The latest book by Baldacci is not another in a series, nor is it a thriller as such. It's a legal novel set in the south in the 60s, and is more Grisham than Baldacci. Indeed, it reminded me of A Time to Kill, that great story by John Grisham. But this book retains the fine points of a Baldacci tale: strong characters, great plot, and plenty of twists.

Set against the backdrop of the recent assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, a young black man is found in his rich employer's house standing over two dead bodies: those of his rich white employer and wife. Immediately arrested, indicted and all but convicted ... even before his trial. Enter Jack Lee, a young poorish white lawyer who takes on this all-but-impossible case. Then just as he is getting his bearings on the case, Desiree DuBose, a black lawyer from Chicago comes on the scene to take over the case on behalf of the accused and to fight for black civil rights. Jack decides to work with Desiree and discovers the ugliness of racism.

With every turn, obstacles mount. The case is rushed to court. The judge is clearly not impartial. The jury is all white. Evidence emerges almost on demand for the prosecution. And yet, the pair of defense lawyers rise to each occasion, not giving up hope, expecting the best. And this is a story, unlike a non-fiction work, and so we expect a happy ending, a strong conclusion. And it is there that Baldacci wraps it up surprisingly well but in a very unexpected way. Happy ending? You'll have to judge for yourself.

This book excited me, angered me, challenged me and made me think a lot about racism and its effects in society. I suppose that is the sign of good art, to provoke contemplation. It is a great read!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Baldacci says this book took him years to write. Unfortunately, I think he tried to do too much in one story. The basic plot is strong and the characters engaging. I could have done without the extensive historical explanation, the preaching about race relations, and his attempt to infuse the story with bits and pieces of his own childhood. We all know the best writers show, not tell. I wish Baldacci had done more of the former, and much less of the latter. The book is in need of a strong editorial hand.

95% racial history, 5% mystery

This was not at all a typical Baldacci. If you enjoyed the Amos Decker or Atlee Pine series and expect the same in this, you will not find it. The point is repeatedly and sometimes too strongly made that Black history in America has really deplorable.

The book is set in 1968. Those who did not live through that period or forgot what it was really like may think of a bucolic time of love, sex and rock-n-roll. That may have been true for upper middle and upper income white kids, but if you were poor or Black, the men were sent to Vietnam and the women lived with very limited gender roles.

I really appreciated that this book will open the eyes for some people who were not aware or chose to forget how crappy a large number of whites, including law enforcement and those in the legal system, treated Blacks. I read it in Florida, where the government seems to think that not honestly talking about our history means it never happened. I grew up in the north where we had very few black people in our small town and, although there was likely a whole lot of discrimination, it was nothing like those in the south experienced. In fact, in the late 1970s I met a fellow high school student from Alabama. He said that if a Black person drove through their town and the car broke down, they better get out and run. That was the first time I had ever heard anything like that and it was astonishing, truly frightening and very sad for those living under those conditions and those raised to believe that whites were for some reason superior to any other race.

The plot was good. Jerome, a Black man who worked for a wealthy white couple was charged with their murder. A local white attorney, Jack, took his case, along with a non-local Black female attorney. The whole system was so stacked against the defendant that it was painful to read, knowing that most trials of Black people, especially those accused of crimes against whites, were not trials at all, just displays of white supremacy.

My negatives about this book come two ways. The first, there were some plot holes. Like why would Jerome kill his employers and steal $50 when he should have gotten paid $40 the day they were killed?

But the main complaint was that it was just too much, I don't doubt for a minute that Black families had repeated assaults and there were likely few if any families that had not experienced some of the hardships that the book mentioned. But there were just too many for one book and it got preachy. For example, Jack (who again, was white), had a sister whoo was mentally disabled. He was physically and verbally attacked and even shot at several times because he was representing a Black man (and later the man's wife). His sister was fatally attacked because of his representation, His office/apartment was burned down. It was one thing after another. The book ended with pretty much the only thing in Jack's life still standing was his car.

