Fatal Judgment (Guardians of Justice, Book 1)

Wow, this was a really good story! I can't believe I just happened upon Ms. Hannon's work, What luck! Ms. Hannon is a seasoned author, and it shows. The plot is tight; the story that unfolds riveting. Furthermore, the characters, both protagonists and secondary characters, are so well developed that they almost seemed real. Liz, the heroine, is a District Court judge, a position she's only had for four months. Liz's sister is recently separated from her husband and is staying with Liz when she is murdered--shot in the back of the head. The US Marshals are called in to provide Liz with a protective detail until it can be determined whether her sister, or Liz, was the intended target.Jake Taylor, a veteran US Marshal, was the best friend of Liz's husband, who died five years earlier. Jake and Liz haven't seen each other since the funeral, and before that they had only met once, when Liz married his friend. Although Jake Liz very well, he certainly has an opinion of her, one based on things told to him by his friend. From those conversations, Jake believes Liz is cold-hearted, work obsessed, and self-absorbed. Jake is not happy when he is put in charge of Liz's protective detail, but being the consummate professional he accepts the assignment without complaint. At first Jake's manner towards Liz is reserved and strictly professional, but in light of her intense grief, he can't help but feel compassion towards her. Very quickly his manner softens, and as he spends more time with Liz, Jake comes to realize that she is nothing like he thought she was; she is kind, compassionate, caring, and generous. Very quickly, Jake's feelings for Liz change and evolve into love.What I really like about this story is the way the romance between Jake and Liz evolves over time. This is no rush to love; although the two are intensely attracted from very early on. I loved the fact that despite his reservations about Liz, Jake was always polite and professional towards her, and as he gets to know her better, his behavior became more protective, tender, and very sweet. This being a Christian romance, the story is clean; no sex, just the occasional sweet kiss here and there. That does not mean, however, that there is no chemistry between the couple. In fact the opposite is true. Jake is very attracted to Liz, and at times has an almost overwhelming urge to hold her or kiss her. Nonetheless, while he was assigned to protect her, Jake keeps his behavior professional, and it's not until the threat against Liz is removed that the couple finally share their first kiss. In the interim, we see sweet moments between them; a tender look, a light caress of a cheek, a moment of hand holding.The story provides an overall picture for the reader--by that I mean that we are privy to the identity of the culprit who seeks to murder Liz very early on in the book. Parts of the story are told from the killer's perspective, and we get to know a little about him, his life, and his motivation for trying to kill Liz. For some readers this may be a deal breaker as some prefer to have the mystery drawn out to the very end--or close to--but, I personally enjoyed getting to see things from the perpetrator's POV. It provided an added dimension to the story. My only complaint about the book--if I had to have one--is that for a large part of the story there isn't very much going on in terms of the murder. During that period we see a lot of Jake and Liz together as their relationship develop, which was nice, and we get to follow the police investigation into the murder as they attempt to determine to find the killer and determine whether or not Liz was the intended target. We also get to follow the killer and see what he's doing as he prepares for a second attempt against Liz's life. However, it's not until about the last third of the book that things pick up and the story begins to get exciting. This is certainly not what I would call an action-packed story.Aside from that one minor complaint aside, I really enjoyed this book. It's a nice combination of sweet romance and suspenseful drama. There's no sex, but truthfully I didn't miss it. As for the Christian aspect, it's very subtle. This book is certainly not what I would call preachy. There is no bible passages quoted, no prayers recited, or the like. Instead, this is a story that involves characters who, like most real people, try to live good Christian lives, but how struggle with their faith, especially during difficult times. IMO, unless you are a person who is offended by any mention of God or Christianity, you probably won't be bothered by the religious aspect. FYI, Jake's younger brother and sister, both of whom are prominently featured in this story, do get their own story in the second and third books in the Guardian's of Justice trilogy. Happy reading!

