Judgment Cometh: and That Right Soon (Joe Dillard Series) Paperback – June 16, 2016

Quick OverviewI haven’t read any of the previous seven books in this series. Just as I did with Warrior King by Evan Currie, I wanted to read this without reading the previous books so I could determine its suitability as a stand-alone read. Skimming over the reviews and current sales rankings of the other seven, I also was eager to read this. So, how did the author do? Welcome to my reading room as I explain what works, what doesn’t, and for whom I think this novel works best…Length: Print, 274 pages; Audible, not available yet, but I expect it to be in the future. This could even be made into an episode of Criminal Minds or NCIS.Q - Target Audience/Genre and is it marketed as Nonfiction or Fiction:A – This is a Crime Fiction Suspense novel.Q - How was this book obtained?A – Purchased during pre-order stage.Q – If this is fiction, is it a plot-driven or a character-driven story?A – Plot-driven.Q - Is this a book that I can read without having to read others first?A – Yes. I did. But I will order the earlier books and devout them.Q – If this is a recurring character or a series, does it have a cliffhanger ending?A – No cliffhanger ending.Q - Are there a lot of typos/misspellings, grammatical errors or other editing failures?A – No, the editing is very good.Q - Is this a fast, easy read or is it more of a leisure read?A – This is a fast-read for 274 pages.Q - What sort of language does this writer use to amplify the points made?A – Although there is some mildly foul language (words that describe one’s posterior and waste products from the body’s exit points, there are no f-bombs.Q – What age group is this suitable for?A – If this were a film it would probably be rated PG for language.Q - Is there sex, and is it graphic?A – Sex, of a sort, is alluded to but to say more might be a spoiler.Q – Is there violence and is the violence graphic?A – There is some violence but not especially graphic.Q - My biggest pleasure or disappointment?A – No disappointments at all. A superb tale. Would be a great episode on Criminal Minds.One nice feature is that, just as so many other good stories, this mostly first-person narrative weaves two basic stories together to give us a tale that is not at all unlike real life. I was a bit skeptical that this novel would live up to the potential evident in the prologue, but I was wrong.To give a feel for the editing, and the style and flow of this work, I am posting a brief excerpt below.ExcerptDavid Craig looked at me like a man who had just been hit by an idea that changed his entire understanding of the world.“You have clothes at the jail,” I said. “Your wallet.”“Will you get them for me?”“I don’t think the jail would be the safest place for me right now. We’ll send your brother. Need a ride home?”“Yes. Would you mind?”I turned to Jack, who had just witnessed his old man pull off something nearly unheard of. He was looking at me with a mixture of admiration and confusion.“Jack, do you know where the county clerk’s office is downstairs?” I said.“Yeah, I think so,” he said.“There’s a door that leads to a basement that leads to another door that opens onto the street out back. I want you to tell the clerk you’re my son and you’d like to use the back door. She’ll let you do it. Head for the truck, bring it, and we’ll hit the door running. We should be able to avoid dealing with the hyenas that way.”Jack got up and walked out the back of the courtroom. A couple of minutes later, I ushered David Craig out the same door, down a back hall to a set of stairs at the back of the courthouse. We descended the stairs and entered the county clerk’s office.“Hi Gladys,” I said, “Can we use the escape hatch?” “By all means.” Gladys looked like Dana Carvey’s church lady character on Saturday Night Live. “Your son already…Pratt, Scott. Judgment Cometh: (And That Right Soon) (Joe Dillard Series Book 8) (Kindle Locations 1487-1500). Phoenix Flying, Inc.. Kindle Edition.Bottom Line:This is a terrific stand alone with no cliffhanger ending. I am certainly going to read the earlier books.Five stars out of five. This could well be the best crime fiction suspense that I’ve read this year.Comments regarding your opinion of this book or of my review, whether favorable or unfavorable, are always welcome. If you buy the book based on my review and become disappointed, especially, I do want to know that and I want to understand how I can improve as a book reviewer. Just please be polite.Thank you.

This is another four star entry in a five star series. I say that because each book falls slightly short of the superb mark but the series doesn't. The reason is that the series has many repeating characters which have developed, changed and grown over the many years the eight books cover. The best part of each book is us discovering how these various characters are faring, their accomplishments, failures and progress as they wade though this thing we call living.In this entry, we're again treated to less a courtroom adventure or mystery and more a rather static pursuit. After what starts out to be somewhat of an intriguing tale, the book loses its intrigue. We soon know who the bad guy is, and it's not really a surprise either. We know that he'll be brought down before the book ends because they always are brought down. We just need the book to fill in some details of how it's done.As it turns out, once more it's done through a person who acts like a deus ex machina after some of the regulars botch things up a bit. It's not really clear how the bad guy is so amazingly adept, but it's needed to add a bit of tension and I mean just a bit too because we know he isn't going to prevail.Meanwhile back at the Dillard Place, his wife is still gravely ill and her illness along with what she has to go through in this book and past books to try to survive cancer is among the most moving aspects of the series.I strongly suggest that if you have an interest in this book that you start the series at volume one. A great deal of how much one may enjoy this entry depends on how much you have invested in the family and friends of Joe Dillard.In sum, an another entertaining entry in a terrific series.

I gave this book 5 Stars because I really enjoyed the action and adventure. I love books that include courtroom drama, lawyers, judges, psychos and mystery. This book is full of all of it! The author is an excellent, articulate writer, with a keen eye for human frailty and deviance. Mr. Scott also describes psychotic thinking, behaviour and tendencies quite well, which makes the plot somewhat believable. I also appreciate the protagonist's quick wit and knowledge of the law in general. What I didn't really care for was the fact that there isn't very much cultural diversity in the book. Although the author admits the setting calls for mostly "White people", he could have added more diversity based on the fact that the book is FICTION. Several parts of the book are downright unbelievable anyway; so would it have be so difficult to add some people of color? That's my only peeve with this book... actually ALL of his books. Nevertheless, the book is good, and therefore, deserves a 5 Star rating (IMHO). The book is basically about a lawyer who accepts a case for a man wrongly accused of murdering judges. Although the plot is somewhat predictable, I found the book excellent, in spite of this and other minor flaws. Good job Scott Pratt!

For some reason, this is one of my favorite Dillard stories. It really shows all the sides of his character, the good and the bad. What starts as a simple DUI stop by a young officer quickly spirals into a lot more as Joe faces life threatening obstacles for him and his family.