Right from the start I must confess that I am a German shepherd crazy lady. I adore the breed. Though some people see the dogs as fearsome and ferocious, I find them as gentle as Justice, the gorgeous shepherd in A HEALING JUSTICE, my new novel. He loves watching Animal Planet, and he sleeps with Bandit, his teddy. I had a shepherd who did exactly that, so I know the loving nature that can lie hidden behind those teeth.
When I was a child, my first dog was a shepherd mutt named Zipper. As an adult, I’ve had six of the breed—two rejects from Guide Dogs for the Blind and four rescues, who showed their gratitude for my forever home by loving me with all their hearts. There is no animal more special than my current shepherd, Bridget, though of course I know that all dog people on the planet make that claim about theirs.
Because I write novels about dogs, naturally one had to be a German shepherd—and that’s how A HEALING JUSTICE came to be. My other inspiration was signing up with nineteen other people for the Police Department’s Citizens Academy in Bainbridge Island, Washington, where I live. In the ten-week course, we learned about drugs, crime scenes, parking tickets, traffic accidents, and mental health issues that require intervention. We visited the county jail, court, morgue, and 9-1-1 dispatcher, and we learned to fire a rifle and handgun. Needless to say, the Academy was a goldmine for research; and when I finished, I was bursting to share it with my readers.
In A HEALING JUSTICE, Andrea, a woman officer, and Justice, her K-9 partner, find themselves in a colossal scrape that leads to injury and tragedy. Most of us might have buckled under the stress that followed, but they have each other to help them recover and heal. Their bond is a beautiful thing.
Prepare for just a tiny bit of violence—not much because I know that many of us are sensitive souls. There’s also some guilt and blame and misery, but that evolves into joy in the end. Throughout the story, you will get to witness the unparalleled goodness of Justice, who has plenty to teach Andrea—and all of us.
“Von Kreisler takes us deeper into the powerful connections between humans and animals.” —Jacqueline Sheehan
From the bestselling author of Earnest and An Unexpected Grace comes a novel about a woman, a dog, and the hope and love that can emerge from tragedy . . .
Two years ago, police officer Andrea Brady fell madly in love with a black-muzzled, slightly rumpled German shepherd who showed up at her house one misty autumn day. Now, with the brave and intuitive Justice as her expert K-9 drug sniffer, she’s found an unbeatable partner. Then the unthinkable happens. A savage attack leaves a teenager dead and Andie trapped in every cop’s worst nightmare. Placed on administrative leave, she’s pursued by media and investigated by a deputy sheriff whose handling of the high-profile case could earn him a
coveted promotion. Haunted by self-doubt, Andie is in danger of losing everything—her career, her freedom, and the critically injured dog who’s her soul mate. But as she finds kind allies in her Puget Sound island community, the road back becomes a journey of healing for both Andie and her canine companion. And Andie learns important lessons about justice—and about Justice—as she struggles to find the courage to forgive herself and reclaim the gift of her life…
“Be sure to set aside a quiet secluded time to read this book. You won’t want to put it down and you will resent any interruption. Von Kreisler safely navigates the treacherous waters of guilt, fault, consequences, honor and blame. Her compelling characters will have you rooting for them. In Andrea and Tom, Von Kreisler has given us wonderful, complicated human characters, and Justice, the canine of the title, is so perfectly drawn that the reader falls in love with him. A Healing Justice is a terrific novel and a great addition to Von Kreisler’s canon.” –Susan Wilson New York Times Bestselling Author of One Good Dog and The Dog Who Saved Me
Praise for the novels of Kristin von Kreisler
“Kristin von Kreisler deftly spins a tale of human failings and canine devotion.” —Susan Wilson
“In this terrific and uplifting novel, von Kreisler shows how the love between a dog and a person can prove transformative.” —Modern Dog Magazine
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