If you like well written suspense thrillers, this one is for you. The story is well written with believable characters and story line. Im interested in reading more books written by Irene Hannon

This is what I call a "formula book." You have the handsome, strong federal agent go protect the beautiful, yet independent woman during a time of crisis. The agent says he won't get involved, yet finds himself inexorably pulled in by her looks and her fragility. This book followed that formula so close, I couldn't decide if I'd read the book before or not.What was different about this book was the undercurrent of the Christian faith that ran through the whole thing. However, it wasn't shoved in your face over and over, and didn't impact the story a whole lot.We have human fragility in faith in the form of Jake Taylor, who lost his faith in God when he lost his wife to a senseless accident several years back. Whereas Elizabeth clung to her faith during all of the trials she'd faced over the years. Do not think that this book depended on God stepping in and make everything work out perfect. It wasn't like that at all. However, the faith component definitely kept down the unnecessary curse words and sexual interactions. It made it so I would be more than willing to hand the book over to my 16 year old without any qualms.The book had a spectacular ending that kept you flipping through the pages as fast as you could read them to find out what happened next. All in all, It was well-written and an enjoyable read. If you like these types of books, this is one you definitely want to add to your list if you don't mind the Christian aspect of the story line.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I had read another book by Irene Hannon and liked it, so I was excited to read this one. It is the first in a series, but the books can be read as stand-alone books. Some of the characters carry over to other stories, but the book is complete by itself. Thanks, Irene Hannon, for not writing a cliff hanger. I hate it when I read a book, and it leaves me hanging at the end. I don't want to have to buy another book or wait for months until the next comes out, just to finish the story.The main characters in this story were very likeable and well-developed. I felt a connection with them. They each had their own problems and griefs, but they were working through them and growing from them. The story line kept me interested throughout the book. This is a romantic suspense book. It's not really a mystery, as the perpetrator was revealed quite early in the book, but the background and the thinking of the person was brought out.Irene Hannon is a Christian fiction author, and there were some Christian undertones through the book, but it wasn't overdone or preachy. There were no sex scenes and no foul language. That is the main reason I read Christian fiction--I don't like the crude language and gratuitous sex in a lot of books these days. To me, it detracts from the story and cheapens it. I would recommend this book to those who like good, clean books. I will definitely read more of her books.

Irene Hannon is certainly one of the better Christian-romance-suspense writers out there, alongside Dee Henderson. Her characters are engaging and enjoyable, and while she does tend towards a certain homogeneity in her plotting and her heroes, she also makes some good points about faith and life along the way. I also enjoy that she brings in characters from previous series in supporting roles - it's fun to spot characters from "Heroes of Quantico" popping up.Unlike Henderson, Hannon doesn't have endless irritating typo/grammar errors which detract from the stories and characters. I really enjoy Henderson's characters and storytelling, but it's a shame the proofreading is a huge letdown at times.Nothing earth shatteringly original here, but an enjoyable, somewhat suspenseful tale with a few interesting twists and turns along the way. If you enjoy Dee Henderson, Lynette Eason and their ilk, and reading suspense and romance with a religious theme, then you will probably find yourself becoming a fan of Irene Hannon, too.

I was looking for something a bit different to a Christian romance and downloaded this onto my Kindle. I wouldn't say that it was a fantastic read but then again I was probably expecting more of an suspense type novel with mystery. I found myself getting frustrated with the storyline in places, as it seemed a bit drawn out, and you could tell where the story was going. It was however quite gripping in a couple of parts.

I liked reading this book very much. It kept me " on the edge of my seat" at times wondering just how the situation would work out . It was one of those books that made me want to get to the end to discover how it did work out but at the same time didn't want it to finish as I was enjoying it so much!! I found it interesting too, to read how the main characters changed throughout the book.

An easy enjoyable read, the characters are well draw and flows at a nice pace. Centered on the U S Marshal service and a Federal Judge who needs protection when her sister is killed, this romantic suspense the first in a series held my attention to the last page. A good four and a half stars, well worth your time.

A very entertaining book. I really enjoyed the fast moving pace. There was good technical detail, love interest and excitement all without swearing and overtly sexual tones. It kept me rooted and hard to put down. Shall definitely be reading more of this series and this author.