She was tired of living a lie and wanted to know the truth about herself, about her past. But now she wished she’d never looked back… with is a John Doe. It has the makings of a scandal, but Madison’s boss is determined that nothing gets out that will tarnish the family’s reputation.
Sergeant Winston doesn’t even want her questioning the widower or his children. Winston’s just concerned about protecting one of the largest financial contributors to the Stiles Police Department. Madison’s not about to be swayed from finding the truth of what happened—even it means pushing against her superior’s orders and risking suspension. After all, she’s well aware that corruption exists within the Stiles PD, but she’d never suspected it might include her own sergeant—until now.
As she continues the investigation, the man is identified and shocking family secrets come to light. Certainly, nothing was as it appeared, and it just may be that those who seem to have perfect lives are living the biggest lies of all. But if there’s to be justice, Madison must push through all the obstacles hurled her way and never back down. Much easier said than done when her enemies will go to any measure to protect themselves and silence her.
Shades of Justice is a murder mystery with twists and turns that will have readers flipping the pages until the wee hours of the morning. Perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Robert Dugoni.
Readers love Shades of Justice:
“Tremendous! A double homicide, decadent scandals, and smooth prose—Shades of Justice is the perfect combination of mystery and suspense.” –K.J. Howe, bestselling author of Skyjack
“It was addictive, full of action and suspense, and it kept me on my toes guessing. It is the perfect book for all action/murder mystery fans. It is certainly worth the read!” – Goodreads Review,
“There was plenty of action from start to finish and very fast-paced; it didn’t take me long to get through the book once I started… I would highly recommend Shades of Justice and all the books in the Madison Knight series to anyone looking for a great crime thriller book.” – Paperback Reading and More,
“Madison Knight has her hands full in this nonstop action novel! Twists and turns galore in this murder mystery.” – Miki’s Hope,
“The guessing game of who done it, and the little twists that I never saw coming made this yet another thrilling read from Carolyn Arnold, and kept me on my toes.” – Ebook Addicts,
“This is a gritty, wonderful story, with solid investigations and a roller coaster of a ride. I recommend this book and series to those who enjoy an action-packed story!” – Goodreads Review,
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The guessing game of who done it, and the little twists that I never saw coming made this yet another thrilling read from Carolyn Arnold.
Shades of Justice is the ninth instalment in the Detective Madison Knight series, and easily read as a stand alone, though having read the previous would definitely be to an advantage. I started this series at book 8 and there is a heck of a lot that has happened prior to this but the main story line in this book is entirely separate with enough of the back story playing out that you are not lost. That is what I love about Carolyn’s book’s – you can start late in the series and not feel lost and just want to go back and read everything!
We start the story with Madison meeting in secret for a personal reason – she is going off the books to find the corrupt cops within the department and take them down, just as she is wrapping said meeting she gets called into a case – a high-profile woman is killed in a compromising position, Madison must work her hardest to find a killer. At the scene she is met with a man and woman, both dead and naked in the pool it comes to light she is the wife of Steven Malone – who just so happens to be a huge contributor to the police department. With her boss Sergeant Winston at her heels every-step of the way fighting her as she does her job, she begins to wonder if he is part of the corruption.
With that investigation on the backburner in the background in secret Madison and her partner Trent set out to find out just who and why Steven Malone’s wife was killed and just who is the unidentified man she was with.
The guessing game of who done it, and the little twists that I never saw coming made this yet another thrilling read from Carolyn Arnold, and kept me on my toes.
I enjoy this detective series characters, scandals, pace, plot, and even a laugh here and there.
After all Maddison Knight experienced in the previous installment, my curiosity as it relates to what next was in store for the tenacious detective was on a high. Whatever, it was I knew without a doubt that Arnold would take her readers on a journey filled with twists and turns and provide a mystery that would keep them guessing to the end. She did not disappoint.
Madison is still reeling from her last adventure involving the kidnapping of her sister at the hands of the Russian Mafia. She decides to conduct her own investigation into corruption at the Stiles Police Department, a situation that places all whom she holds dear in danger. Added to that, she finds herself embroiled in a high profile case involving a double murder. Her boss wants her to treat the main suspect gently due to his benevolence to the Stiles PD. Maddison is not the type to bow to pressure and was determined to solve the case even it meant displeasing the department’s benefactor and her misogynistic boss.
This case points to the possibility of an affair gone bad, but as we go deeper into the story, we see there is more to the murders. Family secrets, blackmail, revenge and jealousy were the underlying factors of this mystery. The suspect pool is large, consisting of family members, friends and acquaintances. Maddison has her work cut out for her, but her tenacity knew no bounds.
