Book picks similar to
Color of Justice by J. Leon Pridgen II


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crime
legal-thrillers
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Daddy by Default


Pat Tucker - 2010
    Who’s your daddy? The Parkers’ best friends, James and Serena, are in the final stages of a bitter divorce. Just when James thinks his nightmare is over, he learns his daughter has a different daddy… For the love of money… Single mom Lachez Baker is a ghetto-fabulous mother of three who seems to have it all, thanks to money from her children’s fathers. But soon, her life of designer clothes, endless parties, and steady cash collides with the man who’s been the target of her carefully crafted paternity fraud. From author Pat Tucker comes a drama-filled tale of lies, schemes and consequences as these men discover the importance of knowing the paternity laws in your state.

Line of Succession: The Price of Power


Michael Vandor - 2014
    Senator Kathleen Canfield has made history through her election as Vice President of the United States. Beautiful, full of vigor and wit, she has been anointed by the media as "the female JFK". However, as events propel her toward the presidency, elements in the government set in motion plans to ensure that she never reaches the Oval Office. Canfield's journey will ultimately take her to the White House during a time of world crisis (the Balkan conflict), where she will battle forces within her own administration and government to lead a nation from the brink of war. The price she must pay for the power of the presidency will be the life of a member of her very own family. Stylishly written, this political thriller delivers a unique flavor that crosses lines between Tom Clancy and Danielle Steel. Opening with an assassination attempt on the Vice President, the story is fast paced, steaming downhill from cover to cover.

Kaine and Karma: Luvin' A Savage


Sha Jones - 2016
     The physical and mental abuse along with the lack of love that she receives from her evil mother at home sends her stumbling into the troubled street life. When she's not being her mother's own personal punching bag, she's laying on her back or sliding down the pole for a few dollars. To hide the embarrassment and pain of the abuse she subconsciously finds comfort in the men that only want to get between her legs, hit it raw then leave her feeling lonely, but that soon changes when she runs into a real man, a true boss. Kaine is sexy, savvy and rich. His aura is so strong that when he walks into a room, time stops. The men cheer his name and the women lust over him, but the only one that he has eyes for is Karma. Karma has been mistreated by so many men she can't help but to think that all of them are the same but is unexpectedly swept off her feet by Kaine, who shows her that there's so much more to life than being bullied by her mother and spreading her legs for chump change Kaine turns on his charm, reminds Karma that she's a queen and shows her what a real man is like. He comes into her life, digs deep inside of her soul and pulls out all of the pain that she buried deep within herself since she was a child. Karma's heart suddenly goes from cold to warm, and she now has a burning love for Kaine that she just can't put out. But now, there's a problem... While Kaine is helping Karma through her struggles, he has a few of his own. With the strength that Kaine has instilled inside of Karma, will she use it to be Kaine's backbone and help him overcome his own problems? Will she be woman enough to hold her man down the same way he's been holding her down? Will they be able to stick together and fight off the demons that are trying to pull them apart? In this latest steamy romance, Karma's new found strength will be put to the test in ways that she could never imagine.

BITTER


Shakela James - 2017
    That was the reason I studied so hard in school, didn’t hang out with the popular kids, and didn’t rebel against my parents. When I turned 17 years old and became the Valedictorian of my class, I knew I was on the right track. I was ready to go to college and embark on my journey towards becoming a corporate lawyer. Never in a million years did I think that by the time I was eighteen years old, I would be pushing out a baby. Never did I think my life could change so drastically. I had no degree, no career, no house, and no husband; but I had a daughter. I still remember the night everything changed between us. Or maybe things had already changed, and it was the first time I noticed it. I know for sure that it was the first time I had ever accepted the fact that I was truly just a “baby mama” and Flip had no real plans of making me his wife. I remember feeling so many emotions that night. I was hurt, angry, confused, disappointed, and betrayed. But I was still very much in love. I loved him too much to hate him so quickly, so I resented him and I hated myself for being so naiive. It didn’t take long for that resentment to magnify because once the truth is out, you begin to connect the dots to every lie you’ve ever been fed and it makes you wonder if any of it was ever real. The moment you lose respect for someone, everything changes. The love is still there, but it’s not the same. You become guarded, you become defensive, and sometimes you just want to hurt them the way they hurt you. That’s when they start to call you bitter. I never pictured myself becoming a bitter baby mama, but you know what? Maybe they’re right. Maybe I am bitter but I feel like I have every damn right to be. This is my story.

