Stalking Justice

It has been four decades since retired detective Larry Klinger lost his son. Yet, at 66, Larry still mourns his loss. Consequently, he joins a group of fathers who suffer from the pain of losing a child and set up meetings to discuss and help one another heal. In one meeting, one of the men expresses feelings about being bothered about his daughter’s ex, who would not take no for an answer. Eventually, the ex is shot and killed, and Larry becomes a primary suspect in his murder. To make matters worse, it looks like a professional job—something someone who knows his way around crime and guns, like Larry Klinger, would do. Stalking Justice by John K. Manos is a crime story that centers on a murder case involving a stalker and a group of grieving fathers who have every reason to protect one of their own from experiencing another loss.

The conversations, atmosphere, and characters in Stalking Justice give off a natural atmosphere. The book’s humor is quite catchy, and I found myself laughing at such funny statements as “Did you really just say, ‘bada-bing, bada-boom?” However, the part involving the stalker ex gives off an eerie atmosphere that mirrors the uncomfortable position stalkers put their victims in, including the scene where the stalker secretly watches his victim in his car while she is on her way to work.

Like most expertly written detective books, Stalking Justice keeps you anxious to see the secrets revealed. We see a detective’s intricate calculations to find the killer as she studies an examiner’s summary and deduces that someone had approached the victim “probably rapidly from the rear and perhaps out of the sight line from the side rearview mirror”.

My only dislike is that the characters seem somewhat distant. Their thoughts are rarely voiced in substantial internal monologues, and I wished to connect with them better. Klinger’s thoughts, for example, are usually seen in conversations, and he doesn’t reflect much on one topic before moving to another.

The theme of loss is strongly portrayed in Stalking Justice. Readers who have experienced losing someone will relate to the men in Larry’s group and their profound conversations. The book’s other themes include fatherhood, drinking, marital issues, detective work, retiring, friendship, stalking, physical fights, and guns.

Stalking Justice is sure to keep readers engaged with its natural conversations and its addictive search for the killer. Readers, especially fathers, who have experienced loss are likely to find the book relatable and enlightening. Reading this thought-provoking, suspense-filled, and exuberant thriller by John K. Manos is a splendid experience to have.