - old and new, series and extras - are all well described and play their parts well. We also have the author's trademark banter and interaction between them. The pace is great and really ramps up towards the wonderfully satisfying end. All in all, as per usual, a job very well done. Roll on next time...

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ultimate Dilemma is the second book in the Justice Again series. The story focuses heavily on the murder case so readers may want to read Gone In Seconds to get a better feel for the main characters, otherwise it reads well as a standalone.

This was a story where the author cleverly left red herrings in her track so that I was sent off in different directions so when the truth hits, wham! I didn’t see them coming. Probably reading late on a night wasn’t the best time to finish this as I was in such shock that it ended up taking me ages to actually drop off to sleep. It was worth it though.

Katy and Charlie work well together. At times I forgot that with Charlie I had seen her grow up from a young girl into her teens in the Justice series. She is far from being that young girl now. Very much an adult and doing a great job at standing out and not hiding under her mother’s work legacy. I can just tell that there is going to be so much to come from her character throughout this series.

Ultimate Dilemma is a thrilling read that had me gasping out loud a couple of times in shock. I don’t think I was prepared for how dark and sinister this particular case would be. Things certainly are not straight forward and as more things come to light, it will definitely put you in a dilemma making you rethink everything. Well played by the author who is getting to be a master of clever twists.

My thanks to the author for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nadia came home after a long shift at the hospital, to the home she shared with her dad. When she entered the lounge, the TV was blaring, her dad was laying on the floor in a pool of blood. It was up the walls and on the furniture. She rushed to her dad and tried to stem the flow while she phoned dialled for an ambulance. She went to the hospital with him. Her dad was operated on then she sat with him in the recovery room. Suddenly, the ventilator alarm sounded. Her dad whispered, ‘I didn’t mean to do it….’

DI Katy Foster and DC Charlie Simpkins went to see Nadia at the hospital to try to find out what had happened. She explained but they didn’t get much. Penny advised that Nadia was a daddy’s girl. It wasn’t a great childhood and she couldn’t remember specifics. She left on her sixteenth birthday and was only there for her sister.

Dale was driving home after work when he got a car tailgating him. At the next junction, he let the car pass by and continued his journey until he got to a sharp bend. He eased round it to find a car blocking it. The same car! A figure was leaning on the bonnet looking his way but ignored Dale when he got out and asked, ‘Can you please move your car? I need to get past.’ He shouted again, without success. He checked over his shoulder, no other cars. When he looked back, the figure was in front of him. He spoke to them again, they growled and said, ‘you can die.’ Dale took off running but his attacker followed, striking different parts of his body. When he stopped, exhausted and held out hands to protect himself. His attacker ran at him, striking him continually with the ice pick until his final breath.

Katy and Charlie got the call and attended the scene. It was a pretty gory site. The wallet had been left behind so they had Dale’s name and address. A walker had called it in but hadn’t seen anything. They visited Dale’s address to speak to his wife and break the bad news. She advised them he had attended Bruce Crawford’s funeral that week. Katy looked at Charlie, could there be a link? They were old friends.

Katy and her team are struggling to find anything connecting Dale and Bruce. They need some leads or some break to get ahead with the case. Is someone harbouring a grudge? Then another call comes in, there is another crime scene, could they have a serial killer to find!

Oh wow, I was blown away when I read this book and I didn’t see the ending coming at all! This has two strong characters forming in Katy and Charlie, their relationship works well. I’m loving this series, the easy to read stories and looking forward to book three!

[Kayli · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my god, this is an utterly compelling read.
I feel like I say this same thing every time I read a new book by this author but here it goes... this has to be one of the best books I’ve read. I honestly don’t even know how M.A. Comley manages to wow me all of the time, this is a good’n.
I was feeling mortified when my kindle refused to charge half way through, I couldn’t stop thinking of the plot though, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Luckily for me all was well in the end, I got to finish the book.

Ultimate Dilemma is the 2nd book in the justice again series, which is a spin off to the justice series. Although I have read nearly every single book this author has written, I was a bit nervous about the spin off series as the justice series is a favourite of mine, however I needn’t have been as this is a fantastic series thus far. In my opinion this could be read as a stand-alone, however I definitely recommend reading them in order and it would be even better to read the justice series too. It’s an incredible journey to go on.

