This is a captivating suspense story.
Realistic characters including Hayden, a dedicated young lawyer who is well on her way to making a name for herself by winning impossible cases.
In this book, she is working an investigation about the murder of a young man who came to America illegally.
If you like courtroom mysteries, be sure and read this one!

Hayden McCarthy is a lawyer working for a prestigious Washington, DC area law firm. Fresh off of winning an unwinnable case, she is assigned the case of an illegal Mexican teenage immigrant who was murdered while in the custody of US officials in Waco, Texas. Another unwinnable case. Her client is the mother of the murdered teenager who lives in the area with her other son, Jorge. She is the estranged wife of a notorious Mexican drug lord, Daniel Rodriguez, also known as el jefe. El jefe has directed one of his minions, Rafael, to kill his oldest son who was trying to enter the US with some information that was critical to protecting the drug lord’s operation. But the information has not been found and thus begins a twisting and turning tale of violence, interspersed with the political hot potato of illegal immigration, especially of children (I refer to the real world with this comment). Mix in Hayden’s romantic interest, Andrew Wesley, son of a congressman and brother to her roommate, Emilie. And a little bit of Christian thought. There are a lot of plot lines though a satisfactory resolution of all is reached. But the book was just ok - probably just not my cup of tea.

Beyond Justice will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next as attorney Hayden McCarthy tries to find out who killed Miguel Rodriguez in the detention center! Author Cara Putman is an attorney so she understands the Department of Justice and the legal side of the situation. I loved how Hayden cares about her client. Anyone would love Andrew, the male protagonist! I recommend Beyond Justice to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction. I received my e-book copy from Net Galley. This is my honest opinion.

Beyond Justice by Cara Putman is the story of a novice attorney who finds herself unraveling a suspicious case in her law firm. This is the first book that I read from this author, and I was not sure what to expect. The book is well researched and at times it has a lot of talk about specific legal actions that have to be taken. This was hard to get through at first, since legal thrillers are not my favorite. However, that quickly melted into the background as the plot started flying and it was difficult to stop reading at all. I would highly recommend this book because it was a great read, had well developed characters, and had a story line that kept accelerating but was still believable at all times. I can’t wait to read other books by this author! I received a digital copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

Another reviewer called Cara Putman a Christian John Grisham. I would have to agree to a point. It is obvious that, like Grisham, she knows her legal stuff and knows how to write a great novel. In the past, I have gotten bogged down by the abundance of legal details in Grisham’s novels. Putman, however, seems to instinctively know just how much detail the reader actually needs to understand the process.

“Beyond Justice” covers a subject that is all too common in today’s United States – illegal immigration. The story covers a side of it we rarely hear about and it raises some very important questions as well as some possible answers. Beyond that, it is a very good story with lots of action, danger, and suspense plus a side of romance. Attorney Hayden’s roommate Emilie seems to be trying to match her up with her handsome cousin Andrew but Hayden is too focused on her career to be interested in romance. When assigned a new wrongful death case that becomes more puzzling by the minute, Hayden learns that Andrew is also connected to the case through another angle. As they are drawn together to try to solve the mysteries stirred up by the case, both Hayden, Emilie, and Andrew face danger and possibly even death. Only their faith might be able to save them.

What an excellent book! An intelligent, well-paced plot and strong characters made the minutes fly by for me as I read well into the night. I did not want to stop! I look forward to the next book in the series,”Imperfect Justice”. December seems very far away.

Hayden was a smart and dynamic attorney, interesting person, and great character to read. Andrew was intriguing, and watching their relationship grow and intersect on so many levels was a pleasure. Loved the fast-paced story and message, and looking forward to more in this series.

I received this book "Beyond Justice" from Netgalley for my honest review. I just want to say that this book is a page turner and it will keep you up at night saying "just one more chapter". Beyond Justice is a suspenseful legal thriller with a bit of romance. The main characters are great - Hayden, Emilie and Andrew. You will enjoy this book. Reviews posted on Goodreads and Amazon (ellie)

This is a legal thriller with the main character, Hayden, trying to figure out just what kind of lawyer she wants to be and who she wants to champion. An enjoyable read that leaves you wanting to know where her career will take her next!

