Thank you NetGalley,Grand Central Publishing and author David Baldacci for the opportunity to read the ebook,A Calamity of Souls. I had a hard time getting through this novel. Too much Civil Rights History that’s been written about in many other novels. Maybe a younger reader new to Baldacci would enjoy it more. I have read ALL of his past novels and liked 95% of them to date. The hatred shown to blacks was too overwhelming for me,even knowing it to be accurate for the South during that time period and even somewhat even today in 2024.

I love Baldacci books - truly one of my favorite authors and an automatic read for me. This book, however, is not his typical storyline. The subject matter is very heavy and in the vein of "To Kill A Mockingbird". The author's writing is descriptive and the story well plotted. I appreciate the opportunity of the ARC from the author, publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks to them. I look forward to the next Baldacci book!

It’s 1968 in a still very much segregated Virginia. Jack Lee is a lawyer living in his hometown with his blue collar family around and his brother AWOL from the Vietnam war. Growing up in the South, Jack has grown up in a world where blacks and whites co-exist, but the lines between the races are clearly drawn. So when Jack is asked to represent a black client for the murder of a well-respected elderly white couple, he must decide what’s more important – his reputation or his principles.

Luckily for Jack, Desiree DuBose enters his life. She’s a black lawyer who travels the country litigating Civil Rights cases, and she offers to help Jack in what is shaping up to be a very high profile case. Deep hatred and long-held prejudice run rampant throughout the trial, putting the lawyers and Jack’s family in grave danger. Can Jack and Desiree overcome a stacked jury, false evidence, and lying witnesses to save their clients from facing the death penalty?

I was so excited to get to read this book early. David Baldacci is one of my all-time favorite authors. It wasn’t the type of story I’m used to from the author, but he wrote it beautifully. The legal drama fearlessly took on the types of issues facing blacks and whites during a tumultuous time in our country’s history. The descriptions of the way blacks were treated are so frustrating, and the fact that so many people still feel themselves superior to others because of skin color is appalling. It’s so important to face and understand the pains and mistakes of the past to move forward. Baldacci has been working on this book for several years, and you can tell he put his heart into the story.

A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci is set in 1968 in southern Virginia. Baldacci worked for ten years on this book.

"Jack Lee is a white lawyer in Freeman County, Virginia who chooses to defend Jerome Washington, Washington is accused of the brutal murder of an elderly white couple he worked for. Jack realizes he is out of his depth in a capital murder case. He is joined by Desiree Dubose, a black lawyer from Chicago. Against every obstacle they fight for justice and a fair trial"

This book is different from a regular Baldacci story. It's a legal thriller set in that tumultous year of 1968. The style is very similar to John Grisham and Greg Iles. It still has the fast pace of a Baldacci novel. He accurately captures the attitudes, biases and prejudice of the period. It would be easy for DB to veer into stereotypes but he adds enough layers to the main characters to avoid that. You think you know where the story is headed but he makes it his own. Some surprises in the courtroom and some shocking deaths.
There are several mentions of George Wallace. The descriptions will make you think of someone else. I grew up in Alabama and remember visiting Montgomery on an elementary school field trip and meeting him in his last term as governor.. So much of what Baldacci talks about happened in Alabama also (and much of the Deep South)

Great story from Baldacci.

This is a book that the author started several years ago and finally finished and decided to publish. A caution for Baldacci fans – this book is not up to his usual standards. It is a stand alone novel and one of his periodic cause books which often do not match those in his various series. It is very predictable, the characters somewhat dull and uninteresting. There are several other novels on this theme that are way better than this one. To Kill A Mockingbird for one.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Goodreads, Net Galley, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.

Author David Baldacci has presented an inferior courtroom drama called A Calamity of Souls. It's a battle between white prosecutors and a Black defendant who is actually innocent of the murder charges against him. Baldacci has stacked the deck, making caricatures of the prosecution and heroes of the Black defense attorney and her young white co-counsel. The reader is given no chance to decide anythiing for himself.
Other than that, the story is readable and sometimes interesting. The ending is way over the top- really totally incredible.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

So well crafted with layers to the story that struck so many emotions and thoughts about the situation as well as the characters. Excellent story of the South and racial discrimination This is one of Baldacci's best novels You can't put it down!

