defectives—are banished to a ghetto territory, Detective Ina Stone and her
rookie partner, Sam Fujimoto, constantly fight for survival. But when a
murdered Impure is discovered in the projects with only a business card in his
pocket, the clues lead them into the shadowy underworld of black market trade
and human trafficking. After Sam is kidnapped by the Yakuza crime syndicate,
Ina must hide her own defect to go undercover as a human trafficking victim.
Accompanied by a Tebori master and a new detective with her own secrets, Ina
must find a way to free Sam without exposing his role in the investigation, or
getting herself killed in the process.
My Review:
Ina Stone is labeled an Impure in Liah Penn’s book Pure Justice. In this new world, any person that is not perfect is banished to a less than ideal territory. There, food is rationed, medical care is lacking, and forced sterilization is standard practice. The goal is to breed out imperfections and ultimately be left with a master race of people with perfect genetics.
But since she was born Pure and never sterilized, Detective Ina Stone is pregnant. Her boyfriend and partner, Detective Sam Fujimoto is ready to take their relationship to the next level. While Ina and Sam try to come to terms with expecting a baby, a murdered undercover Pure detective leads Ina on a hunt that will endanger not only her life, but also Sam’s.
I am such a fan of Pure Death, the first book in this series, so I was thrilled to read Pure Justice and revisit Ina’s world. Sam and Ina can’t catch a break, but only because Ina is a pit bull of a detective who won’t take no for an answer. Her quest uncovers a dangerous underground that includes human trafficking.
I had a hard time putting this book down, and that’s saying a lot since I’ve read very few books that have had that effect. The suspense was great. Liah did a wonderful job of putting me in Ina’s shoes.
If you haven’t read Pure Death, I would suggest you start with that story, then move on to Pure Justice. You won’t be disappointed!
author Liah Penn is an attorney who practices law near New Orleans,
Louisiana. A former prosecutor, she has
worked in a major metropolis, an Indian reservation and on the Mexican border. She is an accomplished artist and is active
in numerous arts organizations and boards in the New Orleans area.
Laurie Winter 