Book Review: Facing Justice

Facing Justice is the first novel from Diane/David Munson, the ex-prosecutor/ex-undercover agent, wife/husband writing duo.

Blurb from the cover: Former Federal Prosecutor Diane Munson and retired Federal Special Agent David Munson draw on their true-life experiences in this suspense novel about Special Agent Eva Montanna, whose twin sister died at the Pentagon on 9/11.

Eva dedicates her career to avenge her death while investigating Emile Jubayl, a member of Eva’s church and CEO of Helpers International, who is accused of using his aid organization to funnel money to El Samoud, head of the Armed Revolutionary Cause, and successor to Al Qaeda.

Family relationships are tested in this fast-paced, true-to-life legal thriller about the men and women who are racing to defuse the ticking time bomb of international terrorism.

First of all, David was right. As I previously reviewed Confirming Justice, the third book in the Munson’s growing series, I was interested in how I would feel meeting a couple of the characters for the first time, again. The books don’t need to be read in publishing order to be entertaining and make sense. From a character evolving stand point I would definitely recommend starting with Facing Justice and moving through the Munson’s series in order.

I will certainly continue reading the Munson’s books. I enjoy their characters, even the ones I don’t like. I think Eva, Griff, Trenton, Sari, Emile, George, and even Zayed and Camille are relatable characters. Some characters are Christ followers and go through sincere crises of faith. All are on a journey in one way or another; some towards forgiveness, redemption and salvation, while others careen to deception, alienation, and destruction.

One character I have to address is Trenton Nash. His character arc thru this book is perhaps the hardest to follow. Mostly because I couldn’t stand him after the first chapter he appeared in. Which was the second chapter of the book. He was infuriating with his arrogance and flippant attitude leaping off the page. I was thankful for Griff and Eva’s experienced hands on the investigation.

I would like to say I was a big person. But I did not reflect Christ very well when it came to Trenton’s character. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, often called the “love chapter” of the Bible, state “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Despite the fact that I began to feel sorry for Trenton as more of his past was revealed, I was pretty happy to see Trenton get caught and punished. However, I didn’t expect to see his remorse and contrition. Once Trenton made it clear that he wanted to change his life, I wanted to give him a second chance. When his past was fully exposed, only then was I reminded how twisted our past can turn us.

Speaking of past pain, several of the terrorists of the book have specific moments/events themselves that fuel their desire to kill and destroy. While it certainly didn’t bring me to condone the characters’ actions; I did feel pity for them. It was painful to begin understanding how the terrorists came to be who they were based on their past pain, their loss of hope, and their despair.

Facing Justice did captivate me. I had a hard time pausing to sleep, eat and go to work. There were a couple spots I felt were out of place. Early on, Eva’s got a morning that goes from bad to worse, but the description of what happened gets sandwiched in half a page later in her conversation with Trenton. It distracted me from what they were talking about. These are minor things though in the grand scheme of the book. There were some supporting characters that didn’t seem fleshed out very well; the secretary for Eva’s group is rather one-dimensional as are several of the FBI agents, but there’s not a lot of time spent with them so it’s understandable. Though the secretary kind of tweaks me the wrong way.

I really enjoyed learning about the intricacies of the grand jury process, and the ins and outs of pen registers and wire-tapping. The Munson’s backgrounds and their attention to detail come through prominently in the objective descriptions, as well as the character’s dialogue.

Like Confirming Justice, there are some wonderful, life and faith affirming themes to Facing Justice. There are some tried and true lessons to be gleamed about the American system of justice and law enforcement.

The theme of redemption and forgiveness play strongly in Trenton Nash’s story arc. The timelessness of God’s mercy and grace are evident as well. Forgiveness also plays a large role in Sari’s story arc. God’s sovereignty and love are also present. Thelma is a pillar of faith that stands in Sari’s life in stark contrast to Sari’s neglectful family. Clearly, community is vital to survival as Christians. We do not live/serve/worship God in a vacuum. The importance of family and the strains between job and family push Eva to the limit and force her to make hard choices, ultimately affirming family comes before work.

The idea that people are “innocent until proven guilty” rings false in today’s media saturated culture. People are nearly always convicted or cleared in the public’s eye before law enforcement and the courts can review the evidence and make informed decisions on justice. I think the Munson’s touch this point fearlessly. There are “terrorists” that are anything but.

However, on one last note…there are some, let’s call them inconsistencies in the end. There is a possibility that a single character has deceived everyone. Left me hanging, questioning, and wondering…

Did I mention how much I look forward to the next Munson book on my list?

 

Curl up with a good friend—read a book!