His plans are abruptly derailed when a female campaign volunteer vanishes on the night of Houston's mayoral election, throwing an already contentious campaign into chaos. Once he has his piece of the settlement, the single father is going to devote himself to what matters most-his children. Though Jay still believes in doing what's right, he is done fighting other people's battles. His latest case-representing Pleasantville in the wake of a chemical fire-is dragging on, shaking his confidence and raising doubts about him within this upwardly mobile black community on Houston's north side. That victory might have won the environmental lawyer fame, but thanks to a string of appeals, he hasn't seen a dime. LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILEY’S WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTIONįrom Attica Locke, a writer and producer of FOX’s Empire, this sophisticated thriller sees lawyer Jay Porter-hero of her bestseller Black Water Rising-return to fight one last case, only to become embroiled in a dangerous game of shadowy politics and a witness to how far those in power are willing to go to win.įifteen years after his career-defining case against Cole Oil, Jay Porter is broke and tired.
Wall Street Journal BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
And even though Jay is tired of wading through other people's problems, he suddenly finds himself trying his first murder case, a trial that threatens to blow the entire community wide open, and reveal the lengths that those with power are willing to go to hold onto it.WINNER OF THE HARPER LEE PRIZE FOR LEGAL FICTION Sam is determined that Jay Porter defends his grandson. And when her body is found, Axel's nephew is charged with her murder. But his lead is slipping thanks to a late entrant into the race - Sandy Wolcott, a defence attorney riding high on the success of a high-profile murder trial.Īnd then, just as the competition intensifies, a girl goes missing, apparently while canvassing for Axel. As usual the campaign focuses on Pleasantville - the African-American neighbourhood of the city that has swung almost every race since it was founded to house a growing black middle class in 1949.Īxel Hathorne, former chief of police and the son of Pleasantville's founding father Sam Hathorne, was the clear favourite, all set to become Houston's first black mayor. It's 1996, Bill Clinton has just been re-elected and in Houston a mayoral election is looming. Politics is a matter of life and death in this thrilling third novel from Orange Prize shortlisted author of Black Water Rising.
0 kommentar(er)
