Andrea J. Johnson paints all the details we observe from Victoria Justice's point of view so well-- I feel like I'm living every moment. This is a tightly written mystery, without disappointments. As a mystery afficionado, this one hits all the marks for me and is a must-read.

It seemed intruiging at first glance, but i found the main character to be annoying and sort of whiny and it became hard to care about the story because of that. I didn`t find any interest in the love interest either.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An intriguing idea behind this story but it didn't really live up to expectations. The main character was quite dull and moany which didn't endear her to me. I found it hard to engage with her and the story after this. An OK read.

Victoria Justice is a court stenographer who is dealing with fears of her past from a near death incident in high school. The incident was the turning point for her and changed the trajectory of her life. Those fears culminate when she is forced to face her arch nemesis, Langley Mulligan, during her court trial. Langley, the defendant, is the same person who set the change of events in motion in Victoria’s life. Unfortunate events tie these two together again when the judge, Fredericka Wannamaker, a second mother to Victoria, ends up murdered in the courthouse restroom after Langley’s trial. The arresting officer Ashton North teams up with Victoria to find the killer as everyone else accepts the narratives that makes the most sense. In a race for answers, they may put their own lives in jeopardy.

Poetic Justice is a murder-mystery story that engulfs the readers in the topsy-turvy turn of events. The meticulous details inside the inner workings of the judicial system and operations and intertwined with criminal investigation set this story apart. The deeper we immersed into the story it becomes apparent that everyone that could be a suspect is one and has a motive. The twists and turns keep you guessing to the very end. While the story was beautifully written, it could have benefitted from less over descriptiveness. Sometimes less is more to establish an easier flow and move the story forward. Overall, this novel was an exemplary debut.

Victoria is a court stenographer and what should have been a regular day recording court proceedings turns into a nightmare. First she has to relive a traumatizing incident from her past when the bully who nearly killed her is the defendant in the trial. If that wasn’t bad enough evidence in the trial has gone missing throwing the whole proceedings into chaos. And because that wasn’t enough during a recess Victoria finds the body of her friend and mentor murdered in the bathroom.

Victoria has know Judge Fredericka Wannamaker her whole life as she happened to be her mother’s life long best friend. So this whole thing feels rather personal for her. The only people in the area near the murder scene were State Trooper Corporal Aston North the arresting officer in the trial case, Deputy Attorney General Spencer Stevenson the prosecutor in the case and Phyllis Dodd the head of the lab who processed the evidence. Also in the picture is Maggie the promiscuous clerk and Beauregard Harriston the prickly defense attorney with questionable practices and a history with the judge.

Victoria wants answers she can’t rest until she knows the truth. She feels a bit guilty as she was supposed to meet the judge for tea but a confrontation with Langley, the defendant/childhood bully, delayed her. So she is determined to find out what really happened to the woman she loved almost as much as she loved her own mother. Initially she teams up with Ashton to question everyone that was around that day and could be potential suspects. However after an incident where she is personally attacked and another murder occurs she becomes suspicious of everything and everyone.

The second murder is a staged suicide that nearly wraps everything up with a suicide letter confession. Victoria of course is skeptical having interacted with the victim earlier in the day. But if that person isn’t the killer then who is and is it the same killer in both murders? Is the killer one of the people in the court room that day? It seems like everybody had some kind of issue with the judge and everyone had something to hide. Could there have been someone unaccounted for the court that day?

Was the clue to this mystery hiding in her recoding from the court that day this whole time? Or in the security footage that points towards either one suspect or multiple suspects? A blindspot with the cameras suggest anything is possible. Victoria follows the clues and puts her own life in the line as the bodies are pulling up and the killer is revealed along their motivation for the murders.

I really liked this story it drew me in from the start. Though I did guess the killer earlier on based on a few easy to overlook clues sprinkled throughout the story. All in all it was a good mystery and Victoria was a very interesting character. I also liked the fact that though her mother was a little older and single it didn’t stop her from adopting a child when she decided that she wanted a family of her own. Though I now have to wonder if Victoria will go to law school like her mother wanted after all this mess. I’m excited to see what Victoria gets up to in the future. I love a good mystery that keeps you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this awesome debut book! Victoria Justice is a kicka** court stenographer. She’s super smart and takes it upon herself to figure out who murdered the judge who was like her second mother. There were some interesting twists and turns! I would definitely love to read more books set in this world or other works by the author.