It is 1968 in southern Virginia, a place where some of the activities and certainly the attitudes of the abolished Jim Crow Laws are still evidenced to a large extent. Jack Lee is a young White man who has returned to his home town to practice law. Although he does not prescribe to the racial prejudices of many of the people with whom he grew up, he has never really done anything about the hate he sees around him. When a Black veteran of the Vietnam war, Jerome Washington, is charged with murdering the well to do elderly couple for whom he worked, Jack has the chance to do something. When outside forces try to bully him out of defending Jerome, he digs in his heels, just as his mother has taught him to do when facing tormentors.

Jerome’s wife Pearl is then charged as an accomplice. Jack worries that he, who has never argued a homicide case, won’t be up to the task. Desiree DuBoise, a Black litigator from Chicago who has participated in many high profile racial cases and even won one before the Supreme Court, partners with Jack as they face all the tension, lies, and grave danger of this racially charged case. As the trial takes on national notoriety, it also becomes a political issue, particularly for the campaign of George Wallace.

This is a legal thriller; but, oh, it is so much more. It chronicles the racial tension and injustice of the 1960s while also serving as a cautionary tale for our times as so much of the hate and vitriol expressed by some of the characters is still heard today.

Well written and plotted with characters that truly come to life, Baldacci weaves an edge of the seat tale while making a strong case for equal justice and opportunity for all. As I read this book, I felt an entire range of strong emotions from empathy, to sadness, frustration, anger to fear for our present day political situation.

A five star read that I highly recommend. I think it is Baldacci’s best!

I have read and enjoyed most, if not all of David Baldacci's novels, and believe that A Calamity of Souls is his best work. The book, set in a rural Virginia county, I believe in the 1960's, is about a double murder that stuns those who live in that county and which becomes a statewide and national story. The characters include many members of that community, both black and white. While this book is about the tragedy of a double murder, it is much more, including struggles with segregation and integration, the consequences of poverty and ignorance, and a reminder that we have all made progress in race relations while having much more work yet to do.


I received an ARC for free, but gave my honest opinion voluntarily.

A totally different kind of book by one of my favorite authors. A gripping tale set in the 196o’s south. A black man defended by a white lawyer. He is soon joined by a black female civil rights lawyer. Can they possibly get a fair trial while everyone around them wants the defendant to be found guilty. I couldn’t put this book down and highly recommend it.

David Baldacci has written a lot of books. Many of them instant best sellers that entertain the masses. But this novel is on a completely different level. A Calamity of Souls is the most profound and captivating story David Baldacci has ever told.

It’s 1968 in southern Virginia and a black man is accused of killing the white couple he worked for. Jack Lee, a local white lawyer, believes in the man’s innocence and agrees to defend the accused despite never having been involved in a murder trial before. He’s soon joined by Desiree DuBose, a black lawyer out of Chicago who works for the Legal Defense Fund and has offered her considerable skills and experience as co-counsel. With the state sending in the attorney general and handpicking the judge to preside over the trial, in addition to the rampant racism in that part of the country, Lee and DuBose know the deck is heavily stacked against them. But the two will stop at nothing to put up a vigorous defense for their client despite the grave danger they face, fighting a corrupt system and an almost certain guilty verdict in pursuit of true justice and the dream of an equal society.

It's apparent Baldacci put a ton of time and care into crafting this intricate story, resulting in a powerful tale that elicits strong emotions. The characters are exquisitely constructed to extract extreme compassion for those fighting against and experiencing injustice and provoke deep loathing of the contemptible individuals on the other side. The plot is designed to constantly ramp up the intensity and levels of infuriation while systemic racism continues to wield its ugly power to facilitate a seemingly certain and exasperating outcome. And the storytelling is formulated to propel the reader forward with great urgency and desire to learn the fate of all involved, alternating between providing hope and generating despair. It’s an emotional rollercoaster.