Kings of the Underworld: Alpha & Omega


Annitia L. Jackson - 2018
    The first two months were perfect until her past came back to haunt her. On top of that, dead bodies of drained human men are popping up around the city and has Syren wondering if she has turned into a killer. Alpha and Omega Duvall thought they had found the woman, that they would share their lives with until another man claimed to be her mate. Now, they are left wondering should they fight for their mate? Or move on? Dark forces are working hard to keep this triad from happiness, and to destroy the Demon Realm along with the Underworld. Can Syren, Alpha, and Omega come out whole? Find out in this D-City Underworld Spin-Off Saga.

The Syndicate 2: Carl Weber Presents


Brick - 2017
    After finding out their beloved foster mother, Claudette McPhearson, was anything but the sweet old woman they thought her to be, Javon, Shanelle, and the rest of their siblings hit the ground running in order to keep the Syndicate operating and to keep themselves alive. That also means they have to lose some of the people they love the most.With the legacy of their mother and her plans for them in motion, the McPhearson children are operating on a broken foundation. Attacked on all fronts, Javon and Shanelle are struggling to keep the family normal, while following the criminal plans of their dead mother. The Syndicate is growing, and Javon is determined to bring in new blood while looking for those who killed Claudette. Not to mention, something odd is going on with all of his siblings that threatens to rock the family to the core. Will the McPhearson clan fall in order for the Syndicate to rise, or will the truth end the legacy before it can even begin?

Splitsville


William Bernhardt - 2021
    A bitter custody battle. A deadly fire. This case could cost Kenzi her career—and her life.Kenzi Rivera is furious. Passed over for promotion at her own father’s firm, the talented divorce lawyer is tired of fighting chauvinism every single day. When a desperate scientist begs for help getting her daughter back, Kenzi can’t resist…even though this client is involved in Hexitel, a group she calls her religion but others call a cult.Kenzi uncovers evidence of disturbing practices at Hexitel involving large sums of money, servitude, and sex. She also learns her client’s lab has been plagued by death threats and cutthroat competition. After the workplace burns to the ground and her client is charged with murder, the ambitious attorney knows there is much more at stake than a simple custody dispute.Can Kenzi find a path to the truth before she’s trapped in a maze of death?Splitsville is the dramatic first book in the Splitsville Legal Thriller series. If you like gutsy heroines, diverse characters, and page-turning suspense, then you’ll love William Bernhardt’s twisty tale.

Lights Out


George Sherman Hudson - 2012
    

Something About the Hood In Her


Nikki Brown - 2019
     Vinny’s love for Cami is unlike anything that he has ever felt before but in his heart, he knows that he’s not ready to give in to the fairytale life that she dreams of. The luxuries of being at the head of the Maler Empire affords him a plethora of “opportunities” that interfere with what he’s trying to build with her. Cami knows her worth, so the fact that she allows Vinny to do what he does shows just how much she loves him but that’s proving not to be enough anymore. In his mind, he’s young and has time but what he doesn’t know is that Cami is at her breaking point and when Skylar steps on the scene, his time may really be up. Spiff feels like he’s stuck in a relationship with the mother of his son, Porsha. Him and Cami didn’t have the best upbringing and all he ever wanted was a family to call his own. He knew early on that Porsha wasn’t the woman he wanted that with but when she got pregnant, he manned up and handled his responsibility. A situation arose and that caused a rift in Spiff’s life that left him single, and looking for care for his son. When AD Maler introduces him to Magic, he’s drawn to her instantly, but she has some dark secrets of her own. With Porsha still in the background, will the two be able to act on their attraction to each other or will LIFE intercept and end everything before it even begins. In this spin off to “He Brings Out The Hood In Me” you get to see the other side of the Maler Empire, while witnessing Spiff and Vinny battle the ins and outs of love.

