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Brand of Justice #2

Burn the Dawn

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A series of missing girls.




Weeks after she got shot, Kenna is back. She's living free of a past that held her in the grip of fear, determined to move on-and keep fighting. This PI isn't going to let anything keep her from finding the lost and broken.




A town in the grip of fear.




After a deadly setback, Kenna realizes the case is far more complicated than she first thought. With an elite organization in the shadows, Kenna has to solve the case while a powerful enemy dogs every step and the echoes of her past threaten to tear her apart.

Forced to hold it together long enough to find the latest victim, Kenna has to do the one thing she said she would never do again.




It's the only way to bring her brand of justice.




*Christian thriller

478 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 22, 2022

733 people are currently reading
201 people want to read

About the author

Lisa Phillips

167 books873 followers
Lisa Phillips is a USA Today and top ten Publishers Weekly bestselling author of over 80 books that span Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line, independently published series romantic suspense, and thriller novels. She’s discovered a penchant for high-stakes stories of mayhem and disaster where you can find made-for-each-other love that always ends in happily ever after.

Lisa is a British ex-pat who grew up an hour outside of London and attended Calvary Chapel Bible College, where she met her husband. He’s from California, but nobody’s perfect. It wasn’t until her Bible College graduation that she figured out she was a writer (someone told her). Lisa is a worship leader, tea aficionado, and dog lover of two crazy Airedales.

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5 stars
1,061 (69%)
4 stars
370 (24%)
3 stars
77 (5%)
2 stars
10 (<1%)
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4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
Profile Image for Chautona Havig.
Author 274 books1,840 followers
April 8, 2023
Let's see. Missing girls returning? Repeatedly? For YEARS? And the sheriff's office can't seem to do a thing about it? Yeah. That's not suspicious. Oh, wait! Everyone at the sheriff's office is pretty cool. Now what? What on EARTH is going on in Bishopville?

I love that Kenna can't do everything. She's not your one-stop shop for saving the day. Sometimes, she needs saving herself. She's got as many hangups as a crank caller on a Saturday night (or at least back in the eighties when that was still a thing). Add to that a determination to SAVE people, and you get one messed up cookie just doing her best. Thank goodness her best is pretty spectacular--even with arms that refuse to work and debilitating memories.

This one sizzles more than Cabot's sausages on the grill.

I'm just stating here... I don't think we've seen the last of this. I strongly suspect someone of being other than what said someone seems, and I think we'll run across that someone again.

If you love a read that has you craning your head to keep reading even as you turn the page a little early because you've GOT to find out what is happening next, well... here you go. I'm sure Lisa would say, "You're welcome."
Profile Image for Amanda Geaney.
538 reviews340 followers
Read
April 1, 2025
I actually liked this one more than the first book in the series. Kenna is a vigilante—like a female Reacher, she operates in the gray. Mystery and suspense with no romance.

Profile Image for Stella Potts.
516 reviews10 followers
January 7, 2023
This second book in the Brand Of Justice series carries on from book number one and is very intense and exciting. Lisa Phillips is a great author and her books will keep you turning pages. The main character Kenna is a strong, likable, independent woman. If you like suspense and police action without any romantic entanglements this one is definitely for you although she does think the good looking EMT is a hunk and she calls him Hero so there could be something going on in the next book. Fingers crossed.
Profile Image for Lexee Toste.
2,823 reviews19 followers
October 23, 2024
Loved it! Great story!

This was another great read and is the second book in the series. While this is a different case and for the most part can be read as a standalone, the first book in the series does really let you get to know Kenna and what she has been through and why she is the way she is. This story picks up a few months after the ending of the first book and starts with a bang with Kenna out on a search for a missing person who has been abducted and she both identifies 2 people involved as well as finding and rescuing the missing girl. But this case isn't so easily solved and it quickly becomes apparent that this town is under threat and control by this dark and sophisticated group. Kenna doesn't want to get drawn in any further and wants the Sheriff and his deputies to do their job and track down the missing suspect and solve the case. She is willing to help locate the 2 missing victims that they believe were taken by this same group in years past but never turned up like the others. The sheriff has a connection to her father that Kenna is trying to unravel and see if it is true or not. The sheriff is asking for Kenna's help to both find the missing girls and to locate and stop this criminal group. Things start to move quickly as the more Kenna seems to find and make connections, the people are all being killed and properties burned and evidence wiped. Figuring out how people are connected and who is on the up and up and trying to really solve the crime, who is dirty and the ones that are in between, not dirty but not giving full effort to stop it either. The deeper Kenna goes the more tangled and messier things seem to get. This one was very well done and I enjoyed it a lot. The story flowed well and was engaging from beginning to end. I was highly entertained and engaged and really enjoyed the story and the way that Kenna went about things. The victims are her top priority and bringing them home. Can't wait to see what is coming next!
57 reviews7 followers
July 25, 2025
This book has you hooked from page 1 and doesn't slow down! When on the search for a missing girl ropes Kenna into a long history of missing girls, and some of which have been returned, she must find out the organization behind this all before she becomes the next victim!
Profile Image for Staci Troilo.
Author 35 books163 followers
July 16, 2025
This second-in-series picks up not long after the first book ends. Kenna is in the middle of looking for a missing girl and has joined a group of volunteer searchers because she suspects one of them is the abductor trying to steer people away from his hideaway. I won’t say whether her assumption is correct. I will say what’s happens is a surprise.

