Cathy C. (cathyskye) - , reviewed on 10/5/2016 + 2307 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 5

Told from two differing points of view, author Allen Eskens takes characters from his previous two novels (The Life We Bury, The Guise of Another) and weaves some literary magic. The title is from a Latin phrase: Fiat justitia ruat caelum-- Do justice though the heavens may fall. Max and Boady are both men who are committed to justice. When Boady explains the phrase ("If a person is ever presented with the choice, that person must always do what is right even though it may bring on great personal loss"), I got chills. Both men are capable of putting it all on the line to do the right thing, and they're on opposite sides in this case. What is going to happen?

I like Eskens' approach to writing a series. It's not exactly linear. Instead, he takes characters from previous books and puts them in different pairings and different scenarios in each successive book. It works. The writing is elegant, tightly woven, and swift moving. Moreover, if you're a character-driven reader, you're going to love him. Eskens' characters are flawed yet strong, and their emotional turmoil can be as visceral as a punch in the gut. It's altogether too easy for me to put myself in Max and Boady's shoes and feel everything that they do. I become lost in the world the author has created.

The story is brilliantly told. The two points of view do double duty: letting readers know what Max and Boady are doing while keeping us off-balance. And the ending? You're just not quite sure how things are going to turn out until they actually do. Allen Eskens is a lawyer who knows how to write, and he has the awards to prove it. (With more to come if I'm not mistaken!) Do yourself a favor and read him!

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