Imperfect Justice

Written by Cara C. Putman

Narrated by Hillary Huber

The police say Kaylene Adams was a murderer—but Emilie Wesley will stop at nothing to clear her client’s name and protect the innocent daughter Kaylene left behind.

To the world it seems obvious: Kaylene Adams killed her daughter before taking her own life. Attorney Emilie Wesley knows a different story: Kaylene would never hurt anyone and was looking for a way out of a controlling, abusive relationship. Her death shakes Emilie’s belief that she can make a difference for women in violent marriages. Self-doubt plagues her as she struggles to continue her work in the wake of the tragedy. 

Reid Billings thought he knew his sister—right up until he learned how she died. He discovers a letter from Kaylene begging him to fight for custody of her daughters if anything should happen to her. No attorney in her right mind would support an uncle instead of the father in a custody case, but Kaylene’s letter claims Emilie Wesley will help him. 

Thrown together in the race to save Kaylene’s surviving daughter, Emily and Reid pursue the constantly evasive truth. If they can hang on to hope together, can they save a young girl—and find a future for themselves in the process? 

“This is the way legal thrillers are meant to be—compelling, intelligent, and deeply satisfying.” —Randy Singer, author of Rule of Law

“A legal thriller that takes on a burning social issue and the role of faith and strength in meeting that challenge. Like all good storytellers, Cara Putman makes you care. She is at the top of her game with Imperfect Justice.” —James Scott Bell, bestselling author of Romeo’s Rules 

• Legal romantic suspense with inspirational elements
• Second book in the Hidden Justice series but can be enjoyed as a standalone
• Book length: approximately 92K words

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Dec 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9780785219927

Cara C. Putman

Cara Putman is the author of more than twenty-five legal thrillers, historical romances, and romantic suspense novels. She has won or been a finalist for honors including the ACFW Book of the Year and the Christian Retailing’s BEST Award. Cara graduated high school at sixteen, college at twenty, completed her law degree at twenty-seven, and recently received her MBA. She is a practicing attorney, teaches undergraduate and graduate law courses at a Big Ten business school, and is a homeschooling mom of four. She lives with her husband and children in Indiana. Visit her website at CaraPutman.com; Facebook: Cara.Putman; Twitter: @Cara_Putman.

Reviews for Imperfect Justice

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Imperfect Justice by Cara Putman is an intriguing legal mystery with a gentle undercurrent of faith. This second installment in the Hidden Justice series easily stands on its own.

Emilie Wesley is a lawyer who is employed at a foundation that helps women escape from abusive relationships. She is worried when her client, Kaylene Adams, does not show up for a court appearance for an order of protection but nothing can prepare her for the reason Kaylene missed their appointment. Emilie is absolutely stunned by the news Kaylene is dead and authorities suspect she shot both her daughters, killing one and critically wounding the other,  before turning the gun on herself. Emilie knows Kaylene would never do anything to harm her children so she is very eager to help when her client's younger brother, Reid Billings, requests her help in gaining custody of his niece, Kinley.

Emilie is quite shaken and she has a bit of a career crisis in the aftermath of Kaylene's death. She is having difficulty concentrating as she tries to figure out whether or not she might have overlooked crucial information in her former client's case. Her friends are aware of her distress and they quickly rally around her and offer unsolicited advice about her career. Adding to her worries is Emilie's fear that her stalker is back but she  is having difficulty getting anyone to take her concerns seriously.

In the aftermath of his sister's death,  Reid feels incredibly guilty that he let his professional aspirations prevent him from spending more time with her and her family. Stunned by his brother-in-law Robert's demand that he stay away from him and Kinley, Reid cannot help but fear for his niece's safety. After stumbling onto a worrying letter written to him by Kaylene, he ramps up his efforts to gain custody of Kinley. He immediately requests Emilie's help since she has intimate knowledge of what was going on in his sister's life.

