Private Justice

Newpointe 911 Series, Book 1

By: Terri Blackstock

Narrated by: J. C. Howe

Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

A dark shadow of fear has fallen over Newpointe, Louisiana. First one, then another of the town firemen's wives has been murdered, and a third has barely escaped an attempt on her life. Incredible as it seems, a serial killer is stalking this sleepy little southern community. And Mark Branning's wife may be next on the list.

Mark is determined to protect her. But keeping Allie alive won't be easy - not with their own marriage already dying a bitter death. Unless they renew their commitment to each other and to God, someone else may settle their problems. Permanently. And time to decide is running out.

Private Justice is book one in the Newpointe 911 mystery series by award-winning novelist Terri Blackstock. Newpointe 911 offers taut, superbly crafted novels of faith, fear, and close-knit, small-town relationships, seasoned with romance and tempered by insights into the nature of relationships, redemption, and the human heart.

Dial up more mysteries in the Newpointe 911 series.

©2009 Zondervan; 1998 Terri Blackstock

Critic reviews

"This tense and exciting thriller is more than a fabulous read; it has an underlying message about the place of religion within a marriage. Highly recommended." ( Library Journal)

Great story, terrible narrator...

I first read this book about 8 years ago when I received the series as a gift from my mother. Terri Blackstock is an excellent writer and, being from a small town in Louisiana myself, does a great job capturing the dynamics and traditions of living in that area of the country. The problem with the audiobook rests solely on the back of the terrible narrator. I don't know where the producers found this guy, but he has obviously done no research whatsoever. He mispronounces a lot of the names and his "Cajun" accent is absolutely atrocious. I work in theatre and when actors do a play or movie that involves speaking in a particular dialect, it takes days of research and rehearsal to make sure they are representing it correctly. Clearly, that was not the case here since whoever this man is he equates Cajun with French. It would have been better if he'd done no accent at all instead of the distorted French accent. He made listening to a great story cringe-worthy. It's a shame that producers don't require more effort and knowledge from their narrators.

Good book--terrible narrator!

How did the narrator detract from the book?

grating tone of voice--almost quit listening part of the way through but I like Terri's books and her reputation as a writer kept me listening

Was Private Justice worth the listening time?

Not with this narrator.

Any additional comments?

I will try to never get another book narrated by this man.

Good Book, Not So Good Narrator

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, good story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Private Justice?

Finding out who the killer is.

What didn’t you like about J. C. Howe’s performance?

He sounds like he is preaching a Sunday Sermon. Good preaching voice, not so good narrator voice. Not believable.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

NA

Any additional comments?

I most always like the narrator. His voice just did not fit the book.

Great Storyline , unique!

I really enjoyed the storyline in this book. It was somewhat unique & I really liked that. At first I wasn’t sure about the reader, but he grew on me & I ended up enjoying him. The characters were great & the author writes in such a way that you feel like you’re part of the story. Like you know the characters personally! I’m also glad this book was of a good length. A couple of her books were entirely to short. They should have combined the short books together for only 1 credit, so you feel like you get your money’s worth. I have really enjoyed this author and look forward to her next book in this series. Thank you.

Never Give Up

loved how God, Jesus and forgiveness were brought into the story giving the reader a chance to see how trusting in God is for real in their daily challenges.

Good story, needs a different reader

I liked the story a lot but I didn’t care for the person reading it at all. But the story was enough to keep me interested I liked how It kept me guessing who the murderer was.

Bad narration!

The story was good, but the narration was very difficult to listen to. Keep looking.

Great story of how GOD works in all things

This story has suspense, love, grace and the reminder to have Faith and trust. I am hooked on this author, it is hard for me to stop listening. I do not feel that the narration is as bad as some reviewers stated. He does not speak Cajun like some people I know, but as I told my daughter that is good for me; I would miss some of the words if he spoke it fluently. All other parts of his narration is good. Ready for book 2. Hope you give this book a try!

Disappointed

I figured out who done it pretty early in story. All they had to do was check Craig’s gun. But that would have made book awful short

Not Terri's Best Work

I've read dozens of Terri's books. Some are excellent. This is not one of her best. The story is mildly interesting. I come from a firefighter family, so that's what drew me in. But the conversations are kinda formulaic and predictable, as is the theological convo. The narrator has a nice voice but wasn't right for this book. First of all, a southerner should have narrated since this is set in Louisiana, and someone who could do a real Cajun accent would have been a bonus too. But, it held my interest for the most part. I'll continue to choose Terri's books.