Böcker av Attica Locke

Highway 59 is the forgotten route that connects the backwood towns across the state of Texas. It's a place that time - and justice - seem to have forgotten. But then, two bodies wash up in a bayou outside the tiny town of Lark in three days: a poor local white girl, barely nineteen, and a well-to-do African-American lawyer from Chicago.

WINNER OF THE HARPER LEE PRIZE FOR LEGAL FICTIONWall Street Journal BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILEY'S WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTIONFrom 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.Fifteen years after his career-defining case against Cole Oil, Jay Porter is broke and tired. That victory might have won the environmental lawyer fame, but thanks to a string of appeals, he hasn't seen a dime. 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. Though Jay still believes in doing what's right, he is done fighting other people's battles. Once he has his piece of the settlement, the single father is going to devote himself to what matters most--his children.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. The accused is none other than the nephew and campaign manager of one of the leading candidates--a scion of a prominent Houston family headed by the formidable Sam Hathorne. Despite all the signs suggesting that his client is guilty--and his own misgivings--Jay can't refuse when a man as wealthy and connected as Sam asks him to head up the defense. Not if he wants that new life with his kids. But he has to win.Plunging into a shadowy world of ambitious enemies and treacherous allies armed with money, lies, and secrets, Jay reluctantly takes on his first murder trial--a case that will put him and his client, and an entire political process, on trial.

Attica Locke--a writer and producer of FOX's Empire--delivers an engrossing, complex, and cinematic thriller about crime and racial justiceLos Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist (Mystery/Thriller)Edgar Award Nominee (Best First Novel)The Orange Prize for Fiction (Shortlist)"A near-perfect balance of trenchant social commentary, rich characterizations, and action-oriented plot.... Attica Locke [is] a writer wise beyond her years."¿-- Los Angeles Times"Atmospheric... deeply nuanced... akin to George Pelecanos or Dennis Lehane.... Subtle and compelling."¿-- New York Times--James Ellroy, author of American Tabloid and L.A. Confidential

Just after dawn, Caren inspects the grounds of Belle Vie, the historic plantation house she manages. Back at her office, the gardener calls to tell her she missed something. Something terrible. At a distance, she didn't see. A young woman lying face down in a shallow grave, her throat cut clean. So there will be police, asking questions.

On a dark night, out on the Houston bayou to celebrate his wife's birthday, Jay Porter hears a scream. Saving a distressed woman from drowning, he opens a Pandora's Box. Not the lawyer he set out to be, Jay long ago made peace with his radical youth, tucked away his darkest sins and resolved to make a fresh start.