Review by Michelle Fred -- The Judge part 1 and 2

[Ngozi Onyibor]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Judge part 1 and 2" by Ian RB Morris.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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As a duty solicitor, it isn't unusual for Peter to get called at odd hours to bail a client. He had lost clients to death, but he had never had to identify a body. Being called to identify Bobby’s body was distressing and strange to him. Bobby was a male prostitute client of his whose lifeless body was found in his apartment with a harness around his neck.  Authorities chalked up his death to a trick gone wrong, and the police weren’t planning to raise dust about it. Peter is convinced his death is not an accident and planned to do a little snooping of his own. When the autopsy result corroborated his suspicions, curiosity got the better of him and he dug deeper. His digging unearthed a can of worms that certain powerful people would go to grave lengths to bury. Bent on seeing justice prevail, his girlfriend’s disappearance forced him to reevaluate his stance.

This crime thriller with a touch of romance is a page-turner. The twists and turns kept me guessing until the end. The character-driven plot is spiced with authentic dialogues and a medley of peculiar and relatable characters. Peter is smart with a strong sense of justice. Naomi is intelligent and brave. The prevalent themes are abuse, love, justice and revenge, and the author did an amazing job of depicting the complexity of human behaviours. 

I appreciate that the book iterates the need for balance in life and the futility of garnering wealth and power at the expense of building meaningful human relationships. Judge Justin had cause to slow down and reflect on his life after a heart attack. He realized he cared more about his career and public image than the impact of his behaviour on himself and others. Same as Mather, the social-climbing shark. He would throw anyone under the bus, provided it would get him a rung higher on the social ladder. But no amount of wealth and power can fill the void of a lonely and loveless life.

Considering that this is the author's debut novel, his writing skills impressed me. He is an expert at capturing and holding a reader's attention from start to finish. The beautiful formatting and meticulous editing of the novel lend credence to a professional touch. Like a pollutant intent on contaminating a pure substance, I spotted an occasional misused or missing word. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. It was an exhilarating and reflective read. Besides the gardener's name vacillating between Geoffreys and Geoffrey's, I have absolutely no complaints about the book.

If you fancy psychological crime thrillers, The Judge: Part 1 and 2 by Ian R B Morris will be worth your while. Its eroticism is non-explicit and mostly left to the reader’s imagination. Also, there are innocuous mentions of homosexuality used mainly to propel the plot. I wouldn’t recommend this book for kids because it contains violence.

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The Judge part 1 and 2
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[Irmelin]

Thank you for an interesting review. Sounds like the story is worth reading. I love crime stories. After reading your review I would consider finding this book and read it. Thank you

[Harty Muli]

I like Peter's adherence to duty and loyalty to his clients even in death. I hope to read this crime thriller. Thanks for the informative review.

[Divergent_2020]

Sounds interesting. Love "Crime thrillers with a touch of romance". Will definitely read this one. Thank you.

[Ellylion]

Sounds like an engaging read, especially for a debut novel Amazing review!

[Jyockel08]

I really want to read this now. Thanks for such a great review.

[Nkoo]

From your review, this book appears to be interesting already. I like the balance echoed in it. I have added it to my list. Thanks for your interesting review.

[HanElizabeth397]

I recently read this book too & I hadn't realised it was the author's debut! That makes it even more impressive because I also thought it was incredibly well written. Although I hadn't spotted the changing gardeners name - good spot!