A Kind of Justice by Renee James is an amazing read and before I break down why I loved it I want to say thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the ARC, which I received in exchange for my honest review.
I picked this book up because of a few reasons, first and foremost being my best friend is transgender. I have gone to college talks we have watched movies but I have never read a book where the lead is this amazing fire cracker that is Bobbi Logan. Not only do you get an awesome glance at how the trans community lives this is a great murder mystery for those who love the who done it kind of reads.

Right from the first few pages I was drawn into the world of Bobbi Logan a trans woman who is also a sister, aunt and popular hairdresser. there is so much dimension and personality that gives the story a kind of edgy feel to it but discloses nothing until the very end.
Bobbi’s life is a roller coaster that she is just getting a handle on. Before her transition Bobbi was a married man and the story brings Bobbi back face to face with her ex-wife Betsy and her daughter not only does Bobbi balance work, the murder and her family but she does it with so much style that you the reader find yourself cheering her on even if you don’t know if she is the killer.
Detective Wilkins doesn't really regard himself as transphobic. He is just determined to resurrect an old murder case and close the case like a good cop should. The murder of John Strand, a respected business man, has continued to trouble him. Throughout the plot of the story the detective discovers that Strand is not a good man but still feels justice must be done. But what kind exactly?

Bobbi is a beautiful character. As she seeks to understand what it is to be a woman she goes through the pain of yearning for real love that so many people face. This story makes you think opens your heart to equality and most importantly makes you love books even more. Even though this is the second book this is so well written it can stand on its own two feet brilliantly. 4.5 stars for the perfect justice.
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I’ve read lots of books with gay/lesbian/bi characters but this was my first one with a transgender character and I was very curious to see how it would flow. I was especially curious because the book is written from her point of view which helps someone who does not have that much familiarity with transgendered people get a greater understanding. I was hooked from the first chapter because the author has a great writing style and has written a character you want to get invested in.

This is a charmingly written mystery that has the surprising ability to take the reader on an emotionally satisfying journey. Reading about the violence faced by transgender people simply for being who they are was so heartbreaking and a stark reminder of the reality people like Bobbi face every day. I admired the main character, Bobbi, a great deal and it helped give me insight into a world I did not have that much experience with before. The ending is beautiful and was thankfully satisfying, I just can’t imagine a better written conclusion for this book.

As a woman I thoroughly enjoyed reading a powerful story about a fellow female who fights back to survive and overcome adversity to change her life. If we all had a little bit of her strength this world would be a better place.
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A Kind of Justice by Renee James is a very good story on several levels, though perhaps it was weakest as a mystery. That said, it is a book I am very glad I had the opportunity to read.

The mystery is good but often seems almost secondary to the story in spite of being the major conflict in the book (I think of personalities clashing because of a mystery as being part of it, so...). I found myself far more interested in Bobbi's life as a whole instead of just as it concerned the resolution of the mystery. For my tastes, that is fine, I love getting to know interesting characters. If your first interest in the book is the mystery, by all means read the book, you'll enjoy it, just be prepared for it to be very much about Bobbi's life which happens at this moment to contain a crime investigation.

The protagonist, Bobbi, is a transgender woman and James does a wonderful job of letting the reader know all aspects of her life. While every person who transitions has a different experience there are many common aspects. In having Bobbi tell the story in a somewhat chatty manner allows the reader to appreciate the similarities between transitions (through side characters who have or are transitioning) while also highlighting the elements that are personal to Bobbi and make her who she is. This is the aspect of the book I enjoyed the most. I have read and talked with a number of people pre-, post- and during transition but that is so different from being inside her mind. This certainly increases the empathy the reader feels for the character while also helping to make us more sensitive to how we might act around or treat people who are different from ourselves.

I would highly recommend this book for all of the reasons above. I am looking forward to another volume in the series, I expect to find the same type of writing, chatty and personable, but with a tighter plot as it pertains to whatever mystery with which she may be confronted.

Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads. ( )