She will learn that finding the truth is not always black and white and that to get the real story you look at what lies in between.
As the story progressed, I found myself guessing at every page turn. When I thought I had it figured out, the author highlights another suspect, which has me guessing all over again.
Besides dealing with issues resulting from the case and the private investigation, she is also preparing for her best friend’s wedding.
I had a great time reconnecting with the characters. With each installment, readers are treated to new information about the characters. This was no different. We see Maddison’s relationship with Troy developing and marriage appears to be on the horizon. She still has issues with trust, but she is learning to get a handle on it. These are characters whom I became invested in and needed to how their lives had developed since I was first introduced to them.
I loved all the characters, however, Madison outshone them all. This is not because she is the protagonist but because she is the epitome of a strong, independent, no nonsense female. She is a character that strong women can relate to.
Conclusion/Recommendation
Shades of Justice is a well-written story that will entertain you from start to finish. Fans of hard-boiled detective stories/police procedurals will enjoy this latest offering from Arnold.
Well, once again Arnold had me swinging between “do I tow the line” like Madison’s partner or “do I fight for justice no matter what the consequences” like Madison. Actually, I have this struggle almost every time I read this series. There’s a mean and ugly lieutenant they have to deal with, and he doesn’t just tow the line, he seems to suck up to almost every superior or donor. Even though in my mind I know this is all necessary whether it be a business or a public service department, it always makes me mad. I guess I’m a Madison, and I guess Carolyn Arnold creates her characters personalities so well, she has me gonna “show ‘em” before I get through a few chapters. I think this is one of Arnold’s greatest assets. You wouldn’t think that you could create as much interest or tension when most of the time two people are sitting in a car together. In her stories it seems like so much goes on with a very tight, condensed way of writing. Almost a “the less said the better” kind of thing and I am not sure how she tells a story so fully that way.
I’m sorry. I’m supposed to tell you just a tad about the story aren’t I? Obviously, I got a little carried away. As you can probably tell from the first paragraph Madison Knight is a cop, sometimes called Maddie. Madison is cheeky, tough, sometimes outspoken and always on the right side of justice. Terry is her partner and a friend and yet seems to have some problems this time. Problems that move her emotionally and make her want to butt in and yet make her want to respect his privacy. This is actually a pretty apt description of Madison as a cop. This time Maddie is part of Cynthia’s wedding. Cynthia is the ME on the force. While Maddie’s glad for her friend, she’s about as happy about being involved in the wedding as I would be.
This is Book 9 of a series titled “Detective Madison Knight”. This is what I would classify as crime fiction, a page turner like all of Arnold’s books and once again shows her knowledge of police procedure. No question it can be read as a stand alone. Only problem will be that you will have missed out on the other books in the series.
Carolyn Arnold has many books published; all have high reviews.
Shades of Justice by Carolyn Arnold #9 of the Detective Madison Knight series is not the first I have read in the series, not sure how many. That said, it can be read like a stand-alone novel. I promise!
A woman and a man are found dead at the bottom of a pool, completely naked, bullets in their heads. The woman is quickly identified but the man’s identity is unknown. She is Lorene Malone, a rich woman with secrets. Why is a woman murdered with a man other than her husband? Detective Madison Knight along with her partner Detective Terry Grant team up again to solve this murder.
There is a slew of suspects, from family members to acquaintances, leaves Madison at odds with her Sergeant as Steve Malone, wife of the murdered woman is a huge contributor to the police department of the city Stiles, where the woman lived. So that can make it difficult in trying to figure out and eliminate the many suspects and solve the murders in a professional way.
On a side story, Madison is to be a maid of honor to her best friend, Cynthia, a medical examiner on the case, which along with the case consumes her life including maintaining a relationship with her life partner Troy. There is also an internal investigation into corrupt cops which I am sure will be told in future books as it is never really solved in Shades of Justice. So needless to say there is a lot of things going on, so with long days and sleepless nights, can she move on with the investigation?
I love a strong woman protagonist and Madison is right up there as a woman who knows what she wants and is not easily intimidated. Since she is at odds at times with her Sergeant, she perseveres and with the help of her partner Terry and the understanding of her love Troy, she is able to get to the bottom of this murder and get to the wedding on time also!
