Introduction

U.S. Marshal Jake Taylor has seen plenty of action during his years in law enforcement. But he'd rather go back to Iraq than face his next assignment: protection detail for federal judge Liz Michaels. His feelings toward Liz haven't warmed in the five years since she lost her husband--and Jake's best friend--to possible suicide. How can Jake be expected to care for the coldhearted workaholic who drove his friend to despair?

As the danger mounts and Jake gets to know Liz better, his feelings slowly start to change. When it becomes clear that an unknown enemy may want her dead, the stakes are raised. Because now both her life--and his heart--are in mortal danger.

Full of the suspense and romance Irene Hannon's fans have come to love, Fatal Judgment is a thrilling story that will keep readers turning the pages late into the night.

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Excerpt

At the vibrating summons from his BlackBerry, Deputy U.S.
Marshal Jake Taylor clenched his hands on the steering wheel
and stifled a groan. Except for the two hours of semi-restful
downtime he’d enjoyed during the flight back to St. Louis
from Denver, he’d been operating for almost twenty-four
adrenaline-packed hours on high-alert status. His plan had
been to head straight for his rented condo, ignore the boxes
waiting to be unpacked, and crash.

But a quick glance at caller ID told him that plan was
probably toast.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed the talk button and
greeted his boss. “Hi, Matt. What’s up?”

“Sorry to call so late. Did I wake you?”

“No. The flight was delayed. I’m on my way home from
the airport.”

“You might want to pull over.”

Not good.

A drive-through coffee shop came into view, and Jake
swung into the parking lot, grateful for the providential timing
and the establishment’s late hours. Since the LED dial
on his dashboard clock was inching toward midnight and he
suspected sleep wouldn’t be on his agenda in the foreseeable
future, a hefty dose of caffeine was in order.

“I’m stopping for some coffee as we speak.” He pulled
behind the car already at the order window.

“Good idea. Everything go okay?”

“Yeah. We had it covered. He didn’t even get off a shot.”
Arresting a person on the U.S. marshals’ most-wanted list was
always dicey. And as Jake had expected, Ray Carlson—whose
string of warrants included murder, arson, narcotics trafficking,
and firearms and explosives violations—had merited the
deployment of a full contingent of deputy marshals from the
service’s elite Special Operations Group.

“Good. That’s the way we like arrests to go down. Listen,
I hate to pull you into another tough situation before you
catch your breath, but Todd just left for Beauregard for some
sniper training.”

Meaning Matt thought this job warranted SOG attention.
Todd was the only other St. Louis–based member of the select
tactical group headquartered in Louisiana.

“What’s the problem?” Jake extracted a small notebook
from his pocket and balanced it on the steering wheel, keeping
an eye on the car ahead of him.

“There was an attempted murder earlier tonight at the
home of a federal judge. The judge’s sister was shot. She’s
alive, but it’s not looking good. Until we have a handle on
what happened, I want a protective detail on the judge 24/7.
I’d like you to head it up.”

Not for the first time, he wished he’d had more time to prep
before his transfer to St. Louis. Jake knew few of the judges
here that the Marshals Service was charged with protecting.
But no sooner had he arrived in town two weeks ago than
he’d been called away to work the Carlson arrest. And during
his prior six-month deployment to Iraq, he’d been focused on
improving that country’s judicial and witness security—and
staying alive. Future assignments back home hadn’t been on
his radar screen.

“Who’s the judge?” Pen poised, Jake figured he could get
the basics from Matt now and fill in the rest later.

“Elizabeth Michaels.”

He stopped breathing.

Liz Michaels? Doug’s wife?

No. It couldn’t be the same person.

Could it?

Even as that question echoed in his mind, he had a sinking
feeling he knew the answer.

“Jake? You there?”

“Yeah.” He took a breath. Kept his inflection neutral. “I
haven’t done my homework on the Eighth District judges in
this area yet, but the name is familiar. I knew an attorney
years ago from Jefferson City named Liz Michaels.”

The car in front of Jake pulled away from the drive-through
window, and he eased forward to place his order.

“Same person. She was in private practice there for quite a
while, then served as a state circuit court judge for three years.
She was appointed to the federal bench four months ago.”

