Review: A Simple Matter of Justice

Samantha considered asking a security guard to walk her to her car, but she thought she would be safe enough. It's a decision she will regret for the rest of her life. Dragged into the forest, raped and murdered, Samantha's fears that she will not be the only victim. So when she if offered a change to take back her life in order to bring her killer to justice, she puts aside her fear of facing again in order to protect others. 

A Simple Matter of Justice is Annamaria Bazzi's first published short story. The spiritual and paranormal elements create an interesting mixture of real world crime and supernatural revenge. Samantha experiences both, and at first struggles to understand both aspects. Her rape and murder provide an emotional surge that she continues to battle with throughout the story. Her experience was a bit graphic, which makes it inappropriate for younger readers. 

Tempering her fear and anger is the support of the spirit animals that offer her a second chance. One of those, Steven, is sent to help her on this journey. Steven provides the companionship Samantha needs, even though he also inspires a certain amount of fear in Samantha as she tries to cope with the violence she just experienced. Their relationship is a buffer against the more harsh elements of Samantha's experience. While their is little romantic element to their relationship, their is friendship. Anything more would not have set well for me. 

My only complaint is that certain aspects of this story were underdeveloped. Some areas were rushed through to keep the length in check. Emotional responses occasionally lacked the depth they could have reached because of the fast pace. Overall, this was a good introduction to Bazzi's work. I am interested to read more of her work and see how she handles a full length novel. 

A Simple Matter of Justice is available now from Amazon and Smashwords.