I have read and reviewed a number of Carolyn Arnold novels and liked them and this one was also one I want to read more of the series. Carolyn Arnold is the only author with “POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™” Now what does that tell me? Well, it tells me that she knows her stuff!! I enjoyed the book and will be reading more by this author.
I received this book through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.
Madison Knight has her hands full in this non stop action novel! Twists and turns galore in this murder mystery. She and her partner really are trying to figure out who murdered the wife of Steven Malone and a mystery man in her home. All the family seems to care about is their reputation and they are being backed up by Madison’s boss—Then there is the wedding and the bride’s sister walks away at the last minute-can Madison get her to return? Meanwhile there is something going on with her boyfriend AND she has to find out why her partner is not exactly himself! She is also trying to get the dirt on some cops who are very dirty–without them finding out!
Will Madison be able to get everything figured out and/or fixed without losing her job?
This one will keep you reading–I did it in one sitting-I could not put it down!
Carolyn Arnold does an excellent job of presenting the case, piece by piece, putting aside preconceived notions and privilege to the moneyed.
I love stories with strong women and Madison is not only strong, but confident. Push and she pushes back. She always gets her man and the journey to finding him is one I love to read.
She does have some trust issues, so it’s a good thing that Troy is a man with patience to spare.
A naked woman is found dead in her home, with a man not her husband. There are plenty of suspects and mystery. Carolyn doesn’t give anything away, so I read on.
Carolyn Arnold is one of those authors whose characters keep on giving and make me eager to visit with them every chance I get.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Shades of Justice by Carolyn Arnold.
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I love the rivalry between Madison and her sergeant. Madison is learning the other side of the law….the side where the money is protected by those who get it. Not that it will stop her from seeking the justice she is looking for when hunting down a killer because it won’t. Just makes it harder. This is a great story! I loved it! I think it is the best one yet of the series. All the things that are going on lies, deceit, money, the people. You will need a scorecard but it well worth the cost of admission! I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Detective Madison Knight and her partner, Detective Terry Grant are back for another action packed adventure. This time, though, Madison is pushing the limits which may cost her the job … and her life.
A man and a woman are found naked and dead at the bottom of a swimming pool .. both of them shot in the head. The man is unidentified for the moment, but the woman was the wife of Steven Malone, a huge contributor to the local police department.
Madison has been at odds with her Sergeant, who tells her to back off questioning and investigating this prominent man and his family. But Madison generally has a one track mind and what she wants more than anything is to nail the killer with or without her supervisor’s permission.
Finding justice isn’t all black and white .. it’s the gray areas that will lead her .. somewhere.
This has been such a terrific series. Madison and Trent are like most siblings .. the tease, they argue, they disagree … but always do they have each other’s backs. Although 9th in the series, this one can easily be read as a stand alone.
There’s a little bit of everything here … murder, not once, but twice …. a family keeping secrets… twists and turns that bend the mind … lots of action …. even a little bit of romance thrown in. It’s an all-around enjoyable read.
Many thanks to the author and Hibbert & Stiles Publishing for the advanced digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
‘Shades Of Justice’ is the ninth book in the Madison Knight series by Carolyn Arnold, and it was a rollercoaster of twist and turns that kept me hanging on.
The book centre’s around Madison Knight, a detective for Stiles P.D. Madison is a beautiful, strong-willed woman who is successful and is constantly proving herself against the male brass in her field. She gets a gut feeling and follows it like a bloodhound, relentless to finding justice.
Murders aren’t uncommon in the town of Stiles, but when it’s a double homicide, suspicions are immediately raised and has everyone on high alert.
The victim is ‘Lorene Malone’, the wife of a famous furniture business tycoon, and when her body is found naked at the bottom of a swimming pool beside a mysterious John Doe, the rumour mill starts spinning.
The list of suspects is endless, from Lorene’s children, to husband, to accountant etc and Madison is determined to get to the bottom of it. With her partner Terry by her side, will they solve it?
I read this book as a stand-alone and didn’t feel like anything was missing. All the important details were revealed and I enjoyed how fast-paced and action packed it felt.
I loved Madison as a character, she is not afraid to speak her mind or follow a hunch, she is empowering to women and a total chocoholic. I was hooked from the moment she met Leland in a diner for a secret exchange of information, and the build up set the scene well and had me hooked and immersed from the first few pages.
This is the first book I have read by Arnold, and after reading Shades Of Justice, I fully intend to immerse myself in the other books of this series. It was addictive, full of action and suspense, and it kept me on my toes guessing. It is the perfect book for all action/murder mystery fans. It is certainly worth the read!