This book was a real page turner! It was packed with interesting people who stayed true to their character. I really respect an author who can write a compelling mystery with "bad guys" but not going overboard on the gore, and who can pull off a romance without the bedroom scenes. A good, clean read with a great storyline!

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I love a good legal thriller, and this did not disappoint. A new author for me and pleased to find a Christian author that write this well. The faith aspect is present, but not shoved down your throat. I am very interested in Hayden. I want to know more about her. I love the fact she is a tough attorney and not afraid to see the truth and justice. She is determined to find out the truth regarding Miquel's murder. However, this is a case of secrets and danger. The build and twists in the story were fascinating. I am curious to see more out of this series.

This was a good book, but not a great one. Since it has not been released I was reading a draft copy. My guess is the author will tighten up some of the things that bugged me about the story.

I did enjoy the two main characters, Andrew and Hayden. They complimented each extremely well and I enjoyed watching them grow as individuals and as a team. Emilie was a blast! I hope there is a book featuring her. She had spunk.

The story itself got a little confusing in parts, almost too many story lines that didn’t cleanly intersect. I had another issue that I won’t mention here. However, my guess is the author will clean up some of those “messy” parts.

I do hope to read future books by this author. I think her style has a lot of great potential.

Disclaimer: I did receive this book from the publisher, through netgalley.com. I was not required to leave a review.

Beyond Justice

by Cara C. Putman

Thomas Nelson--FICTION

Thomas Nelson
Christian , Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 04 Apr 2017

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of Beyond Justice through Thomas Nelson-Fiction and Netgalley:

Hayden Mccarhty is on her way to being the youngest partner in the Prestigious Washington DC Law Firm she works for. She is also a believer and finds comfort in turning to the Lord.

Rafael is on the run, hiding out in some flea bag motel, having killed Miguel.

Mariel Rodriguez needs an attorney, she was strong but with a hint of a fragile side, perhaps something to do with her past.

Hayden takes her on as a client. Mariel believes her son was murdered

Someone is sending Andrew threatening emails someone who knows his real identity and not many do, as a cartoonist he goes by a Pseudonym. His real name John Walters is not the name he goes by.

While out with Andrew, Hayden notices that someone is watching them blatantly staring.

When Gerad is found murder Hayden fears she may be a target as well.

Maricel is injured, beaten badly just days before Gerad is killed. Hayden wonders if they are connected.

If you like intrigue you will love Beyond Justice.

I give Beyond Justice five out of five stars.

Happy Reading..,

Such a great suspenseful and romantic story. The author very much did her research and it shone throughout the book. Highly recommended!

A pretty good read. Hayden is a young associate lawyer and is handed a case by a senior partner. It turns out to be significantly different than she expects. She ends up getting fired, seeing people killed, others kidnapped and just way more than she anticipated. Along the way, she meets her roommate's cousin who is everything she isn't interested in. But she can't get him out of her mind or her case.

If you like thrillers, not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

Beyond Justice had lots of elements in the reading. Interesting characters, a little romance, legal issues, immigration, murder and seeking of God's plan. Whew! The fact that Cara Putman has a legal background makes the story much more realistic. And in taking on some of the controversial issues of today opened my eyes to a different side of the issues.
Hayden is an up and coming lawyer in a prestigious DC law firm. She's given a case of an illegal from Mexico that was murdered in U.S. Government custody. As she digs deeper, things begin happening that keeps her aware of danger following her around. Andrew, son of a congressman seeking a senate seat, becomes involved through Hayden's roommate Emilie, who's his cousin. Andrew works helping immigrant children adjust to life in America. One of the children is a brother to the one that was murdered. Things begin happening within Hayden's law firm that made me question who is good and who is evil.
This was a very intense, page turning, edge of my seat novel and kept me wondering and guessing right to the end. Who's behind all that's happening, why are they intent on covering up the murder and what is their ultimate goal?
I received an ebook copy through Netgalley and was not required to write a review, positive or otherwise.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book held my interest and is very well written. I recommend it highly.