Andrea J. Johnson delivers in Poetic Justice. Readers will enjoy this book. I have featured it as Book of the Day on my social media platforms and included it in a roundup of new releases.

Victoria Justice almost drowned when she was in high school when the class bully, Langley Dean, pushed her in to the pool. Luckily paramedics were near. Now working as a court stenographer, it is ironic that the person on trial is Langley Dean Mulligan. When crucial evidence seems to have disappeared and the trial is halted, Victoria discovers her friend and trial judge The Honorable Frederica Scott Wannamaker dead in the restroom. Fredericka was the county's first African-American Superior Court judge and has been a loving mentor to Victoria. Who would be able to kill the judge, in the courthouse, and get away? State Trooper Ashton North, who was testifying at the trial, will team up with Victoria to find the person responsible for her friend’s death. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

I received this book through NetGalley's ReadNow Program. The story starts with a drug trial going on where evidence presented is not the same as was put into evidence originally. This causes the court to throw out the drug charges and calling a recess so that the parties can discuss a plea deal. During the recess, the presiding judge winds up being murdered.

The judge was Victoria's mentor and she begins to looking into who the killer might be. There are a number of suspects who might have done it. During the election festival, one of the possible suspects confesses and commits suicide. Victoria believes that this was really another murder and continues following leads.

Ultimately, two addition people are killed before all is said and done. The ending will clear all issues up. To find out why the Judge was killed and who the killer of all parties was, then you must read this book. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this most awesome novel.

Full disclosure, I am (or was) an audio transcriber for the police in Australia and have worked with court transcribers for seven years (I don't do court though).

That's what attracted me to this book, but I didn't expect to bond with the main character quite so much. I'll freely admit, I was and am continuing to seek out books by women of colour featuring women of colour. I'm tired of my novels so white and male.

Victoria is a mature beyond her years 25 year old and she's really good at her job. She's so good, actually, that she can solve mysteries. Isn't that the superhero we've been waiting for? Yeah, the one that can type. I really liked her, but I hope she learns how to relax in future novels, because her tenseness is catching. Not such a bad thing in a thriller.

So, she's in court and a girl she went to school with is on trial - that would've been the moment I stepped out of the room for a COI (conflict of interest), but that's not how stories get written. There is bad blood between them, but Victoria is a professional and she can type without bias, and the other woman doesn't seem to recognise her straightaway anyway. Later, the judge who has mentored her all her life is murdered. What is the connection? Then the prosecutor suicides in public, no less, or does he? There's a little romance and a little politics and a little scandal, which all reaches a gasping dénouement. It's true. I gasped.

I didn't really guess the whodunit, but nor was I fooled by the red herring. That's a good thing. Really looking forward to the next Victoria Justice adventure.

“I was tired of running in circles. I was tired of being the last one to know everything. I was tired of being the studious little court reporter who was on a need-to-know basis. For once, I wanted the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”*

Victoria Justice’s latest case features her high school nemesis as the defendant. Langley’s prank all those years ago left lasting scars on Victoria, and Langley seems hellbent on continuing her vendetta. To add to her day from hell, Victoria’s beloved mentor is found dead, and the murderer may be linked to their most recent case. What’s a smart and savvy woman to do, but find the killer and deliver justice.

Victoria makes a fantastic protagonist. She’s relatable and likable in her pursuit for the truth with supportive relationships with her mentor, mayoral candidate mother, and female friends. Sparks fly between her and the sexy state trooper who busted Langley. The setting with its downtown area and cozy Cake & Kettle restaurant, run by a confidant, work well in the story. The large cast of characters provide plenty of possible suspects as the body count rises.

Johnson’s beautiful writing kept me captivated, as did Victoria’s strength and resolve. The use of a court reporter amateur sleuth was handled brilliantly. The court scenes and Victoria’s court reporter job were nicely balanced with the other locations and aspects of Victoria’s life. Enough of the nuts and bolts of her career were nicely shown without slowing down the story. “Learning a secret language to capture, transform, and transcribe the spoken word into verbatim transcripts was tantamount to magic.”*

POETIC JUSTICE delivers a great character-driven mystery. I look forward to reading more from this promising debut author.

For me, the novel is a four and a half star read, rounded up to five.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books, an imprint of Polis Books, LLC, for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.