While Detective LT. Rebecca Frye's elite unit attempts to uncover the connection between the local organised crime syndicate and a human trafficking ring, she and her team, including those they love, unwittingly become targets.
Radclyffe has written over forty-five romance and romantic intrigue novels, dozens of short stories, and, writing as L.L. Raand, has authored a paranormal romance series, The Midnight Hunters. She has also edited Best Lesbian Romance 2009 through 2015 as well as multiple other anthologies. She is an eight-time Lambda Literary Award finalist in romance, mystery, and erotica—winning in both romance and erotica. A member of the Saints and Sinners Literary Hall of Fame, she is also an RWA Prism, Lories, Beanpot, Aspen Gold, and Laurel Wreath winner in multiple mainstream romance categories. In 2014, she received the Dr. James Duggins Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist award from the Lambda Literary Foundation. In 2004, she founded Bold Strokes Books, an independent LGBTQ publishing company, and in 2013, she founded the Flax Mill Creek Writers Retreat offering writing workshops to authors in all stages of their careers.
She states, “I began reading lesbian fiction at the age of twelve when I found a copy of Ann Bannon’s Beebo Brinker. That book and others like it convinced me that I was not alone, that there were other women who felt like I did. Our literature provides support and validation and very often, a lifeline, for members of our community throughout the world. I am proud and honored to be able to publish the many fine authors at Bold Strokes Books and to contribute in some small way to the words that celebrate the LGBTQ experience.”
Radclyffe lives with her partner, Lee, in New York state.
3 stars A bit weaker than the previous books in the Justice series. I'm curious. Was it supposed to be the last one? Because the ending felt like a build-up to the next book, but I couldn't find any more stuff in this series.
What a great ending to this book and series! I hope at some point the characters do return and see what happens with Zamora. For what it's worth, the characters were all really well done!
An epic book to add to the series! So many great things come from this book. The team finally gets ahead takes down some key players in the prostitution ring. Sloan finally knows who the hacker is that’s been messing around and covering for Zamora’s dark dealings. Jimmy and Jeff’s killer is finally caught. I feel like Michael and Sloan are truly healing after the attack that almost left one of them dead. Dell and Sandy’s are so special. I love that Sandy is going to become a cop. The two of them will be fierce and truly protect the kids prayed upon in the streets. They’ll have Rebecca and Catherine to lead them and help them grow. Catherine and Rebecca’s relationship is solid and they can lean on one another and support each other in all things. Watts has a fierce lady to share is off time with. Jason, Sarah, and Jasmine are starting a family. Irene and her sister Mika get to start over. Eleven years after this book was published and I still want more. These characters are so special to me. They hold my heart. I know their is more take downs and lives to protect in the cards for them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
O.M.G. You cannot be serious!!!!! I've looked and the next book is missing. Note to Radclyffe..... I hope the next instalment of this series is nearly finished. The whole lot are awesome. Just found the prequel so I'll have to be content with that until number 6 is available. I love this author. Easy to read, easy to follow. Storylines are exceptional, characters are very realistic and even had people to boo at.
So, I thought that I would do something different here. Wait until I had read the entire series and then say something. Well, I've read them all, and contrary to preconceived notions brought on by the first several chapters of the first book, I actually really enjoyed this series. It wasn't Rad's best, by any means, but it was very good. I found myself growing attached to the couples. Rebecca and Catherine, the intellectual and the hardened detective were good for each other, and even though the excitement waned for their romance in the last couple of books, it was made up for by the steamy romance between Dellon/Mitch and Sandy. I absolutely loved these two. Now, a relationship that I wished was explored more throughly was Jason and Sarah. Aside from the occasional mention, Sarah was mostly invisible, and so much could have been explored there with Jason/Jasmine. One thing does happen near the end of the last book, but I won't mention it here. Now, my favorite couple. Michael and Sloan. My heart just wrapped around these two, and I don't really know why. There were times when I just wanted to throw my arms around Sloan and then there were times when I wanted to shake some sense into her. So smart, but so angry, and even dark at times. Michael, dear sweet Michael. Is there anyone that has read this series that didn't just fall in love with her? Watts, the comic relief, was always amusing and a constant thorn in Rebecca's side, but one can sense the goodness in him despite his lack of a filter. The villains in this book were truly evil, and even some of the good guys weren't all good, a certain Fed comes to mind. I really enjoyed Radclyffe's foray into the Trans scene in this book. I don't remember any of her major characters being Trans in any of her other books, so this was refreshing. I have not read the prequel yet, but intend to soon. I need a break. I do intend to go back to the one Provincetown Tales book that delves into this sphere, and re-read that. I ashamedly admit to having skipped over a lot of it. All in all, a good little series. I almost wish it carried on, but as with all good things, they must come to an end at some point.
I started this book series because I was reading the Honor Series (another incredible series by Radclyffe) and someone mentioned that the Justice series characters made an appearance in the last book of the Honor Series. Because I was curious about the characters and the enthusiasm of the person, I decided to give this series a read.
It was one of the best reading decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve fallen in love with all the characters of this series, from Rebecca to Sandy to Mitchell/Mitch to Dr. Ali Torveau (who is one of the main characters of Trauma Alert) and everyone in between- I absolutely adore the characters and the world Radclyffe has created.
I know that not everyone has a taste for long detailed books where even though there are multiple “battles” (smaller pictures of the overall plot) leading up to the epic “war” (the grand scheme of things), this is seriously a story worth investing time into understanding and reading.