The Spider Shepherd Collection 5-7: Dead Men, Live Fire, Rough Justice


Stephen Leather - 2013
    Dead MenFormer SAS trooper turned undercover cop Dan Spider Shepherd knows there are no easy solutions in the war against terrorism. But when a killer starts to target pardoned IRA terrorists, Shepherd has to put his life on the line to protect his former enemies; and as a Muslim assassin closes in on his prey, Shepherd realises that the only way to save lives is to become a killer himself. Live FireDan 'Spider' Shepherd is infiltrating a tightly-knit team of bank robbers, when a group of home-grown Islamic fundamentalist fanatics embark on a campaign of terror the like of which Britain has never seen. Car bombs and beheadings are only the prelude of what they have planned. And Shepherd is the only man who can stop them. Rough JusticeVillains across London are being beaten, crippled and killed by vigilante cops. Crime rates are falling, but the powers that be want Dan 'Spider' Shepherd to bring the wave of rough justice to an end. Shepherd has always known that there are grey areas in the fight against crime, and that sometimes justice gets lost in the process. But when his own family is brought into the firing line, Shepherd has some hard decisions of his own to make.

The Last Ten Percent


Michelle McKinney Hammond - 2006
    From the author of Secrets of an Irresistible Woman comes a novel of five women who explore how intelligent women with impressive careers, coveted urban dwellings, and closets full of fashions can still worry so much about the shortage of men.

Unthinkable Sins 2: The Family


Tiffani Quarles-Sanders - 2016
    Adultery. Betrayal. Murder. Hattie Durham committed some Unthinkable Sins in her lifetime, but now she’s gone, leaving her three sons and their wives behind to deal with the fallout. THE SONS… Junior – wants to escape his past as he learns the truth about how his mother died. But will his need for revenge and his own past sins come between him and the family he loves? Carl – has been carrying a terrible secret alone all these years and can’t bear the weight anymore. Can he keep it together with his family’s help or will the burden break him? Jerome – is blessed with everything a man could want – influence, power and a destiny to fulfill. But when life deals him an unexpected blow, will the family have his back or will they fall apart around him? …AND THEIR WIVES Donetta – finds her self-confidence growing along with her doubts about her husband’s fidelity. Are their marriage vows enough to keep her in the family now that she has what it takes to make it on her own? Trudy – senses the strain on the family in the wake of her mother-in-law’s death. Will she able to help keep the ones she loves from self-destructing or is her own life in danger? Susan – managed to escape an uncertain past, leaving behind a few bodies in her wake. Will her dreams of love and success finally come true or ultimately be overshadowed by Hattie Durham’s death? Find out now in UNTHINKABLE SINS 2: The Family

Khaleel: Tall, Dark & Deadly (Revamped Version)


Lady Lissa - 2018
    Khaleel is a respectful attorney whose family is very prominent in the community. He has everything going for him; he’s smart, successful and handsome yet still single. How can someone with so much to offer be single? When Khaleel meets the beautiful Erica, he is immediately smitten. After exchanging numbers, the two begin a whirlwind courtship that soon turns into a full- blown relationship. The only problem is the fact that Khaleel has been keeping a sinister secret from Erica. Erica is an FBI agent who recently relocated to the area and gets put on the case to track down a vicious serial killer. What will happen when she finds out the truth about her new love? Will Khaleel be able to keep Erica from finding out his secret? Will Erica’s partner Sullivan realize that he needs to move on and forget about Erica? Find out in this installment of Khaleel: Tall, Dark & Deadly…

Antebellum


R. Kayeen Thomas - 2012
    When Da Nigga is sent back in time, he finds himself a slave forced to live the life of his ancestors. A rapper in current time, Da Nigga must confront the reality of the African-American experience as slavery challenges everything he holds dear from his fellow rappers and their lyrics, to the executives and their motives.Antebellum is the hard-hitting, gritty story of Da Nigga. From rap superstar to broken slave and back, Antebellum will have readers on the edge of their seats and keep them talking long after they put it down.

Baltimore Chronicles Volume 4


Treasure Hernandez - 2012
    But is he really safe?The mysterious observer has come out of the shadows and infiltrated the Dirty Money Crew. Together with his accomplice, he plans to exact revenge on Scar. Meanwhile, Tiphani is plotting her return from Florida to claim her children and also get back at Scar and the mayor who left her for dead. After recovering from his injuries, Derek Fuller is out of prison, looking for redemption.Can Scar fend off all of these enemies and still control the Baltimore drug trade?