Looking for a good legal mystery? Consider giving this one a try - seriously. Top-notch young attorney Hayden McCarthy has just earned her chops by pulling off an almost unbelievable win - a feat that doesn't go unnoticed by her hoity-toity law firm. But instead of a few days on a sunny beach or a hefty bonus, her reward is being assigned to a seemingly unwinnable wrongful death case. A young Mexican boy who attempted to enter the United States illegally was caught and stashed in a government-run juvenile detention facility in Texas - where he was murdered. Now, Hayden's firm has been asked to build - and more important, at least to Hayden's future career, win - a case against the government.

Add to the mix Hayden's roommate, who just happens to have a very hunky and eligible cousin named Andrew Wesley. And he just happens to be the son of an ambitious congressman. It goes without saying that Hayden and Andrew are wary of but attracted to each other. But even though Andrew claims to eschew his father's chosen profession of service to America, the fact that Hayden is going head-to-head with the government isn't exactly a relationship booster.

Tracking down the facts she'll need to build her case takes Hayden from her job in Washington, D.C., to Texas and back - with plenty of dangerous turns in between. Although almost none of it takes place in a courtroom, there's plenty of action and legal details as Hayden tries to ferret out the truth.

So we have likable, well-developed characters, a story that's intriguing, timely (immigration) and believable. So what was missing? Although I certainly should have known, I failed to pick up ahead of time on the fact that this book falls into the Christian category - and there few things in this life I do NOT want to read about more than someone's religious "journey."

But wait, there's more.

Other than one horrific moment when I was convinced the book would end with Andrew's asking Hayden to marry him only if she agreed to quit the high-profile job she loves and stay home to be a proper mother to their kids, matters of faith were for the most part unobtrusive. In fact, what few references there were seemed to be inserted haphazardly, almost as an afterthought, sometimes where they really didn't seem to fit. It was almost as if someone said, "Oops, God hasn't had a mention in 50 pages - better throw one in!"

And somehow, it strikes me that a "Christian" book should have more on that subject (or at least what was there should have been more fully developed). Ironic, isn't it, that the biggest downside (a mild one, I hasten to add) is that there wasn't enough of what I didn't want to read in the first place? But there it is.

That said, this is a very enjoyable book that's well worth reading no matter what side of the religion coin you're on. Many thanks to the publisher (via NetGalley) for providing me with an advance review copy.

Wow! Loved this book! Action packed--full of suspense, mystery and a bit of romance. What could be better?
The main character is a young female attorney, Hayden, who is given a most difficult case. The case involves the death of a young man who crossed the border into the US illegally and was apprehended and sent to an immigration detention center where he was murdered. His mother wants justice for her son.
Hayden begins to suspect a cover-up as she investigates the case. Many people are involved. Many twists and turns in this story. Hayden's roommate, Emilie, becomes involved and also Emilie's cousin whose dad is a Congressman, soon to be Senator.
Amazing how the author took so many characters and tied them all into this story. You'll love it, too!
I was given an e-copy of this book by the publisher, Thomas Nelson through Netgalley for my honest review.

A boy has been murdered while in a detention centre and his mom wants answers that no one seems to be giving her. Hayden is assigned as the mom’s lawyer to seek out answers. The boy’s brother is part of a program that Andrew runs. Andrew & Hayden begin as purely acquaintances but a slow friendship forms as their dig for answers and their duty to protect the two have them working together. There was a lot of suspense - trying to figure out what really happened, who was all involved, and do various events tie together or not? The climax moment had me on the edge of my seat, would the villain get caught in time or would Hayden be injured? I liked Hayden’s determination to get answers for her client; she did not let anything scare her away. Andrew also was a strong likeable character; his care for those around him felt realistic. The interactions between Hayden & Andrew were enjoyable, I could picture these two together fighting for the underdogs. My biggest frustration was that there were times the pov suddenly changed between characters which left me having to reread the section to follow the switch. I liked Emilie’s spunk and zest for answers. She was a support system to both Hayden & Andrew but also pushed them when needed. There was a mysterious air about her and I would be interested to know more of her story. The author’s legal experience shines throughout the book.

Beyond Justice is a very well written legal/suspense. It has a complex plot with many twists and turns. The story line could have been taken from the news headlines.