A muscle in Jake’s jaw clenched as he pressed the mute
button on his phone and addressed the barista. “Large Americano.
And throw in an extra shot of espresso.”

The silence lengthened as he dug for his wallet, and when
Matt spoke again he could tell from his boss’s tone that the
man was frowning.

“Is there a problem?”

Yeah. A big one.

He’d rather go back to Iraq than head Liz Michaels’s protective
detail.

But there was only one response a professional could give.
“No. No problem.”

“Good. I’ll get you some relief as soon as this thing is sorted
out. But I’d like you to stick close for the first twenty-four
hours. I’ll send Spence over to assist.”

“Okay. Where is she?”

“St. John’s. It was the closest Level I trauma center. Two
police officers are with her in the ER. They’ll stay there until
you arrive. What’s your ETA?”

Jake exited the drive-through and headed toward westbound
I-64.

“Ten, fifteen minutes tops.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

The line went dead.

After slipping the BlackBerry back onto his belt, Jake
reached for his cup and took a swig of the potent coffee.

Then another.

It was going to be a long, unpleasant night.
... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

Fatal Judgment Discussion Questions
(Warning: Questions contain spoilers!)

1. Liz Michaels tried to help the two people she loved most in the world, and both attempts ended in tragedy. Do you think she was culpable in any way for their demise? Why or why not? Have you ever tried to help someone you loved, only to have the attempt backfire? How did you deal with that?

2. Jake Taylor formed his opinion of Liz largely based on his best friend’s comments. Have you ever formed an opinion about someone based on secondhand information? How did that affect your relationship with the person when you met them? How did it affect Jake’s relationship with Liz?

3. What are some of the things Jake learns about Liz that change his opinion of her?

4. Jake is upset when he realizes his sister, Alison, kept information about her accident from him—all in the name of protecting him. Do you think his anger was justified? What would you have done in Alison’s situation? Why?

5. Liz’s sister, Stephanie, had left instructions for her organs to be donated. Have you or a family member left similar instructions? Why? Did any particular Bible passages help you make that decision?

6. Have you ever lost a family member or someone you cared deeply about to violence? How did that affect your life?

7. Have you ever lost anyone to suicide? Again, how did that affect your life? How did you cope?

8. Liz’s husband suffered from depression and a drinking problem, which ultimately led to his demise. How did Liz try to help him? What else might she have tried? At what point in a situation like that is it okay to walk away—or is it ever okay?

9. Stephanie was a victim of domestic violence. Yet she stayed with her husband, hoping he would change. Have you ever known anyone who stayed in an abusive situation? What was the outcome? How would you have advised Stephanie? How can a friend support someone in a situation like that?

10. Despite Jake’s bad memories of intensive care, and despite his less-than-warm feelings toward Liz, he accompanies her to the ICU to say good-bye to her sister. What does this tell you about him?

11. Jake’s father was a street cop and Liz’s was an attorney. Both Jake and Liz had good relationships with their fathers. What does this say about the influence parents (good and bad) can have on a child’s life choices?

12. Liz’s faith sustained her through the tough times. Jake’s faith faltered. Talk about the reasons people might lose their faith in a trying situation. How would you advise them about how to rebuild it?

13. Does Liz strike you as a workaholic? What’s the difference between that and commitment? What are some of the dangers of giving too much of yourself to any job?

14. Talk about Martin. Did he strike you as a typical villain? Why or why not? What are some of the things that happened in his life that could have contributed to pushing him over the edge?

15. Martin joined a group that believed the Constitution and Bill of Rights were being undermined by the very government that created them. Do you think the freedom of Americans is being whittled away? If so, cite some examples. What are some ways responsible citizens can address such concerns?

16. When Liz doesn’t berate him for his perceived culpability in his wife’s death, but rather listens, accepts, and understands, Jake begins to wonder if perhaps God would show him the same mercy. Are those kinds of thoughts often a turning point in a relationship with the Lord? If so, why?

17. Liz says that a key component of faith is accepting without understanding. Have you ever struggled with that? How do you deal with doubts?

Weblinks

»	Publisher's Book Info
»	Author Irene Hannon's web site

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