Shattered Justice
Authors: Karen Ball
Shattered Justice
“Karen Ball speaks to the heart. Readers will fall in love with her realistic characters and gripping story line in
Shattered Justice
. A surefire hit!”—K
AREN
K
INGSBURY
, bestselling author of
One Tuesday Morning
and
Beyond Tuesday Morning
“Whenever Karen Ball dips her writer’s pen into the inkwell of real life, she grasps it with a velvet hand and crafts a story that gives readers eternal truths written on a scroll of enduring hope. These are the stories that soothe a wounded spirit and lift a weary soul.”—R
OBIN
J
ONES
G
UNN
, bestselling author of
Sisterchicks Down Under
“Shattered Justice
is for anyone who has ever known grief or asked God, ‘Why me?’ Karen Ball paints a beautiful picture of redemption and regeneration, and shows that even our suffering sometimes has a greater purpose. Keep a box of tissues handy, because you’re going to need it!”—T
ERRI
B
LACKSTOCK
, bestselling author of
River’s Edge
A Test of Faith
“Anyone who has ever struggled in a mother-daughter relationship will identify with
A Test of Faith
. The story is as real as the evening newspaper. It was as if I was reading about my own mother, my own daughter, and perhaps more profoundly, reading about myself.”—D
EBBIE
M
ACOMBER
,
New York Times
bestselling author
“As a mother of daughters, I was quickly drawn into the world of Anne and Faith. I laughed and I cried throughout
A Test of Faith
. And at the end, I thanked God for my own mother and daughters. Thank you, Karen Ball, for this beautiful and memorable story.”—R
OBIN
L
EE
H
ATCHER
, bestselling author of
Beyond the Shadows
The Breaking Point
“The Breaking Point
is compelling and strikingly honest. This story touches the heart and gives hope for struggling marriages. Karen Ball writes with clarity, depth, and power. It’s a pleasure to recommend this engaging and memorable book.”—R
ANDY
A
LCORN
, bestselling author of
Safely Home
“The Breaking Point
is must-reading for any couple seeking God’s ideal in this wonderful covenant we know as marriage.”—A
NGELA
E
LWELL
H
UNT
, bestsellng author of
The Debt
“Gut-wrenching in its honesty and passion,
The Breaking Point
packs a powerful message of obedience and God’s healing.”—B
RANDILYN
C
OLLINS
, bestselling author of
Brink of Death
“A heartfelt novel about the craggy recesses of marriage—where God does some of His best work. Karen Ball’s writing is emotionally gripping and full of insight.”—J
AMES
S
COTT
B
ELL
, bestselling author of
Breach of Promise
N
OVELS BY
K
AREN
B
ALL
Shattered Justice
A Test of Faith
The Breaking Point
“Bride on the Run” in the
3 Weddings and a Giggle
anthology
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SHATTERED JUSTICE
published by Multnomah Books
© 2005 by Karen Ball
Scripture quotations are from:
Holy Bible
, New Living Translation
© 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
All rights reserved.
The Living Bible
(
TLB
)
© 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible
, New International Version (
NIV
)
© 1973, 1984 by International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House
Revised Standard Version Bible
(
RSV
) (including Apocrypha)
© 1946, 1952 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ
in the United States of America
Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown
Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.
M
ULTNOMAH
and its mountain colophon are registered trademarks of Random House Inc.
A
LL
R
IGHTS
R
ESERVED
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission.
For information:
MULTNOMAH BOOKS
12265 ORACLE BOULEVARD, SUITE 200
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80921
eISBN: 978-0-307-56332-3
v3.1_r1
For my brothers, Kevin and Kirk.
It was easy to write about a strong and loving sibling relationship because of you two. You’re two of my best friends.
You guys have always been there, teasing me, encouraging me, driving me nuts and making my life richer—and lots more fun.
Thank you for all you are. Thank you for all you’ve given me. Thank you for the ways you’ve helped me grow in my faith.
Thanks, most of all, for loving me the way you do and for being the best brothers ever. I love you guys.
Even when you drive me nuts.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I always try to make my books as accurate as possible, especially when I’m depicting something like law enforcement. However, I confess I have taken some definite liberties in this particular book. I needed Dan Justice to live and work in a rural Oregon mountain community. There was just one problem: That’s not the way things work with the Jackson County Sheriff’s department. Not now, anyway. Years ago, I’m told, we had deputies devoted to the more remote areas of our region. Sadly, as has happened in many states, budget cuts have cost us far too many positions in law enforcement, and our devoted sheriff and deputies are spread woefully thin. Even so, they do a great job of keeping Jackson County and the Rogue Valley a wonderful and safe place to live.
Fortunately for my story, a fictitious benefactor came along and donated funds for a test program that would bring a sheriff’s deputy to live and work in my little made-up town. And while that and some other elements aren’t true to life, I’ve done my best to be as factual as possible, whenever possible.
To that end, my sincere gratitude goes to Jackson County Deputy Michael Hermant for his patience in answering my questions regarding the ways things work in the sheriff’s department. I so appreciate your kindness as you shared your time and expertise with me. Your input was invaluable. Thank you!
Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee
,
Trust Him when thy strength is small
,
Trust Him when to simply trust Him
Seems the hardest thing of all
.
Trust Him, He is ever faithful
,
Trust Him, for His will is best
,
Trust Him, for the heart of Jesus
Is the only place of rest
.
A
NONYMOUS
“Listen, O heavens, and I will speak;
hear, O earth, the words of my mouth
.
Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew
,
like showers on new grass
,
like abundant rain on tender plants
.
I will proclaim the name of the L
ORD
.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect
,
and all his ways are just
.
A faithful God who does no wrong
,
upright and just is he.”
D
EUTERONOMY
32:1–4 (
NIV
)