Again, I think the real Black American history needs to be told, discussed and taught in schools. But this book didn't seem to be the best way of doing it. it was a little too heavy-handed. The post-trial scene was heartbreaking and I would have liked a little happier ending. But I am sure I whole lot of Black families would have liked a happier ending to their loved ones' lives, too.

Baldacci writes a powerful, historical novel that hits a nerve! The setting is Virginia in 1968 with the civil rights movement commencing and following the death of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy. A young black father is accused of a horrendous murder of a wealthy white couple. Attorney Jack Lee, a southerner, takes the case that will be tried in his hometown. Jack has no idea of what lies ahead for him, his family, and the accused as he tries to find justice and the truth. A young woman, an attorney, involved in the civil rights moment whose hometown is Chicago, joins forces with Jack. Baldacci present a picture of such prejudice and pain that tears came to my eyes. Baldacci presents a story of truth, pain, and family. This is a thought provoking book that challenges a reader to look at the past and see if it relates to the present. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I can start by saying that this book was really hard to read. Not because it was bad but because it was so dang intense and dark. The storyline is not necessarily unique. They even mentioned Atticus Finch (To kill a Mockongbird) in the story and you can see all the parallels. Despite it not necessarily being unique, I still was hooked from the beginning, and couldn’t put it down. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the duration of the trial. And finally when I thought there was a glimmer of hope, I was floored and actually audibly gasped at the ending. Just couldn’t believe myself. Maybe I should have seen it coming but I think the story being so enveloping made it so I couldn’t, which is really a testimony to Baldacci. Overall just a great story from start to finish. Were there some parts that maybe pushed the limits of reasonable (especially some of the court room scenes), yes, and I’ve come to accept those in all legal thrillers. But it never took away from me enjoying this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, David Baldacci, and Grand Central Publishing from providing me with an advanced reading copy.

Whoa, am I ever in the minority here. I finished the book, but it annoyed me throughout. Set in 1968, a white lawyer and a black civil rights attorney defend a black man who is obviously innocent. The main character brings up Atticus Finch as an ideal. Of course.

I'm all for writing imaginatively about the racist past (and the present, come to that) and it's good for the genre to address factors that are so thoroughly part of our criminal justice system, but this rang false to me. The good guy was always ready with a 21st century opinion and the bad guys were mostly happy to set up the good guy's lines. The prosecutor had a little complexity, and the creepy judge who kept his white robes under his black one was a nice touch.

But the dialogue made me wince, and the whole thing was so far from subtle when the subject matter is so complex and so woven into our lives, I was disappointed. Seemed a little exploitive to be honest. Clearly I'm an edge case, though, so carry on.

David Baldacci has done it again, with an outstanding book that tells the story of race in
Southern Virginia In 1968 with the rampant racism that was going to tear apart everyone
in its path.
As supported by historical tales, and written accounts, the divide in justice in the 1960’s
was overwhelming to all of the people who remained in situations where there were some
who were adamant to remain above and separate from their neighbors and others simply
because their skin was a different color.
The events in this excellent book are so realistically depicted that one feels the horrors
are taking place wherever the book is being read.
That the story leaves the reader with some glimmer of hope for the town, it was a difficult
path to arrive at the conclusion having not shed a tear or let out a breath held for an answer.
In my opinion, this is the best book Mr Baldacci has written, and I have read nearly all of his
books.
My sincere thanks to Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley, for a download of this book
for review purposes.

This story deserves more than 5 stars. It is poignantly written and reminds readers of the significance of history. Set in the turbulent 1960’s Virginia it follows a black couple accused of murdering a white couple. The author does a remarkable job of creating characters that reflect those from that era. He also explains the legal procedures in a way that is interesting and easy to understand. Readers will absolutely love turning the pages of this book to the fascinating conclusion.

So good!

I started reading this as soon as I received it, and time flew. I kept going back to read it in between errands or household chores, just so I could get more of the story!

