Former defense attorney Darren Street is desperately trying to put his life back together after spending two years in a maximum-security prison for a murder he didn’t commit. He’s rebuilding his law practice, reconnecting with his son, and falling more deeply in love with his girlfriend, fellow attorney Grace Alexander. But the past casts a long shadow, and for Street, there’s no outrunning it.
Tormented by nightmares and violent mood swings, Street is seeking treatment for PTSD when a new trauma shakes his world: his mother is killed in an explosion, but the police believe Street was the intended target. Payback from an old enemy, or the calling card of a deadly new foe? Whoever’s behind it, Street begins to lose his grip on reality and decides to take matters in his own hands. And the law won’t stop him from revenge. Justice has a new name: Darren Street.
My favorite attorney turned vigilante is back and better than ever in the second installment of the Darren Street series. Well, that’s not totally true. He’s not better than ever. Darren has a few hiccups trying to piece back his life and move on from being wrongfully incarcerated by a blind justice and an even more corrupt Lady Justice, if you will.
But despite all Street’s woes, he’s maturing and trying to keep it pushing, so much so, that he proposes to his girlfriend, Grace Alexander, who helped him with his defense in getting out of prison and clearing his name. Even though Street is trying to deal with his past demons, nightmares and images lurking behind his mind’s eye, an old enemy has decided to rear its ugly head and thrust himself back into Street’s life. However, having said that, Darren wasn’t aware that his so-called enemy existed, until an extreme tragedy took place.
Someone decided to kill Darren Street but the joke was on them because Darren was safe and sound with Grace and enjoying their engagement when Darren gets a call that changed the course of his life from this point on. His mother’s house had been blown to smithereens. His mother, whom was once a whole person, mind, body and spirit, was scattered to bits all throughout the house. There wasn’t anything left of this house, but an empty spot where a house used to be.
Street was devastated and from the tragedy a new person was born. What the prison didn’t take from Darren, the death is his mother destroyed the rest of Street’s being. At this point, nothing mattered to him, not even his son and his girlfriend. The only thing on Darren’s mind was who did it and where could he find them. There wasn’t any way he was going to allow the person or people involved to continue to draw breath another day.
Thanks to an error of the police department, Darren was able to find out who the “person of interests” were, and that’s where this story takes off like a rocket. Gaaaat damn, Pratt wrote the hell out of this book. I absolutely love Scott Pratt’s work. He is one of my favorite legal writers. Darren Street is a character that you root for no matter what, and even though he makes decisions and does things that I know isn’t right, you can’t help wanting him to win. I love Darren Street’s character. I see so much of myself in him. Pratt really expanded on the lengths and strengths of Street’s character and puts you in the driver seat. If you aren’t feeling what Darren is going through, you do not have a pulse. To watch this kind-hearted attorney, go from loving life and trying to do what’s best for himself, family and his clients, and to see how hardened he became after being incarcerated and railroaded by an attorney general who had it out for him is just incredible. The transitions that he goes through are absolutely amazing and what makes it so is that Pratt outlines the transformation right before your very eyes.
Man, oh Man I love when an author makes you feel his/her characters. I made an error in reading the series out of order, but it doesn’t matter because each of the books can be read as a standalone. What a damn good book. Wowwwww, Pratt outdid himself once again. I love reading his work. His legal thrillers take you on an emotional roller coaster ride that I don’t ever want to get off. Well done!
The Sexy Nerd gives Burning Justice five more additional flames. Wowwww, this book was so damn good! I want to see all Pratt’s legal novels into movies. I believe they would translate well onto the silver screen. Here’s hoping! Until next time, nerds, open a book and get mind blown!
