When Jack’s dad asks him to look into the case of Mark Towson, president of a white fraternity in Florida’s major university, he reluctantly agrees. Mark is being accused of the lynching of fellow student Jamal Cousins, president of the school’s top black fraternity. The evidence is pretty damning and the political implications are overwhelming. A threatening text message from Mark’s phone goes a long way in bolstering the prosecutor’s case, but Mark swears he never sent it.
Never one to give up, Swyteck begins to find evidence that points to Mark being an innocent victim of a criminal plan as horrifying as the one he is being charged with and just as difficult to prove. Grippando’s storytelling ability is at its best as this tale unfolds, and I found myself having to put the book down at times because my emotions got the best of me. This type of story has been told many times through the years since the turbulent sixties, but this author kept it fresh and important. His descriptions of northern Florida are spot on, and I felt myself sweating in the swamps around the Suwannee River Valley.
Jack’s hunt for the truth will keep you on the edge of your seat as you realize that while the days of obvious segregation are behind us, much still needs to be done to make sure that our justice system works equally for all. This February title will definitely give you plenty to think about as you try to stay warm.
- Beverly
Publisher - HarperCollins Publishers
Date of Publication - February 6, 2018