First Chapter Review: January Justice by Athol Dickson

I heard about this book recently and downloaded a free sample from Amazon. January Justice is a murder mystery novel, part of Athol Dickson's Malcolm Cutter memoirs.

BLURB:  Reeling from his wife's unsolved murder, Malcolm Cutter is just going through the motions as a chauffeur and bodyguard for Hollywood's rich and famous. Then a pair of Guatemalan tough guys offer him a job. It's an open question whether they're patriotic revolutionaries or vicious terrorists. Either way, Cutter doesn't much care until he gets a bomb through his window, a gangland beating on the streets of L.A., and three bullets in the chest. Now there's another murder on Cutter's Mind. His own.

COVER: Perfect. Seems odd at first, but once you read the opening chapter you'll know why it is a great cover. I'm also drawn to water scenes, so that is appealing to me, too.

FIRST CHAPTER: Malcolm Cutter first appears to the reader as he contemplates his wife's death. Revenge is definitely on his mind. The only thing keeping him alive is that he's determined to pay back his wife's murderer.

The next day, he has his first chauffeur job since the murder. He soon discovers that the mysterious Mr. Brown knows more about him than he's comfortable with. Who is this guy? And what does he want?

KEEP READING: This one definitely captured me right away. Dickson quickly paints the scene around Cutter as he stands at the same cliff that claimed the life of his wife, Haley. Even though the first few pages are all narrative, as Cutter is alone, it doesn't drag. Cutter is an excellent narrator, as no one but he could describe his loss, his confusion, his desire for revenge. Though the opening narrative slowly unfolds, the tension created by the murder increases the pace. And as soon as Mr. Brown enters the picture, you're flying through the pages.

The sample I downloaded includes more than five chapters. I didn't read further, but only because I wanted to keep just the first chapter in my mind as I reviewed it. January Justice looks like it will be a fabulous, exciting read. I look forward to reading more.

File Size: 701 KB
Print Length: 307 pages
Publisher: Author Author (November 30, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00AGAW6EC

I downloaded a sample of this book to my Kindle from Amazon. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.