And while A Calamity of Souls takes place over 50 years ago it’s also quite relevant to events of the near past and present day. Which can make it an uncomfortable book to read. But it’s nonetheless important to read it and spend time reflecting on it. Kudos to Baldacci for taking on such an ambitious and important topic and turning out a brilliant novel. It’s his finest work to date.

I'm a Baldacci fan and will read anything he writes quite happily. That said, this was not my favorite of his books. It did not read as smoothly as his usual work and it was... how can I say... jumpy. That said, I am glad that I stuck with it, because it had some of his deft plot turns that I appreciated. The ending was a bit too pat, but perhaps there is a new type of reader for Baldacci with this book. And his usual readers will still appreciate getting to read yet another of his books.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I am an appreciative reader always!

4 stars

Dont judge me. I’ve never read Baldacci before 🫣
I know I know. What’s taken me so long. I dont have an answer for you. What I will say, is if this is what and how he writes, sign me right up! I’m kickin myself for taking so long. This was fast paced, intense, well written. I’m won over.

Wow… David Baldacci never ceases to amaze. This book is captivating from the beginning until the end.
This might be his best work and hopefully the start of a series or at least one more.
Probably will be the book of the year.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy. Made an old southerner happy.

“A Calamity of Souls”, a standalone book by David Baldacci feels like a Grisdacci book. It read to me like an homage to the seminal “A Time to Kill” by Grisham, a master of historical, civil rights focused storytelling. While not a thriller per se, the book had all the elements necessary to keep me engaged. Baldacci’s expertise is evident here in the well-developed and relatable characters, well-plotted narrative and twists. Though this book takes place in the ‘60s, sadly, it could well be a contemporary story as the issues of race and discrimination remain a party of our society to this day. Overall this was an engrossing read and I thank Netgalley for an ARC.

David Baldacci has written a gripping eye opening novel set in a courtroom in Virginia in 1968.A black man is accused of killing his employers a white couple .He is represented by a white attorney and we get a look at the state of civil rites down south during that time.So well written emotional at times hard to read the author has written a raw page turner a book that stays with you .#netgalley #grandcentral

Wow! This was an incredible book and story! I had a hard time putting this one down. It's about Virgina in the 1960's, after the Vietnam war. Two prominent elderly citizens are murdered and a Black person who worked for them as a handyman, was caught by the police as he was putting the woman in a chair. He is beaten and arrested and then his wife is too, as an accessory to the murders. A prominent local lawyer is asked to defend them and soon is followed by an out-of-town female black lawyer to assist. It is non-stop action for all involved, and dangerous for most, involved or not. This book sure gets you thinking about how you feel and you react to black people. Loved the book, and recommend highly to everyone! I will be singing it's praises for a long time to come! Get this book, read it, love it as I did. Cry as I did. Just don't miss it!

This book takes place in 1968 Virginia and pairs a black and a white lawyer to defend a black man accused of murdering a wealthy white couple for whom he works. The judicial system in Virginia heavily favors white people and Jack Lee, the white lawyer, has never defended a black man. When he sees how the odds are against him, he brings in black lawyer Desiree DuBois. The two are very different but work together on this case. The ending is shocking, and I couldn't stop turning the pages. This is one of Baldacci's best, if not the best, he's ever written. Highly recommend.

A courtroom in Virginia in 1968 is the setting for this new title from David Baldacci. A black man is accused of killing his employer and his wife, both white. A white lawyer takes on the case and what ensues is a peek into what life was like for blacks and whites in Virginia in 1968 after the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy. The story reminded me of A Time to Kill by John Grisham.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This one is not a typical David Baldacci book. It is more of a Grisham tale, as it is a legal thriller set in the 1960's South. It tells the story of a black couple accused of killing a white couple and their lawyer. Baldacci says in his foreward that it took him years to write this story and it is easy to see why. It is a deep, dark storyline with racial tension on every page, from all angles and involving all the characters. The ending was a surprise and I cheered for Jack at his decision. A great story from a great writer.