Death Row by Freida McFadden

 

Death Row by Freida McFadden - 74 pages

With all hope of an appeal fading away, the fate of a condemned murderess takes a shocking turn in a breathtaking short story.

Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband. She had an alibi and no known motive, yet Talia’s unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored. Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a recognizable stranger she’s certain is her husband. It turns out the man she’s been convicted of killing may not be dead after all. But as the days tick away toward Talia’s execution, what will it take for her to be believed?

Freida McFadden’s Death Row is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

This is a great little novella; I found myself wanting more about Talia.  I really enjoyed this one and loved how she ended it.

Murder at Black Oaks by Philip Margolin

 Murder at Black Oaks by Philip Margolin, 278 pages

This reads alot like Agatha Christie; but not quite.  It was a fast read and I did not guess who did it. So it was nice to be fooled.  

The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld - 256 pages

Denfeld brings her expertise as a journalist and public defense investigator to this very lyrical tale of Death Row and prison life in a decaying prison in an unnamed state.  The main narrator, a Death Row inmate, sees the beauty in the small things and has an enchanted world view after being incarcerated in various ways for most of his life including childhood.  The story shifts to "the lady", an investigator for potential death sentence mitigation, who has her own troubled past to bring to bear and helps in her own way to find justice.  Denfeld's writing is incredibly atmospheric so much so that the reader can almost touch, taste and hear what is happening.  She has a gift in finding the beauty in the darkest places and humanizing those who have been locked up for doing horrible things.   

The Guardians by John Grisham

 The Guardians by John Grisham-375 pages

I am not sure what it is about Grisham books, but they grab my attention from the very beginning to the bitter end.  In this book he brings to light the plight of innocent people who are wrongly accused and sent to death row.  A group of dedicated people work at clearing their names and getting their sentences expunged.  He really takes you on some interesting twists and turns.  An exceptional read.

The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka

The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka - 321 pages

This debut mystery is very compelling.  PI Roxane Weary is in a real bad place dealing with the aftermath of her Columbus, Ohip police detective father's murder in the line of duty along with a slew of personal issues.  Her brother throws her a bone with a case brought to him by a friend to locate a potential missing witness to save the friend's brother from the death penalty.  Roxane spirals through relationships with both sexes and alcohol to a very dark place as she tries desperately to find the truth as to what happened when a family was murdered and a young girl went missing so long ago.

This would be a great opener to a series and I'd definitely read more to follow Roxane and her struggles to find stable ground in her life.