The story opens in the middle of the action and doesn’t hit the brakes. There are a few cameos from characters in book one. They were nice additions; I’d have liked even more of that. Mostly we spend the time with new characters. And Kenna, of course.

She’s still not the most likable protagonist I’ve ever come across, but she’s growing on me. And I love her dog.

The rest of the cast is hard to read. We bounce around, VERY inconsistently, vacillating between liking people and not trusting them. In crime fiction, everyone is a suspect. But there should be a progression from suspect to cleared (or guilty). Kenna’s feelings are all over the place.

So is the plot. It’s a little hard to follow, so you have to play close attention. Parts feel repetitive. Other parts feel like something was left out or skipped over. Sometimes things feel out of order, like key scenes were rearranged but the connective tissue wasn’t fixed. (I don’t know if that’s the case. It just sometimes feels that way.) It wouldn’t hurt to undergo a vigorous edit too.

All that said, I’m still going to keep reading. The overarching mystery is quite compelling. I’m willing to overlook some shortcomings in favor of getting the answers to my questions.

Fans of crime fiction with strong female leads will like this. Just don’t expect it to be polished to perfection. 3.5 rounded up to 4.
Profile Image for Wren.
426 reviews4 followers
December 14, 2022
Kenna is a PI. Strong, courageous (even fearless at times), passionately devoted to saving vulnerable women and children. Just after surviving serious injuries, she and her awesome dog Cabot have traveled to northern California, to a region where girls go missing. For weeks. Then (sometimes) reappear, with no (or little) memory of where they've been or what has happened to them. (Which is actually a blessing.)

But Kenna is determined to ferret out the perpetrator. Except she discovers that there's more than one perp; and this organization is a dangerous one. They view humans as disposable; once they've served their purpose, or if they've betrayed the criminals in any way, they have no hesitation in killing them.

But how does one track down the members of a group that is hidden and a mystery--especially when witnesses begin to disappear?

The fantastic new book in Lisa Phillips' Brand of Justice series is every bit as good as book #1, Cold Dead Night--and that's saying something, because that book was exceptional! Don't miss either one. Get yourself copies of both books, sit down and get comfortable--because you won't want to be going anywhere until you finish them!

I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
2,363 reviews165 followers
January 2, 2023
"Once she found this missing young woman, things would feel a little more right. The world would seem a little more the way it should be rather than . . . . The past had no bearing when a young woman's life hung in the balance."

Private investigator Kenna Banbury is trying very hard to put recent trauma behind her and use her well honed instincts to find a missing girl along the mountains trails that surround the small town of Bishopsville, California. After accomplishing that goal, the horrifying details of the young woman's detainment become exposed; Trudy is not the first local to go missing, nor will she be the last. Will Kenna decide to stick around long enough to help the very understaffed local law enforcement stop a dangerous string of abductions, or will she leave this town behind in her rear view mirror? It's already gotten a lot more complicated than she thought, for . . . . . .

Kenna realizes that she has been in Bishopsville before, so when the local sheriff mentions a friendly connection with her deceased father, Kenna's radar goes up, for once again her past and present seemed coincidentally intertwined, until that connection is forever lost in the ashes.

Fast paced with a carefully constructed labyrinth of details, this clean thriller has only passing mentions of spiritual insights, but gives Kenna much to consider along those directions.
Profile Image for Jane.
284 reviews16 followers
November 30, 2022
Lisa Phillips keeps getting better

Lisa Phillips has learned to really craft a story unlike many other writers in this genre. She’s learned that her protagonist can indeed wrestle with her faith and that God is big enough and has enough grace to allow that. She also doesn’t use some kind of deus ex machina to get all of the plot twists solved by the end of the story. She uses good old fashioned police work, by and large, in order to get things done. Ordinary people who do ordinary things get the job done both in this book, “Burn the Dawn”, and in “Cold Dead Night”, the first book in what I hope is going to be a new series.
Yes, Kenna (the protagonist) has problems, and a lot of them. However, the exposition of her character is fascinating, and as I get to know her and the other long running characters, I find myself more and more engaged in the books and characters.
It’s a very good read and well worth the time and money spent.

