The Sons of Jude by Brandt Dodson

Due to life this week, I didn’t get review number two posted yesterday like I had planned. So, here it is in place of my normal Friday Thought.

I enjoy watching crime dramas on television, but I rarely read novels of the same genre. The premise of The Sons of Jude by Brandt Dodson intrigued me, though, so I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed.

Law enforcement runs in author Brandt Dodson’s blood, with police officers filling the branches of his family tree. Dodson’s understanding of law enforcement, combined with natural writing and story-telling skills, has allowed him to create a compelling and suspenseful tale in The Sons of Jude.

The Sons of Jude is a complex story in which the innocent are hard to distinguish from the guilty. Even as the final pages bring closure to the book’s suspense, new twists and turns reveal that nothing can be taken at face value. A seemingly simple, though brutal, murder proves to be anything but simple. Foundations of trust and camaraderie crumble as evidence of corruption begins to surface.

The Sons of Jude is well written. Although the nature of the crimes involved do make this an adult novel, it is a very clean one. No sex or foul language mars the story. Also, Dodson skillfully presents the crimes and the battles between “the good guys and the bad guys” without filling the novel with blood and gore.

A small faith element exists in The Sons of Jude. One of the main characters is a strong Christian who is not reserved about letting others see his faith. This faith does not play a major part in the action of the story, nor does this character attempt to evangelize other characters in the novel. It is obvious, however, that his faith strongly directs all of his personal decisions.

I will say that sometimes the story seemed almost too complex. Occasionally I found it hard to keep track of how the various elements all fit together, and some connections remain a bit fuzzy even now that I have finished the book. I think some of the elements could have either been simplified a bit or expanded into a longer book or two-book series to truly bring the pieces together with more clarity.

Even so, The Sons of Jude offers a very intriguing and captivating introduction to Dodson’s Chicago police fiction series. I can see crime and suspense fans jumping into the series and devouring every title Dodson releases.

This book was sent to me by Kregel in exchange for my honest review.