This book is a departure from the usual from Mr. Baldacci, but the reader can tell it is written from the heart. Recounting two murders that happened during a dark time in American history, 1968 to be precise. The mid-late sixties was a terrible time of discrimination against Blacks, despite earlier legislation. Whites held firm to their belief system that Blacks were lesser than Whites, and cruelty stemmed from those beliefs. In this case, a Black man is accused of killing his White employers, without evidence or motive, just based on their colors.

The lawyer who stepped up to defend Jerome had his own life threatened, as did his co-counsel, a Black woman lawyer who made her living traveling the country trying to right the wrongs done to the innocent. I have no doubt that such people existed in a world where it was sorely needed.

This is a very powerful book, I highly recommend it.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci. A timely, important book. How far have we come since 1968? It took me awhile to read this book because I would have to just walk away from it at times to process what I was reading, to tamp down some anger, to remember 1968. And I read through tears more than once. Mr. Baldacci has given us what I believe is his very best work to date.

In a still segregated 1968 Virginia, a Black handyman, Jerome Washington, is arrested for the murder of two prominent white residents. A young white lawyer, Jack Lee, is hired to represent Jerome, and soon realizes that the case puts himself, and those he loves, in great jeopardy. A Calamity Of Souls appears to be a labor of love for author David Baldacci, as he draws upon his own recollections from that time period, and you can sense the personal touch throughout this searing, no-holds-barred look at a racially divided and violent time in our history. When Jack is soon joined by a known Black civil rights attorney, Desiree DuBose, together they must navigate the minefield that lays ahead as they defend their client, battling enemies on all fronts. This is truly one of Baldacci’s best works, as the author deftly walks a tightrope between being racially sensitive while still maintaining the essence of powerful and overwhelming prejudices that existed, and the young lawyers efforts to overcome them. I sense another book with this duo, which would be eagerly awaited. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book about a trial set in Virginia set in 1960. Black and white, black or white is an underlying thread throughout the entire book. It takes you through a trial and all the aspects that happen behind the scenes. You don’t see the end coming! Great book!

David Baldacci crafts a superb, well-written novel set in the South in the late 60's of a small town lawyer defending an African American Vietnam veteran of the double murder of a rich white couple for whom he worked. This novel is rich in characterization as Baldacci brings each character to life. Not only is it an exciting legal thriller with some plot twists full of family secrets, but a hard look at this country's legal system and the institutional racism that ran rampant. This book is destined to be a classic.

Civil rights in 1968 Virginia are brought into focus in this legal drama from David Baldacci. A young white male lawyer agrees to take the case of a black handyman accused of killing his employers in their home. The handyman's wife is also charged with helping him and is arrested. A black female lawyer from Chicago offers her help to the local lawyer. The story is reminiscent of John Grisham's A Time to Kill and even Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, which is mentioned in the book. The story is historical and brings to mind the turbulent sixties. as well as comparisons to today's world. Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an ARC.

Wow! So many emotions getting through ‘ A Calamity of Souls” that it"s hard to settle on just one or two. There were times, I had to put my Kindle down because I could no longer read through my tears. Other times, I wanted to fling it against the wall in anger for the stupidity of Mankind. The story revolves around Jerome Washington, a Black war veteran who was accused of killing an elderly white woman and her husband in 1960"s Virginia. Bigotry abounds and the chance of Jerome getting a fair trial are slim. The protagonist is Jake Lee, a white lawyer, who grew up in the town and who was brought up to believe that everyone deserves a fair trial, but from the outset, he is bullied and beaten to drop the case. Enter Desiree DuBose, a Black, Ivy League educated civil rights lawyer, who joined Jack at the defense table and opened his eyes to what it was like to be non-white in the South in the 1960’s. The trial quickly gains national attention and again, the divisiveness of the races just breaks your heart. This may be the best novel David Baldacci has written to date and you can tell that he has put his own soul into it. Be sure to read the writer’s notes. I learned a great deal and after I finished reading, I looked further into Jim Crow and the resulting civil rights movement. Thank you!!! To NetGalley, and in particular, the Hatchette Book Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a long detailed book about racial injustice and a trial that takes place in the South, 1960's. An African American man accused of murdering an elderly white couple, and the two lawyers that defend him. At times moving, at times a horrifying reminder of how things have changed and even more so how they haven't. The style i easy to read, though more of an old fashioned style, not sure if that was done to suit the time period or is his style in general as this was my first of his books. 4.5

