In James Bridgwater’s high-stakes suspense story, transvestite vigilante Blind Justice seeks retribution after childhood trauma left him with split personalities and stress-induced blindness.
After a tragic car accident killed both his parents, seven-year-old Mark was sent to a children’s home where he suffered abuse at the hands of staff, saved only by the friendship he formed with Michael Evans, known in later life as Rocket Queen.
Now Mark and his guide dog Willow live an average daily life. But by night, Mark transforms into his transvestite alter-ego Blind Justice and with Willow as his side-kick, stalks and kills pedophiles and corrupt financiers. After each kill, Blind Justice leaves marks on the victims, removing their eyes and carving his name into their chests.
Detective Inspector Tracy Hansard and her partner Detective Sergeant Peter Anderson are soon on his trail. When Blind Justice confides in his old friend Rocket Queen about his crimes, police discover their friendship and use it to learn his true identity. As the chase amps up, Blind
Justice teams with a local therapy group to share his story and reasons for murder on social media before he’s captured by police.
Told from multiple viewpoints, the novel features intriguing characters, including detectives Hansard and Anderson, the latter who deals with domestic issues. Blind Justice is a sympathetic character, vividly drawn from page one: “My work uniform is made up of a glittery fuchsia coloured spandex cat-suit with magenta leather calf boots… A high quality [sic] full length [sic] blond wig is my crowning glory.” Although his mission is morally ambiguous, readers feel for him because of this traumatic childhood.
However, the pacing is sluggish at times (the first real break in the case doesn’t occur until nearly halfway through the book), and the narrative is needlessly split into parts, puzzling readers as to the significance of the sections.
Still, the chase keeps things generally lively, and readers will root for Blind Justice despite his questionable motives.
Also available as an ebook.
