City of Angels (The Trials of Kit Shannon #1)

I didn't read the other 5 star reviews before I bought this ebook, so maybe I missed the warning, "Do not pick up your Kindle and start reading anywhere in this story before bedtime!"The novel grabbed my attention from the first page and never let go. I hoped the story was as good all the way to the end as it started out. I loved it even if I stayed up 2 more hours before my bedtime.The writing is sophisticated yet very easy to follow along smoothly; not complicated. It is the type of story where I forgot there was a writer behind it, as I could see each scene and hear every word.There is mystery, suspense, sadness, 'almost' romance. There are different types of characters and personalities, some very kind and good, some downright evil without vivid scenes of violence, although told about, but not graphic.This well written, interesting novel is proof positive that a good story doesn't have to resort to the 'F' word to be interesting.It stays true to the historical period with the morals and attitude of the times.There is a definite ending, and complete without the next book, but unusual for me, I bought the second book immediately before writing this review.I don't ever like to sum up the story in a review as I think that makes it sound boring, you know, without the "voice" as authors refer to. However I will tell you it has no vampires (yeah) no sex, no paranormal. It reads true to life and you feel you are living in the times and place. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and my review helps you decide.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Christian feminist story set in old Los Angeles. As a writer and a native of Los Angeles, I enjoyed the characters and the conflict in such a nostalgic setting. Though I was born much later than the timeline of the story, many of the things referred to were still part of the city when I was a little girl. I’m looking forward to reading more Kit Shannon books and other stories by these writers.I think we need a club for writers who love writing about historic Los Angeles.

I got City of Angels for free on Kindle and enjoyed visiting Kit Shannon and Company again. James Scott Bell and Tracie Peterson team up to write an entertaining legal story with an unlikely protagonist and a beautiful historical backdrop.If anyone knows injustice, it's Kathleen "Kit" Shannon. She lost her dad at eight, and her mom a few years later, thanks mostly to corrupt New York lawyers. Afterward, Kit was remanded to a strict Catholic orphanage ruled by an abusive and mentally unstable nun. But Kit had the intelligence of her Irish-American father and the tender, God-fearing heart of her mother, plus twice the fire of either. She has since grown up, obtained a law degree, and vowed to put it to use despite the fact that in 1903 California, female lawyers are about as rare as a blizzard.Kit is a sympathetic and empathetic protagonist who wins your heart and engagement from page one. Not only has she been through the wringer in childhood, she continues to face hardship as an adult. Despite that, she maintains unwavering faith and tenacity without being a Pollyanna about it. She's no respecter of persons, beginning and maintaining deep relationships with everyone from her brilliant mentor to her immigrant maid. Perhaps best of all, this woman is fearless. Many times in City of Angels, Kit faces situations that would've made me run back to New York. However, she faces them with aplomb and comes out a winner, if not always right away.Speaking of winning, the legal side of City of Angels is well-written and fascinating. When I first read this book in high school, it made me want to abandon my aspirations of an English degree for a J.D. (I didn't, but you never know). Kit's mentor Earl Rogers is indeed a courtroom magician--watching him work is as good or better than what you might see on Law and Order. I also admired the fact that although Kit is passionate, she never lets emotion get in the way of the law. She never lets them see her sweat, and is rewarded for it.Secondary characters, from the aforementioned Rogers to Kit's Aunt Frederica ("Freddy") to Ted Fox liven a lot of scenes up. Heath Sloate is a perfect villain--even his name makes me cringe, and oh, I love to hate him. He's the perfect match for a passionate, principled heroine like Kit--a guy who wouldn't know justice if it bit him, but has the gall to pretend he cares about it.Telling is privileged over showing a lot, although here it reads more like a stylistic choice. I sometimes felt characters' backstories were "info-dumped" on me. I also wanted to know more about the motives and lives of certain characters, Ted Fox especially. In fact, we know so little about him that it doesn't really make sense that Ted would be the defendant in the book's big murder trial. Once you see the solution it's more believable, but at first, it comes from almost nowhere. Finally, there were a couple of structural choices that drove me crazy, such as saying, "Kit knew..." when we already know because we'd seen it, or saying, "A scream sounded!" No exclamation point needed; screams are loud on their own.Overall, I was glad to come back to Kit Shannon and ordered the next book after finishing this one. I only ever got to read the first three, so I'm looking forward to the other half of the series as well. If you're looking for something with a legal edge, but not as intense as a legal thriller, try this one.

Though I love historical fiction, I usually run the other way when I see a book with a woman on the cover--that's usually a guarantee that a smarmy romance is contained in the book's pages. Tracie Peterson has a rock solid reputation but I've never read her work to my knowledge. What made me venture past the book cover was the fact that James Scott Bell's name was also on the cover--a writer whose fiction and non-fiction I've enjoyed.I was very pleasantly surprised by the story. Not only do I find smarmy romances tiresome, I also find tiresome the overzealous female heroine who breathes fires and takes no prisoners. Fortunately, Ms. Peterson and Mr. Bell did not fall into that trap with the heroine of this book. The heroine was appropriately feminine, timid when it was appropriate and yes--a fire-breather when appropriate--but all as a natural outgrowth of her character. The plot was excellent, the characters vivid. And the time period was an interesting one that I enjoyed being exposed to.I think one of the things I've always liked best about Mr. Bell's work is his absolute passion for LA. I very much admire writers who are passionate about place and make it shine through in their writing. That, coupled with well drawn characters who have clearly created an excellent pool of resources to draw from for subsequent novels, made it a book I couldn't put down--even at the expense of my English and Biology homework. 8-)I've already gone and purchased the next in the series....but I better get some homework done before I start the next one or my grades might suffer. *-)

The story line was plausible,and showed again how power can corrupt , even in legal circles. Also the gender assumption that only a male could be a lawyer

James Scott Bell never fails to keep us turning pages. Simultaneously bringing actual history into play, along with fully fledged and believeable charaters, he weaves a tapestry of God's guidance in the trials and foibles of human failings and doubt. This book unites God's unfailing love with the dark and often fearful aspect of our weakness. While we find ourselves gripped in the highs and lows of the human experience we are drawn to remember that there is God who enables trust in the seeking heart.

This is the first novel I have read by these Authors, and against my better judgement I have given it 4.5 stars. The reason for this is that this story was very readable, as it was simply written about a young lady set to make a name for herself at as Attorney at Law in Los Angeles in the year 1903. The story is a simple one and the ending was pretty predictable, but it still demanded you to read on. I will be looking at more written by this pair. Recommended light reading.

Never did I see the ending coming. Masterfully written with great insight into all the good and evil in our world . Just enough talk of God to establish the character of Kit Shannon. Highly recommended.

Read this on the recommendation of my wife who after reading the first book asked me to purchase the other 5.I have to say it was a really good read so much so that I also read all 6 in the series one after another.