Profile Image for Judi Haley.
1,350 reviews6 followers
October 12, 2023
This is the 2nd in the series about Kenna Banbury. Kenna and her dog, Cabot, are still out finding lost persons. In this one, her old boss, Stairns, who is in the background and following her every move is coordinating cases for her. This time she returns to a town she remembers. Her father, a well known and loved investigator, traveled with Kenna all over the states when she was younger. He was very famous and everyone knew his name. Now, Kenna is following in his footsteps.

When she arrives in the town, she does rescue the missing girl and in speaking with the Sheriffs of the towns, she realizes one is familiar to her. Does he lead back to some memories of her father? Now there are more missing girls in this town and she is asked to stay and try to find the latest missing girl. But this town is hiding something evil and Kenna must learn who to trust!
Profile Image for Marla.
150 reviews
April 20, 2024
Kenna continues to be a force to be reckoned with in book two. She is asked to come to a small town to find a missing girl.
As the story unfolds she is supported by her former boss who also had betrayed her. She is unsure who her allies are in this small town where girls are missing and more continue to go missing.
Some support her while others undermine her authority. She has great instincts which keep her alive while others perish.
I wish the crime ring was all uncovered but wonder if this thread will be pulled again in her next book.
The author does a great job with Kennas character. Some items regarding her past are repeated too much and other characters could use more development (the cops she works with) but overall I really liked the book and the tension created as she raced against time to solve crimes and find missing persons.
Profile Image for Amber.
63 reviews3 followers
January 5, 2023
Ready for more!

Ok, I’ll admit that the first Brand of Justice book was not my favorite. In fact, I took a bit longer to pick up Burn The Dawn than it normally takes me to pick up one of Lisa’s new books because I wasn’t sure how I felt about the series. That being said… I flew this one and finished it and I wasn’t ready for it to end…. and now I have to wait nearly two months for the next installment!

If you’re like me and you read the first in this series and you weren’t sure about the direction of it (as compared to author series by this author), take a chance and try it. It was fast-paced with some great mystery involved as well as great development of the heroine. You won’t be disappointed.
67 reviews6 followers
January 25, 2023
Trying to find the right Words!

This story affected me like no other has quite awhile. Following Kenna's desire to set captive young women free is a difficult story to put down even for a moment. Her burning passion to get to the truth of the matter has the ability to release a conviction in you that truth must prevail at all costs.
The story line will tear your heart when you realise the possibility of the truth behind words that must be told and our Young women be protected.
Enjoyment might not be the right words. But awareness will compel you to care and maybe pray. That all darkness will be brought to the light and noble people like Kenna will arise to do something about it.
1,046 reviews11 followers
October 26, 2023
Fasten seatbelt

PI Kenna Banbury tracks missing girls who have been kidnapped, and she finds them amidst murder attempts & mayhem. Finds all the missing girls and leaves it to the FBI to find the masters of evil. I was confused by the flashbacks. One was 18 years ago & she was 12, her dad was shotv& they were in a cabin. The sheriff comes in & in the conversation her dad says "he's my brother". A later flashback is 12 years ago & either her father was shot again or it's the same time, which doesn't work since she is 32, not 24. It's just not clear. A lot of her intuitions come out of thin air & we don't know her thought processes. Now there's a mysterious unknown, Maizie. And Kenna is off to solve another case.
Profile Image for Brittany .
2,886 reviews208 followers
January 1, 2023
This book fell a bit flat for me. It is book two in the series and can definitely be picked up as a stand alone novel. Yet, I enjoyed knowing Kenna's backstory from book one and even from events that occurred prior to that novel. It helped me understand her in this book better.

This story was slow for me for the majority of this book. Then, when things really started happening, it became chaos. Some things were just too much for me to believe, yet I am interested in seeing what happens in book three and getting more information about Kenna's family backstory.

