The Thorn Of Truth by S.L. Russell is a marvellous Christian crime suspense that consumed me from the start.
The main themes are of being truthful and living with integrity. The main character faces a dilemma between representing the truth or bowing to popular opinion and twisting the facts to suit. Walking the truthful line is not always popular but it is the right thing to do. Sometimes it seems as if the line between truth and lies is not always black and white but a blurred shade of grey as even those who should represent the truth forget to do so.
Living a life of integrity enables us to walk tall with a clear conscience. We will have nothing to reproach ourselves for if we live truthful, open lives.
When we struggle with life we need to tap into God. “There’s a higher power with a better view of your problems.” What worries us does not worry God. He sees the bigger picture.
There is the theme of trust. Sometimes people let us down but God is faithful. We may feel as if God is far away or even absent but our feelings are unreliable. God is always with us.
Sometimes in life we find ourselves wandering away from God. Within the novel we witness a prodigal returning to church. “It’s like a homecoming.” Imagine the party in heaven when one lost child returns. We all need to find a church where we feel comfortable and where we can call ‘home,’
Forgiveness is another theme. “Bitterness … was toxic and would not only eat away at me but also poison … my life.” If we do not forgive, we risk becoming bitter and destroying ourselves from the inside out.
Good friendships are precious. Within the novel we witness friendships budding and blossoming.
Family is important. Sometimes they let us down but we love them anyway. Pets are part of the family. I loved the inclusion of Gordon the dog.
We all face choices daily. We need to be responsible for our own choices. We need to choose wisely.
The Thorn Of Truth was a brilliant compulsive crime suspense that I greedily devoured. It is exciting and also full of godly wisdom.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Defending a dubious local business has a major impact on Anna's work and home life. Friendships and family relationships are changed when lives are threatened. Mother and daughter gain a better understanding of why they react as they do

Anna Milburn is a lawyer. She is also a divorced mother of 18 year old Millie. She must make a difficult choice when she is asked to defend David Leaman, a local importer of luxury cars and boats. He is accused of killing a young policeman. Although Anna believes that everyone deserves a defense, this case is also personal. Millie is a friend of David’s daughter Tiffany. The police believe that Leaman is also responsible for the growing local drug problem. In fact, Anna’s nephew Sam was left brain damaged in an accident while he was under the influence of illegal drugs.

While Anna makes decisions that will affect her career and family, she is also grappling with her belief in God. A chance meeting with Rachel, a heart surgeon with deep religious beliefs, has brought her back to the faith she had abandoned. That satisfying faith grounds her and helps her make the right decisions.

The Thorn of Truth is a satisfying read. It highlights what is truly important - faith, family and friends. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lion Hudson Ltd. and S. Russell for this ARC.

Brilliant… had me eagerly turning the pages as I not only wanted to know more about the crime but also about the investigating team…

Anna is a successful barrister although she struggles to juggle being a single mum & the many things required of her in her career. When a local business man is accused of murdering a young policeman & asks for her to defend him she is torn. Whether he is guilty of this or not, he has connections with drug dealing & her nephew has been left severely damaged as a result of drugs. However she has always believed everyone deserves a defence & sees no way out of representing him.

I did not realise this was part of a series of books, nor did I realise that there was a strong religious element to the story. I enjoyed the main story of the case but I'm afraid I skipped a lot of the 'God-bothering' I found it hard to believe that people brought religion into everyday conversations, especially with people they hardly knew- maybe I move in the wrong circles!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.