For a book series that started in 2005, I’m so incredibly in awe of Radclyffe because not only is the writing so incredible, but so is the fact that these are books, sapphic/queer books to be exact, that came out before the legalization of same sex marriage in the US where the book is set it. If you keep up with American politics, even in 2024 there are some raging homophobes, I could only imagine what it was like in 2005.
I promise you if you give this series, or any Radclyffe book a chance, you will NEVER be let down.
Really good conclusion to the story of Detective Rebecca Frye, Catherine, JT Sloan and Michael and Dell and Sandy. Satisfying, while leaving the door open to more adventures cleaning up the sleazy underbelly of Philadelphia. Some good twists and turns, some hot gender bending happenings and plenty of heartfelt relationship talk. These are all things Radclyffe does exceptionally well. I hope these characters reappear sometime down the road. It would be good to see how their lives evolve over time.
4 stars. I love the story and the series and it is 4 cause I actually wish the story went on a bit longer! Sloan’s dance with Talia could go on a bit more as it ended quite abruptly The ending as well. I actually wish we hear about Catherine and Rebeca. Like how is their happy ending going to be. I was also surprised that Catherine was not targeted.
I so wish authors revisit their series. I would look forward to see how Radclyffe plot Zamora’s downfall.
This was the final book of the series, and I don’t know if it’s because it’s over or if the final novel itself just felt rushed, repetitive, and anti-climactic.
Why bring Dell's sister into the series? Also, why was Dr Ali never hooked up with anyone?
I shipped Dell/Irina/Stacy's story—the chemistry between the three women.
Like a walk in the park. No excitement whatsoever. I was expecting something more at the beginning of each chapter, but found just the regular flow of a story to end all of the previous ones. Anyways........
I love Radclyffe's books. I love her writing style. The characters are so well formed, you cant help but fall in love with each of them. A lot of romance and suspense. Would like to see a 6th someday. Now on to other books by my fav author.
The ending made it seem like there would be more books coming out but from what I’ve seen, there’s not. Overall I enjoyed this series! Were there times it was stagnant? Yes, but overall I loved reading the series and getting to continue to see the characters’ storylines unfold
I enjoy the author's works. The author has built a team who are more like family. I love the psychologist character. A wee more sex than I would prefer. Good series.
I AM DEVESTATED to finish this series. Gah. All the Gays! The relationship complexity. Normative queerness all day. I cannot wait to tackle another series by Radclyffe!
I have no idea why I love this bunch of people as much as I do, and I must say that the book could probably be really crappy and I wouldn't notice. Ok, so I might notice, but I'm not sure I would care.
It wasn't crappy. It picked up right where the last one stopped and was action packed right to the last page.
There were some things that didn't work for me as much as the previous books in this series did though. There was an additional POV that I don't think existed in the previous books, the one of the 'bad guy'. I'm not entirely convinced that it was necessary to the story or that the information it provided could not have been provided in any other way. It felt awkward in the flow, especially since there really wasn't a lot of it. I also felt that the Rebecca/Catherine relationship in this book was more a rehashing of the previous books and didn't provide much in the way of development.
But none of that stood in the way of me thoroughly enjoying the story and getting to visit with old pals.
I can't even fathom what happened to those girls. My heart just died a little for them. A very good book, I just wish and hope this happens. Many people need saving.
Though I would have preferred if that Zamora guy was arrested too. Unless of course there will be more coz the ending was rather open for future books in the series. And I would definitely not mind more of Catherine and Rebecca.
I still didn't like Mitch/Sandy POV and Michael/Sloan POV. I would have liked it if we hard more of Catherine or even Rebecca. But I love that this book focused mostly on the detective stuff. Coz I read nothing about crazy families and shit like that. (though, I still would have loved to know more about Rebecca and Catherine's background.)
Zamora needs to fucking die for making those poor children go thru that kind of hell. And I don't understand men who have sex with young people. Like for fuck's sake, you dull-witted fuckheads are gonna end up in hell. And I will fucking help with chopping the firewood.
Of all the lesbian fiction I have read, this one comes closest to lesbian porn. Seriously. It's a total page turner, not only because of the plot but because you know there are more sex scenes coming and you want to know how these women will get it on. They are all hot, motorcycle riding lesbians, or hot career women, or tough street girls. It's great. I read most of it during an 11 hour plane ride and it made that trip so much better. It's definitely adult. Besides the x-rated nature, the plot is also really great. It's almost secondary to all the who gets it on with whom, but it's still fast-moving and captures the imagination. It was a great crime story and the women in this book are awesome crime solvers. But, definitely easy reading and very enjoyable if you are into this kind of thing.
I really enjoy this bunch of characters working to right the wrongs. Michael and Sloan. Rebecca and Catherine. Dellon and Sandy. Jason and Sarah. Each had a part to play and although bumpy at times, in the end the good guys won and live to fight another day. I liked the cyber tech stuff because it is so accurate and relevant when you think about crime and the world today.
The Justice series is not my fave, and I remembered why after reading this. Radclyffe writes some of the characters so well (Dell, Sloan, Sandy) but others are so one dimensional, that they just feel like props to play the stronger characters off of. But still, entertaining.
I love Rad's novels, and the Justice series may be my favourite series. This one had one of the most intriguing storylines, and without the obligatory, unnecessary sex scenes it would have gotten 5 stars!
Just like most of Radclyffe's later series-based books, this one was lacking in continuity from earlier works in the series. It's kind of disappointing because the earlier ones flowed together seamlessly.