I read this book through Kindle Unlimited.
34 reviews
November 26, 2022
I couldn’t put it down! I

I’m up way too late reading this newest release by Lisa Phillips. Simply put, it is one of her best books yet. Young girls missing or found dead, the survivors too traumatized to speak and a town with more secrets than anything else. Seldom does a book pull me in like this one or keep me guessing to the very end who the bad guys are. Now I have to wait for the next book to come out to learn more. Talk about suspense! Well done Lisa Phillips, well done!
Profile Image for Kelli.
608 reviews
October 15, 2024
Book 2 is filled with fast-paced action! Kenna Banbury is recovering from being shot and ends up working a case of young women who go missing, only to turn up later with so much fear they aren't talking. Unfortunately, a few have never returned. The townspeople are fearful, two sheriffs are dueling, and Kenna is being hunted. Who can she trust and who is behind these disappearances? Why are suspects ending up dead and where will the trail lead? This gripping tale will keep you guessing with all its twists and turns!
Profile Image for Marcie Robinson.
357 reviews5 followers
November 10, 2022
“Burn the Dawn” by Lisa Phillips has everything a reader could want in a Christian thriller.

Kenna Banbury is back in this riveting book 2 of the Brand of Justice series.
The past and the present intertwine, as Kenna searches for missing girls and information about her father in a town that somehow seems familiar.

“Burn the Dawn” has great characters and a believable storyline, and you’ll definitely stay up late because you just have to know how it ends.
4 reviews
November 26, 2022
Lisa has raised her writing to a new level

I found this book to be on par with some of the best authors: Christian or secular. Her character, Kenna, is a complex individual with many layers.
The plot was both exciting and troubling. While this is a work of fiction; the evil that humans are capable of is all to real.
Lisa, I hope that we will see Kenna find true peace and happiness in a future book.
She is an amazing character.

282 reviews2 followers
September 16, 2023
Her own kind of woman!!!!

I enjoyed this book. Jenna is an unusual person and has her own way of doing. She has a unique way of figuring things out and trusts her "gut" for a lot of her decisions. There is plenty of action and several twists and turns. It's a clean book which is very much appreciated, but it does not detract from the story. I recommend this series to any suspense readers out there.
20 reviews2 followers
October 17, 2023
I have decided that I do not care for Lisa Phillips books. Character development isn't to the same level as many other authors. I feel that she makes her female lead a bit shallow and not very smart. It's very frustrating to see someone continue to make poor choices over and over again but not only prolong the crime spree but also feel like it's dragging the story out. I had unfortunately purchased a pack of books in this series and I'm quite relieved to have this one complete. One
Profile Image for Laura Bowman.
307 reviews9 followers
November 30, 2022
Again Lisa Phillips has kept you spell bound wondering who. Taken a case to find a missing girl Kennas drawn into not just one missing girl but several. Realizing this is an organization bigger than this small town and involving someone local and possibly in power. People begin to be taken out and Kennas targeted. Who does she trust?
160 reviews
December 1, 2022
For the Survivors

Every once in a while a heroine comes along that you rave at, cheer for and know you will never forget because she reminds to do the things that truly matter regardless of our circumstances. I think the world could do worse than women and girls who use their pain to be a bit like Kenna when the grow up.
342 reviews3 followers
August 24, 2023
Amazing

I’m addicted to this series. Thought provoking, mentally challenging, and what a highly complex character. I do typically read romantic suspense and romantic comedy. Here’s to hoping Kenna does get a HEA. Dead one with the traumatic thoughts. As a survivor of trauma, seeing Kenna’s turmoil really grips me.
Profile Image for Amy Hairr.
Author 2 books5 followers
May 28, 2024
Okay. This is my 2nd Lisa Phillips book and she did it again. I had no idea who was behind what until it was revealed. Very captivating! I still would love more faith elements but I’m realizing that wouldn’t be realistic… yet, for the FMC. Isn’t that like real life, too? Once you know truth, you want everyone to know it!
272 reviews3 followers
June 21, 2025
Keep at it and never give up, is what gives the results you need!

Great story and deep cover for the killers. Man, this was really hard to put down. I' M going to Gey used to it cause as soon as my review is finished I will into the next book. Kenna doesn't ever give up. She gets hurt blows it off and moves forward. It actually rubs off on her help. People were actually helping.
Profile Image for Lily.
Author 4 books17 followers
November 20, 2022
Good looking firefighters, a antagonist hiding in plain sight, and Kenna making progress in her journey l. What's not to love about Burn the Dawn!?! Looking forward to her taking down the bad guys behind the evil.
44 reviews1 follower
November 24, 2022
Reluctant Sheriff

The story of Kenna from start to finish was a really good one, from tragedy in her life to finding the missing girls to taking down a sadistic organization. I liked Cabot. The perfect companion. THANK YOU LISA for another great book.
Profile Image for Dawn Trainer.
123 reviews1 follower
November 28, 2022
Time Machine, Please! I need the next book in this series right now!

I devoured the first two books of this series. The rest of them can't come soon enough! Captivating, amazing, irresistible!
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