Unlawful Justice by Vish Dhamija (Book Review)

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Crime
Publisher: HarperCollins India
Release Date: May 2017
Pages: 308
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 4.5 stars

Baby is the daughter of the Diwan’s household servant. Maheep Singh is the spoiled son of Maninder Singh. Vamini Diwan is the daughter of lawyers Vansh and Priti Dhawan. The book starts when Baby is raped and brutalized by Maheep. When Baby’s attacker is discovered, Vansh is torn between getting justice for the girl and protecting his family from the dangerous Maninder Singh. Priti is upset by her husband’s uncertainty and turns to Akash Hingorani, an old friend and the city’s top criminal lawyer for help. Their lives get even more complicated when an unexpected murder happens.

Unlawful Justice is the first book I’ve read by Vish Dhamija and also the first legal thriller I have read. It was a different experience to read a crime novel where I already knew who the criminal was. The book is basically about what happens after the occurrence of the crime. A good part of the plot is the dilemma that Vansh Dhawan is faced with but the majority of the book is the aftermath of a murder.

The book moves at a very good pace. There is not a single dull moment and I was always eager to know what would happen next. The author’s writing is excellent. He has a way of occasionally using unique words that we don’t usually come across. I really liked that but was also glad that it wasn’t overdone.

In the beginning of the book, I despised Vansh Dhawan for even thinking of helping Maninder Singh. It was understandable that he was worried for his family but he was coming off as a coward. I wasn’t sure whether to feel sorry for him or hate him.

I liked Preeti Dhawan. She didn’t waver for even a second on the fact that Maheep should be punished. She was a very strong woman and always stood up to Vansh when he was wrong.

Akash Hingorani was the best character in the book. He was a clever and charming man and also an excellent lawyer.

The main characters of the book are lawyers so through them, the author tells us a lot about how the judicial system works, the inner scoop of cases and tricks that lawyers use.

The book becomes very captivating when it comes to the courtroom scenes and I was on the edge of my seat to know what would happen. They were a new experience for me since I hadn’t read any courtroom thrillers. They were a little bland and lacked drama but I still liked them in a way.

I had my eyes stuck on the book for the last fifty pages because I wanted to know so badly what would happen next. The ending was very surprising and was brilliantly done. I did guess a part of the twist but I was still very surprised. The pieces in the story that I hadn’t even realized were missing came together wonderfully in the end. It was one of the best endings to a book I had ever read.

This book was completely up-to my expectations. I’m looking forward to reading many more legal thrillers. I’m very impressed by the author’s work and can’t wait to read the rest of his books.

If you’re looking for an exciting crime thriller, I highly recommend this book.

“I received a copy of this book from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.”