Emilie and Reid are well aware that gaining custody of Kinley is a long shot, but fearing what will happen if she remains with Robert, they immediately begin investigating the shootings.  They leave no stone unturned as they question neighbors and Reid's oldest niece's friends. Reid uncovers information that supports Emilie's assertion that Kaylene was planning to escape her marriage with her daughters but they have yet to find definitive proof that Robert was abusing her. Will they find the evidence they need before Kinley is released from the hospital into her father's care?

The romantic element of the storyline is somewhat understated but there is no mistaking the attraction between Emilie and Reid. Emilie is also very aware that she must take care not to blur the lines between her professional and personal lives. However, Reid and Emilie do enjoy a few sweetly romantic dates during their investigation.

Imperfect Justice is a even but somewhat slow placed legal mystery. The characters are interesting  and well-developed but the storyline is a little busy due to multiple story arcs. The domestic violence aspect of the plot is realistically and sensitively depicted. Cara Putnam brings the novel to a somewhat exciting and satisfactory conclusion.  Old and new fans will enjoy this latest addition to the Hidden Justice series.

[vintagebeckie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Imperfect Justice is the first book by Cara Putman that my book club has read. And judging from the demands of members, it certainly won’t be the last. This page-turning romantic suspense got two thumbs-up from By The Book.Emilie Wesley is a lawyer who fights to protect her clients from abuse and harassment. She knows a thing or two about that, having encountered an abusive boyfriend and a stalker. But something goes horribly wrong with one of her clients, and the woman she vowed to protect is dead and so is the daughter she is accused of killing. Emilie teams up with her client’s brother to find the truth and protect Kaylene’s surviving child.Imperfect Justice combines suspense, romance and legal drama in one satisfying read. Members of By The Book found the characters real and relatable and the plot realistic. We had a great discussion of the aspects of protective orders and family violence. We also agreed that we never saw the ending coming — a big plus with our group. We read a lot of suspense, and if a book manages to surprise us, that is a big plus! Members also agreed that we liked the sincere faith of the characters, especially Reid. There were some minor plot points that we found a bit convenient and we thought Reid’s niece recovered a bit quickly, but all in all we recommend this novel.Imperfect Justice is the second book in the series, but is easily read as a standalone. By the time we finished our discussion, many were clamoring to get a copy of book 1, Beyond Justice. And, I imagine that book 3, Delayed Justice will make more than one member’s TBR list.Recommended.Great for Book Clubs.Audience: adults.

