Book Review: ‘A Calamity Of Souls: A Novel’ By David Baldacci

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The book is in stores on Tuesday, April 16th from Grand Central. Click on the link to buy a copy. https://amzn.to/4anPs5h

The year is 1968, in Virginia, where the deep south is still dived by racial injustice. On this day, a black man, Jerome Washington, a decorated soldier for his service in Vietnam, is arrested, and beaten for the murders of Leslie and Anne Rudolph, a married couple, who of society. He was their handyman, and from all reports was well-liked by the couple. He claims he’s innocent, and soon after his wife Pearl is also arrested, and accused of helping him. Attorney Jack Lee, who is white, is asked by Miss Jessup, a friend of his family, to represent Jerome, and later Pearl at trial. Jack has never done a murder case and soon is joined by Desiree DuBose, a black lawyer who works for the NAACP’s Legal Defense Team. As the days and weeks go by leading up to the trial, there are attempts on both their lives, they find out crucial information that could help their case, and we follow them through the actual trial (which is written brilliantly), and then a shocking reveal, and an even more shocking ending. This book is GREAT! Author David Baldacci has written a masterpiece, maybe the best book of his career, and one of the best books of the year. From the depiction of the time frame, racial injustice, and the trial, there’s not one bad thing about this book. This is one you won’t want to put down.