Duane Freeman has finally become a "free man" after seven years in prison and two years on parole. He is a rare exception for an ex-con, one who made the decision upon leaving the jail cell that he would never return. He was lucky not only to find someone who would give him a chance, but to find several people that he could call friends. He was hired on as a custodian at Sunnycrest in Los Angeles, a high-end, up-scale mental hospital, filled with the rich and the famous, including Princess Washburn, Hollywood’s leading lady. After two years of working there, Duane feels as if Sunnycrest is his home, and most of the employees, family. While working one night, Duane finds that one of the physicians is sexually abusing Princess, by telling her that he will make sure she is discharged early in exchange for sex. Duane confides in one of the head nurses and they, along with a few others, decide that something must be done to stop this terrible injustice. Will Duane and his partners be able to put a top to this and be heroes or will it all backfire and end his new “wonderful” life?

"Slapped by Injustice" gives you a look at an ex-con’s life through his eyes. You can feel his struggles, his disappointments, his losses and his wins. It really communicates the realities that newly released prisoners face, as well as the prejudices. The story is very smooth and has strong impact on readers. Kudos to author W.F. Redmond for his accomplishment in putting the regular Joe into the mind of an ex-con. Look forward to reading more of his work.

"Slapped By Injustice: Point Blank" is an intriguing novel written by W.F. Redmond. Duane Edward Freeman is a young black man, who seemingly has a good life. He is in love with a woman named Grace, and holds an honest and decent hard-working job as a custodian at a hospital. It is then that things take the dramatic turn upside down for Duane. Grace betrays Duane’s trust in an emotional roller-coaster. And soon after, he finds himself in the midst of trouble in his violent neighborhood and is arrested for attempted murder. He is sent to the California Department of Corrections and it is there that his life really begins. Instead of letting the prison culture suffocate him and pound the life out of him, he pulls on his inner strength and confidence to slowly turn his life around in all the right directions. After he serves out seven of his ten years of sentence, he is given his freedom and sent back to the very streets where his battles had begun. Will history repeat itself or will he conquer his demons using the right tools that he has so deservedly learned?

Redmond writes a compelling book about a topic that we can easily relate to. Most of us know someone who is troubled and have been on a destructive path and even with our attempts to help them, they must hit bottom and help themselves first. The cover of the book is enthralling and captivates the reader into wanting to pick it up to see what is inside. The chapters are easy to comprehend and well-thought-out. I found the plot to flow a little long from chapter to chapter though. I wanted the turning point to come earlier because I knew it was coming, yet had to wait and wait for it. It was hard to be patient on my part, but once the plot thickened, it was powerful and emotional. I felt like Duane’s personal cheerleader, as I was cheering him on from the sidelines and rooting for him to find his God given strength and use it to set his life on a different path. Duane has to struggle to find the hope and faith that he so desperately needs to survive. This book does contain some profanity which is necessary to explain the story; however, this book should be read by a mature audience.