Casee‘s review of Bonds of Justice (Psy/Changeling Series, Book 8) by Nalini Singh.
Max Shannon is a good cop, one of the best in New York Enforcement. Born with a natural shield that protects him against Psy mental invasions, he knows he has little chance of advancement within the Psy-dominated power structure. The last case he expects to be assigned is that of a murderer targeting a Psy Councilor’s closest advisors. And the last woman he expects to compel him in the most sensual of ways is a Psy on the verge of a catastrophic mental fracture…
Sophia Russo is a Justice-Psy, cursed with the ability to retrieve memories from men and women so twisted even veteran cops keep their distance. Appointed as Max’s liaison with the Psy, she finds herself fascinated by this human, her frozen heart threatening to thaw with forbidden emotion. But, her mind filled with other people’s nightmares, other people’s evil, she’s standing on the border between sanity and a silken darkness that urges her to take justice into her own hands, to become judge, jury…and executioner…
Max Shannon is the detective from Mine to Possess. He was a peripheral character, one that you should forget, but can’t. I wasn’t surprised when it came out that Max would get his own book. Max is an Enforcement officer. Enforcement is the public police department. Both humans and Psy work for Enforcement though Psy civilians are usually higher up on the political food chain.
After several of her staff turn up dead, Nikita Duncan decides to go outside of the elite group of Psy she is a part of and go to Enforcement. Nikita specifically requests Max Shannon and J-Psy Sophia Russo. She has her reasons, which aren’t immediately clear. I have to admit that the reasons aren’t exactly clear at the end of the book. Of course I can speculate, but that’s all they really are: speculations.
Max and Sophia have worked together before. As a J-Psy, Sophia can get into the minds of criminals and get a re-enactment of exactly what happened through memories. The latest cast they are on is that of a sociopathic serial killer. Max wants Sophia to use her gift to find out where the unfound bodies are buried.
Max has always fascinated Sophia, but she is careful to keep it hidden. As a J-Psy, she has a higher likelihood of rehabilitation and has to go to get reconditioned quite often. Sophia knows that it’s only a matter of time before her mind burns out and she dies. When she and Max get put together on the Duncan assignment, Sophia is determined to take in all she can from the one man that can invoke feeling in her.
Max has his own demons to deal with, but he still looks forward to working with Sophia. There is something about her that he can’t quite figure out. She intrigues the cop and man in him. As they get to know each other, Max is able to see Sophia for who she really is. She’s a woman that is desperate to be touched, but can’t do so without taking on memories. Sophia has been so isolated that it makes Max seem downright social.
While this isn’t my favorite installment in the Psy/Changeling series, it lives up to the expectations I have when I read Nalini Singh. I was thrilled that she gave a little more information about Kaleb and more into the Psy world in general. This series only gets better. Bonds of Justice is no exception.
4.25 out of 5.
This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
The series:
I should really up this series on my TBR list! “So many books so little time”