[lamb521 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Title: Imperfect JusticeAuthor: Cara PutmanPages: 352Year: 2017Publisher: Thomas NelsonMy rating 5+ out of 5 stars.The Justice series begins with the first book titled, Beyond Justice. In her latest novel, Imperfect Justice, Cara really ups her game by placing before readers a thoroughly addictive story that was hard to put down. Though, to be truthful, I didn’t want to put it down! Having read her first novel, I was very much interested in seeing where the plot would go and how the characters would develop that were introduced in the first book.Here in book two what an amazing, heart-grabbing and heart-pounding sequel! The main female lawyer, Emilie Wesley, has been through an abusive relationship and empathizes with those women who are seeking to escape from their significant others who are harming them in a multitude of ways. Emily’s most daunting reality though is the one case she never got to court; the one woman she felt she let down. Kaylene Adams along with her two daughters Emily wanted so very much to see escape to a whole new life, free from her controlling and abusive husband.When Kaylene is smeared across the pages and internet saying she killed her daughters and herself, Emily can’t seem to make the world stop spinning. Something is wrong here that drives Emily to seek the truth for those who can no longer speak for themselves. There are obstacles besides the media that challenge Emily to decide if she wants to fight for truth! Reid Billings is Kaylene’s younger brother, who has not seen his sister in a while and cannot accept her actions, which don’t seem like something his sister is capable of doing.Now together, Emily along with Reid set out to find the truth even if the proof is that what has been said about Kaylene is true. Along the way, Emily and Reid’s hearts become entangled in a possible budding romance if Emily will let herself believe that not all men are controllers, abusive and more. At times, my heart was in my throat as I read this special story that really brings to the forefront the need some have to become free from a very dysfunctional relationship.At the end of the book, I read the Acknowledgments page to find out that the author found the story difficult to write and at times was not sure where to take the plot. I was reminded how truly appreciative I am for those who sit in front of a computer and write, rewrite, bang their heads, start over and so much more to tell the story that they long to convey to readers. I want to thank Cara Putman for telling a very heart-tugging and touching story that in the end was excellent! For me, I won’t soon forget this book and look forward to whatever Cara brings next in the Justice series!Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[harley0326 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Get ready for a roller coaster ride as you read this action packed story. The author does an amazing job of keeping readers guessing as the story has intrigue and surprises . I loved the storyline about advocating for women in domestic situations. The story takes readers behind the scenes where lawyers fight to protect their clients through the court system. Domestic violence is a hard subject to read about, and the author does a very good job of showing readers the impact it has on families. What I liked about Emilie was her determination to clear her clients name. After meeting with Kaylene , Emilie knew there was danger in the home and needed to get Kaylene and her daughters away from a violent marriage. My heart broke as it seemed liked Emilie was to late to save Kaylene and her daughters. The reports in the news were devastating but Emilie felt there was more to the story. Why would Kaylene shoot her daughters on the day she was getting a protective order? Something wasn’t adding up for Emilie and I loved how the author guided us through her investigation with details that made us question what was the truth. Reid was a good character and I could sense his pain when he learns about what his sister has been accused of. I loved how he didn’t back off as his brother-in-law tried to keep him away from his niece. When he teams up with Emilie to get custody of his niece and prove his sister innocent, the fireworks explode as the tension mounts. The story is riveting and I couldn’t put it down. Emilie has her hands full helping Reid while trying to figure out who is stalking her and why. I found that part of the story interesting but a bit confusing at times. I didn’t quite understand why that was part of the story. It was well written and I loved trying to figure out who it was, but I felt it should have been maybe in a book of its own. Overall I liked the book and the ending was good. The court scenes were my favorite because the author really nails how intense it is in a courtroom. You could feel the characters stiffen and sweat as they waited for the judge to rule. If you like intrigue and action, be sure and pick up a copy of this book.I received a copy of this book from LitFuse. The review is my own opinion.

[alekee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cara Putman has woven a tale of heartbreak, courage, and resolve to fight for justice, all with their heart on their sleeves.This book has a bit of everything, from stalking, controlling, murder, abuse, and then those who want to be there to help those in need. What starts out as just a job of being a lawyer and helping those in horrible situations, ends up being life changing, fighting the all consuming pain and grief and hopeless at not being able to change the past.The bad part about this book is once you turn the first page you will be hooked, and nothing better get in the way, yes this is an enjoyable, powerful read.I received this book through the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

[simplykelina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was sent this book in part of a blog tour. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review. This was a total case of “do not judge a book by its cover” for me. I did not think I was going to love this at all, and it was the one ARC I was the least excited about. I ended up loving it. I connected with the story and devoured it. This starts off with a mother killing herself and killing/harming her children! Even though it was predictable I wanted to see how it unfolded.I really enjoyed how this starts. I work with victims of domestic abuse, and I think the author did a great job introducing the subject and how it can be when a victim is trying to get help. You can really see the internal struggles one can face when working in this field and how they internalize themselves failing when something goes wrong. It also immediately caught my attention and I did not want to put it down. Be prepared to shed a tear or two as well.I really loved the parts that dealt with Reid and Emily and their relationship. It was a slow moving romance, but I prefer it not to be insta-love. However; I was not as invested in their side stories and wish the author would have stuck with the story around Kayleen and their budding romance. It did bring a little more action to the story though.Overall, I loved this though and recommend giving it a try especially if you work with abuse/domestic violence victims.