This book has stamina, it was fast paced from start to finish. The suspense was sustained until the VERY end, as try as I might, I just could not guess this ending. The twists and the turns just kept on coming. new partners Katy, Charlie and the team are really working well together. I already can’t wait to read the next book.

[Linda Prather · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with Gone in Seconds I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Katy and Charlie in action again. It isn’t often a book leads me all the way to the end without a clue to the truth…but this one did.

A young woman comes home from work to find her father bleeding to death. Nadia is a nurse, so she immediately tries to help him. Unfortunately that leads Katy to see her as the prime suspect in the murder. Charlie on the other hand isn’t quite so sure. There are no clues and no one seems to have a strong motive. At times Nadia doesn’t appear to have liked her father very much, so why did she continue living with him? And why is her sister so blatantly hostile where their father is concerned?

Lots of questions and few answers. Worse…the killer isn’t finished. Soon another murder occurs. A man that attended Nadia’s father’s funeral. Are the killings connected? And if so, how?

Cleverly plotted with deep characterization. A crime thriller that will keep you guessing all the way to the end and leave you in shock.

Fabulous read and definite 5 stars from me.

[Livia · Rating 5 out of 5]

When DI Katy Foster and her partner DC Charlie Simpkins go to the scene of a crime ..they find a man lying on the floor in a pool of blood ...When the man dies later in hospital , with lack of evidence the case stalls but then another man is found dead ..And somehow in some way a link begins to form ..With a killer with an agenda and Kate and Charlie racing from one crime scene to the next ..will they find who is responsible? It's a dark and twisted story with an outcome I never expected..Lorne Simpkins would be proud ..Another Stunning read by Mel Comley ..

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness!!!! I was not expecting that ending at all, and couldn't have predicted it. This is number two in the New Justice series. I don't know where M.A. Comely or how she gets the ideas for such brilliantly written storylines, but boy does she keep you guessing with very unexpected storylines.
Really loving this new series and enjoying Katy and Chalie's team work and investigative ways, they really gel together well.
So looking forward to number 3 in the series.

[Kim J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't see that coming!

Now this was an original story line! Bizarre, but original! I had another key character down for the suspect and then my theory was blown out of the water! The main characters of the series are gelling together quite well, and I am really enjoying getting to know them! But this book has me wondering what I would do, what anyone would do under this same situation! I highly recommend this book!

[Maria Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in the spin-off series and already I am drawn to the pairing of Katy and Charlie. They work so well as a team and, with Sean as their leader, we get some great banter.

This investigation was extremely complicated and the characterisation of the families involved is so well written that you almost feel like you know them. I had a whole gamut of emotions. A great read.

[Geraint griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!

Read this book in two days . Had me wondering who was the murderer right to the end what a twist ! Don't like putting spoilers in my reviews but I can guarantee the reader will not be disappointed at all . I have read a few of this author's books and I have always enjoyed every one of them .

[wendi wigham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buried or alive?

Familiar storyline of group of men involved in abuse, always one worse than the others, a bully. The emphasis on four pallbearers at the first funeral gave the game away and their subsequent demise confirmed this.
The eventual identity of the killer was a good twist.

[Avril Waugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Once again Mel Comley has come up trumps. I have read all the Justice books and I'm so happy we have this new series which includes a lot of the same people. As usual there is a surprise at the end which I refuse to say. Thank you for this series and keep safe

[Pamela Fahrenthold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this one was a one night read for sure

Such a talented writer! This one kept me up late for sure. I couldn't put it down for even a minute even after I figured out who was doing the killing.

[Mrs Maryann Elliston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

I've read all the Justice books and hoped they would continue, and when Lorne retired I really thought that would be the end of the team. I'm glad I continued to the next in the series as they are brilliant. Now off to start book three.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katy and Charlie are working very well together
But the ending is Blooming Brilliant
This is Number 2 of this Series
I had an ARC

[Ann Marie Booton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

Absolutely fantastic as usual yet another great read from our Mel Comley can't wait for the next book every book just gets better and better

[judi navarre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book review

Another great book I enjoyed this one but they have all been great! Can't wait for the next book to come out