Review // Justice Gone by N. Lombardi Jr

Justice Gone Book Cover Justice Gone
N. Lombardi Jr
Crime & Legal
Roundfire Books
February 22, 2019
Paperback
336
Author

When a homeless war veteran is beaten to death by the police, stormy protests ensue, engulfing a small New Jersey town. Soon after, three cops are gunned down. A multi-state manhunt is underway for a cop killer on the loose. And Dr. Tessa Thorpe, a veteran's counselor, is caught up in the chase. Donald Darfield, an African-American Iraqi war vet, a war-time buddy of the beaten man, and one of Tessa's patients, is holed up in a mountain cabin. Tessa, acting on instinct, sets off to find him, but the swarm of law enforcement officers gets there first, leading to Darfield's dramatic capture. Now, the only people separating him from the lethal needle of state justice are Tessa and aging blind lawyer, Nathaniel Bodine. Can they untangle the web tightening around Darfield in time, when the press and the justice system are baying for revenge? Justice Gone is the first in a series of psychological thrillers involving Dr. Tessa Thorpe, wrapped in the divisive issues of modern American society including police brutality and disenfranchised returning war veterans. N Lombardi Jr. is the author of the compelling and heartfelt novel The Plain of Jars.


UPDATE: Justice Gone, winner of the National Indie Excellence® Award for best Legal Thriller!

Congratulations, Nick!


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I almost shied away from reading Justice Gone by N. Lombardi Jr. as I tend to hold close those feelings for our service members. As a Navy Veteran, I’m slightly honest when I say I get pissed with how members of our Armed Forces are treated. Full honesty is not something that I share outside of my husband’s confidence, as he is a Veteran, too. But I took a leap and decided to read Justice Gone and I’m glad that I did.

Justice Gone is centered around a Veteran beaten to death by police. This homeless man’s death sparks outrage which leads down a path to three police officers deaths. The topics that are blended together are extremely relevant in today’s society and don’t just focus on Veterans issues, but those of all human beings – abuse of power, access to mental health care, and homelessness.

Don’t quit reading this post! Yes, there are some very political and heated topics that help develop Lombardi’s book, but he is able to weave a story worth reading that is relevant to today and relatable to everyone. It’s not a political book so don’t scratch it off of your TBR list! Other than the heated Veteran path the book takes, the second thing I shied away from when almost not reading, the political aspect I was genuinely sure would be on every page.

In addition to an overall great theme, I would say that the character’s of Justice Gone would have to be some of the most developed I have read in a while. I was able to get to know them and this is such an important part of a developing story. Characters are, in many cases, the story and when a poorly developed character is leading the posse, frankly the story can just suck. I do appreciate when an author can make their characters just as the person you are in deep conversation with sitting right next to you.
Although, I was worried at first stepping into a book with such heated topics surrounding the world today, I can say I’m glad I took the time. Justice Gone is worth a reader’s time. Emotional and dramatic, definitely worth every star: 4 out of 5 ?!



N. Lombardi Jr, the N for Nicholas, has spent over half his life in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, working as a groundwater geologist. Nick can speak five languages: Swahili, Thai, Lao, Chinese, and Khmer (Cambodian).

In 1997, while visiting Lao People’s Democratic Republic, he witnessed the remnants of a secret war that had been waged for nine years, among which were children wounded from leftover cluster bombs. Driven by what he saw, he worked on The Plain of Jars for the next eight years.

Nick maintains a website with content that spans most aspects of the novel: The Secret War, Laotian culture, Buddhism etc. https://plainofjars.net

His second novel, Journey Towards a Falling Sun, is set in the wild frontier of northern Kenya.

His latest novel, Justice Gone, was inspired by the fatal beating of a homeless man by police.

Nick now lives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia



Congratulations, Nick, on your latest release!