Anyone who knows my reading habits knows that Christian suspense is my go-to genre of choice. I've started expanding my horizons, but suspense is still my favorite. Of the authors that write Christian suspense, C.C. Warrens is at the top of my list! My very first book recommendation blog post was to recommend her first series, her Holly Novels, and so I've come full circle to promote her follow-up series, the Seeking Justice series. I'd highly recommend reading the Holly Novels first as this series is a continuation of the first, starting with Criss Cross. While the Holly Novels are in first person perspective from Holly's point of view, this series is in 3rd person perspective. It was fascinating to see Holly from an outside perspective after having been inside her head for so long. As Detective Marx was one of my very favorite characters from the original series, it was good to get to see things from his point of view, and not just in how he related to Holly.
This series starts with Injustice for All, where Marx tracks a serial killer who seems to be selecting victims based on their flaws. The first one is found with a note attached to him "I should have tried harder". When more bodies pop up with the same MO, Marx is on the clock to find the killer.
See my full review of Injustice for All here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2523712144
There is a Christmas Novella in the midst of this 2 book series. This one takes a break from the intensity, though there's definitely still a mystery involved and Holly still finds herself in sticky situations. However, this book focuses more on relationships. We get to meet Marx's family, which helps us understand why he's sometimes a prickly cactus and other times a soft marshmallow. My favorite part of this book was the Christmas gift that Holly gives to Marx, which completely embodies their father/daughter-type relationship.
See my full review of Holly Jolly Christmas here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2619615630
The second and final book of this series is Imperfect Justice, which comes out June 1, 2020. This one definitely requires the history of the Holly Novels (though it re-hashes them, it doesn't quite bear the same intensity in the re-hashing) as Collin (Holly's foster brother who kidnapped and tortured her) is on trial. This one had so many twists and turns, I had no idea how the author was going to wrap this one up. This one was a legal thriller and those who have read the previous books enjoyed finally seeing Collin on trial. I was nervous the entire time, but this one offered a satisfying conclusion to the Seeking Justice series.
See my full review of Imperfect Justice here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3233951766
I had the opportunity to pose a Q&A to the author, and here is how it went:
1. What made you switch from 1st person to 3rd person? Was it weird writing Holly from the outside in?
Since the Seeking Justice Novels follow law enforcement and prosecutors who are trying to bring about justice, it seemed more fitting to step out of first person and into third so that the reader could have a wider experience. It was difficult switching from first to third, and I worried that the characters would seem shallow, but it eventually came together.
It was actually a breath of fresh air writing Holly outside of herself. In the Holly Novels, we know everything about her, including how she sees herself. Third person allowed me to illustrate how everyone else sees her. How we see ourselves and how others see us don’t often match up, and that’s the case with Holly. Of course, I do miss the quirkiness of her first person thoughts and perspectives.
2. What was your favorite part about writing the "Seeking Justice" series? What was your least favorite part?
My favorite part was getting to explore Marx’s personality outside of his interactions with Holly. Around her, he chooses his words carefully and checks his temper. But when he’s on the job, he can be sarcastic, snarky, and even short-fused. I loved rounding him out, and then showing the transition as he went home to Holly, and she brought out his inner marshmallow.
My least favorite part was… well, writing third person lol. I had never done it before, and it was a challenge figuring out what material was relevant and what could go, how to transition between scenes without a central character tying them together. In first person, with everything from one character’s perspective, they tie every chapter together. I had to figure out how to make the chapters flow gracefully when one focused on Marx, the next on Holly, the next on the killer, and so on.
3. I know that you really struggled with getting "Imperfect Justice" done. I know that part of that was physical health-related, but can you share what else made you struggle with this one so much?
Honestly, trial books (or legal thrillers, some call them) have always bored me, and here I was… about to write one. I needed to make it interesting, to strike a balance between legal and suspense. I did an insane amount of research into the setting and the process, and that was the easy part.
One hard part was pulling details from all of my prior books so that the prosecution could use them in their case against Collin, Holly’s foster brother and attacker. It was a lot of information, and I didn’t want to bog the story down with three books’ worth of information. I had to pick and choose carefully.
The absolute hardest part though… I didn’t plan for a trial. When I wrote “Crossed Off,” the book where Collin abducts Holly, I didn’t write it with the intention of bringing those actions into a courtroom. When I started “Imperfect Justice,” I wrote the case for the prosecution, and then—shifting my mindset into defense-mode—I went back and tried to poke holes in my own story. I looked for points of weakness that a good defense attorney would exploit, truths that could be twisted, any little detail that could be manipulated.
It was an arduous process! But I hope my readers enjoy the outcome.
4. Did the stories end up surprising you at all as they went along?
My stories always surprise me. Beyond the beginning, climax, and conclusion, I don’t plan things out. I was nearly finished with “Injustice for All" when I realized that one of the characters was coincidentally absent or in the wrong place when the murders happened. I never intended for him to become a suspect, but he did that all on his own!
5. I really enjoyed getting to meet Marx's parents in Holly Jolly Christmas, and to see the effect that Holly had on them. What was that relationship dynamic like to write?
Martha Marx was an absolute joy to write. Her huge heart, nurturing nature, and mama-bear attitude made her so warm and inviting. Her husband, Gus, is the polar opposite—cold, distrustful, and angry.
Richard Marx (or Ritchie, as his mama calls him) is a balance of the two of them, and I loved being able to show where some of his attributes came from and why he is the way he is.
Generational violence is a sad reality in some families, passed on from parent to child, and it breeds so much pain and bitterness. But I didn’t mind writing those angry, bitter scenes between father and son because I knew forgiveness was on the horizon. And the little spats between Martha and Gus amused me.
And of course, I love how quickly Martha welcomes Holly into the family, immediately deciding that this young woman she’s never met will be the granddaughter she’s always wanted.
6. Were any of the characters in these 3 books based off of real-life people?
My husband would tell you that Holly is a lot like me, and as far as her oddities and quirks, she probably is! But really, does anyone actually like brown and yellow M&M's? And cooking without setting off the smoke alarms is overrated…
I did pull some personality traits from people I know to create Gus and Martha, and of course Jace is based loosely on my husband. I find it interesting that I based her off him, and she’s his least favorite character lol.
7. Any other interesting tidbits to share with readers? Behind the scenes stuff?
I brainstorm character conversations while doing household chores, and I do it aloud. My neighbors all probably think I’m crazy, because I walk past the windows while talking to myself in the voices of my characters lol.
Also, there are a lot of odd little things I add to the books that are based on my own experiences. If you’re reading the books and one of the characters encounters a really strange or awkward situation not integral to the plot, it’s probably something that happened to me lol.
8. What's coming next and when can we expect it?
“Imperfect Justice” exhausted me, so I’m taking a little vacation to relax and read, and then I’ll be working on my fourth Holly Novel—tentatively named, “Cross the Line.” Back inside Holly’s head and on familiar ground, I expect the book will be completed within the year.
I, for one, am super excited to see another Holly Novel coming down the pike and look forward to reading "Cross the Line" when it releases! And since there's another Holly Novel coming, who knows if we'll see more of the Seeking Justice series further down the line as well?
For more information on the author, you can find it here:
C.C. Warrens website:
https://www.ccwarrensbooks.com/
C.C. Warrens facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/ccwarrens/
C.C. Warrens facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/402663070392305/