Ten years in the making, A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci may be his magnum opus as he has reached back into the years of his childhood in the 1960s in Richmond, Virginia, to craft this courtroom drama and historical fiction. Available in April, the novel tackles a murder case in which it is purported that an elderly white couple was murdered by their black handyman, Jerome Washington, in fictitious Freeman County, Virginia.

Two lawyers, one white, Jack Lee, and one black, Desiree DuBose, represent Washington in a case where the odds are stacked against the defendant. Lee has no experience representing a person of another race nor has he ever tried a murder case. Reaching out to him is DuBose from Chicago who has devoted her law career to achieving justice for all, fresh off the case of Loving v. Virginia.

Outside the courtroom, the two lawyers are hassled by police and private citizens. Rumors fly that Lee and Dubose are a romantic couple, and in the 1960s environment in the South, the very idea enrages many of the townsfolk. Before the court case reaches its end, someone will be shot at, another will lose a home and office to a disaster, and a harmless, brain-damaged young woman will be brutally attacked without provocation.

Up against Virginia’s Attorney General Edmund Battle for the prosecution, the two defense lawyers face challenge after challenge: an all white, all male jury, a biased judge, and trickery by the prosecution at every turn starting with a signed plea of guilt from Washington, a man who signs his name with an X. The challenges the lawyers face in court and the shocking ending, echo the injustice described in the Pulitzer award-winning To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee published in 1960.

David Baldacci has published 40+ novels for grownups since his first book Absolute Power in 1996. A Virginia native, Baldacci and his wife Michelle co-founded the Wish You Well Foundation that works to increase literacy in the United States.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting January 26, 2024.

I would like to thank Grand Central Publishing, Hatchette Book Group, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Without a doubt, this is David Baldacci’s BEST book. The story unfolds in Virginia in 1968 and is all about race relations in the United States. Two white people are murdered and a black person is accused of the murders . There are several twists and turns during the course of the trial - a trial that actually is a mockery of our judicial system. A lawyer for the defense says in the book “I want to believe that it will be different. I have to believe It .will..” Unfortunately, I find that it is not very different 54 years later.

The writing is superb and one section found me moved to tears while other sections had me smiling. This was actually a book that I could not put down and read in less than 24 hours. Obviously, I recommend this novel to everyone, not just those who. are devotees of mysteries and thrillers. I thank NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication and a special thank you to Mr. Baldacci for writing such an important book.

Jack Lee is a lawyer in Freeman County, Virginia in 1968. Jack, who is white, is asked to help a black man accused of murdering a wealthy white elderly couple. He is reluctant at first, but decides it is the right thing to do. The town is still very racially separated, even though the laws now say the races should be treated equally. It is the first time Jack will be defending someone in a murder trial and feels he may not be good enough. A female attorney named Desiree DuBose, who is black, arrives in town to help him with the case. She has much more experience with these kinds of cases and fights for racial equality and justice across the country. The people of the town do not like the fact that Jack is representing a black man, or that he is associating with a black woman. Scare tactics, threats and physical harm are all starting to happen. I won’t spoil it all - you need to read it! The characters are very interesting and the story is totally engrossing. The author shows how we can’t judge someone just by the way they look or what they might say upon first meeting them. He does an excellent job of showing how complex some people are, and what things have happened in their lives to make them act a certain way. I loved this book and give it 5 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.