jbronderbookreviews

Little Boy Lost by J.D. Trafford

In a city divided and broken, this revelation will set it on fire…

Attorney Justin Glass’s practice, housed in a shabby office on the north side of Saint Louis, isn’t doing so well that he can afford to work for free. But when eight-year-old Tanisha Walker offers him a jar full of change to find her missing brother, he doesn’t have the heart to turn her away.

Justin had hoped to find the boy alive and well. But all that was found of Devon Walker was his brutally murdered body—and the bodies of twelve other African American teenagers, all discarded like trash in a mass grave. Each had been reported missing. And none had been investigated.

As simmering racial tensions explode into violence, Justin finds himself caught in the tide. And as he gives voice to the discontent plaguing the city’s forgotten and ignored, he vows to search for the killer who preys upon them.

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Author’s Bio

J.D. Trafford is an award-winning author who has been profiled in Mystery Scene Magazine (a “writer of merit”). His debut novel was selected as an IndieReader bestselling pick, and his books have topped Amazon’s bestseller lists, including Amazon’s #1 Legal Thriller.

In addition to graduating with honors from a Top 20 law school, J.D. Trafford has worked as a civil and criminal prosecutor, an associate at a large national law firm, and a non-profit attorney for people who could not afford legal representation.
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Prior to law school, J.D. Trafford worked in Washington D.C. and lived in Saint Louis, Missouri. He worked on issues of housing, education, and poverty in communities of color.
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He now lives with his wife and children in the Midwest, and bikes whenever possible.

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My Review

4 stars

Justin Glass is struggling with the loss of his wife to cancer and depression. He also is running a struggling law practice. Then he is approached by a little girl, Tanisha that offers him her life savings in a jar to find her missing brother, Devon Walker. Justin decides to look into his disappearance and finds him in a pit with several other teenage black boys. Since the boys have some records the police never looked into their disappearances. Now it is clear that a serial killer is targeting them. Will Justin be able to stop them from taking another life?

This story is filled with many things happening at once. Justin comes from a very influential political family that has ties with the Civil Rights movement. Justin has lost his wife to cancer and although he dances with depression he still has a wonderful 11 year old little girl, Sammy that is having trouble at school. He also just hired a paralegal that is going to add a great deal of humor to the law firm along with getting it in shape.

But the real story revolves around discrimination. Although Justin is trying to find the serial killer he is also dancing around the political opinions, police procedures, and those that just get swept under the rug. Although the story is labeled as a thriller as you try to figure out who the killer is, this story is about so much more.

I really enjoyed this book. It has a good mystery but encompasses so much more. This is one that I strongly recommend checking out.

I received Little Boy Lost from Little Bird Publicity for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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The Faewitch
By MJ Boshers
Genre: Urban fantasy

A young girl is torn from the mortal world and brought to a land full of magic. While discovering the possibilities of this exciting world, she unlocks a deadly secret. New friends show her the magic she holds within herself and realize their magic is stronger together. They must work in unity to stop an evil from destroying their world. Though they find love and power, they also find murder and betrayal. Can all survive this dangerous task? Will they rise to the challenge of what is set before them or will they fall beneath the ashes of what they are meant to save?

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Author’s Bio

MJ Boshers is an author of fantasy and YA novels. The Faewitch is her first book in a three book series. Also as a songwriter she loves to add music to her novels whenever she can. Being from the South, she likes to add that part of her to her novels, along with the accents. She lives in Alabama with her husband and daughter and believes there is nothing more important than her family. A member of NAPW, she hopes to encourage young women to never give up on their dreams and that women can be powerful. Her studies in Graphic Design and photography help her stay focused on books even when she isn’t reading or writing. Her hobbies include watching anything supernatural on television, hanging out with family and friends, music, and painting.

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My Review

5 stars

Sophie Ann is sixteen and has just spent the day with her friends when her mother ends up driving them off a cliff and into the Faerylands. Sophie just learns that she is half faery and half witch. An abomination and a princess with the possibility to be more powerful than either parts on their own. She is now trying o master her powers while drawing the attention of three brothers and learning to navigate this new world.

This is an amazing debut from author M.J. Boshers. You instantly get sucked into the story as you follow along as Sophie’s mother is driving the minivan and neck breaking speeds around curves and trying to get enough speed to get through the portal. Sophie is a great, independent young lady that is thrown for a loop about her heritage. But she is going to have to learn fast how to use her powers and who to trust and not to trust.

I loved this story. I think it’s a great start to a new young adult fantasy story. I strongly recommend it to anyone that likes a great YA fantasy story.

I received The Faewitch from Sage’s Blog Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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