Book Review: ‘No Truth Left To Tell: A Novel’ By Michael McAuliffe

Review by Ana Tafur

No Truth Left To Tell, the debut novel by Michael McAuliffe is an intense, action packed story about a fictional hate crime, that gets told from multiple perspectives.

The setting is 1994 Lynwood, Louisiana. The crime, seven wooden crosses are lit up at night, by Klansmen bent on starting another race war. Each cross placed at a location meant to send a message of “you are not welcomed here”. The author does a wonderful job of taking the reader along everyone’s journey, from the Klansmen, to the prosecutors, to the victims.

The prosecutor assigned to the case, Adrien Rush is the main character, who offers a viewpoint unlike the others. He is likeable and oddly relatable, and as a reader, we share in his struggles. As he continues to investigate and then prosecute the case, Adrien is forced to answer a hard question; what if the very laws that punish the guilty can also turn the guilty into the victim?

With his background in law, especially as a federal prosecutor, the author I am sure has tackled this very question head-on on numerous occasions. As someone on the outside, I found it a an intriguing concept, but thanks to this story, my appreciation for the justice system, and those who are bound by its law runs deeper.

While the story may be fictional, the thoughts and questions this book raises are true. I learned a lot from reading this book, and I look forward to Michael McAuliffe’s next novel.