Good legal mystery with great setting in small Southern town. The local football hero is accused of killing his girlfriend, the local teen singing sensation, about to leave town and hit the big time. There are more plausible killers with reasons to resent girlfriend’s sudden success than one would imagine in such a small town and it’s a delight to learn each of their stories. This is a multi-layered tale with more secrets than one could possible imagine. It’s a fast moving story not to be missed. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This book is very well written, has great characters, and is very entertaining despite the very slow story. The murder happens 16% into the book, and the main character agrees to be the defendant's lawyer after 60%(!). That's incredibly slow.
I also feel that the notion of the public and the prosecution jumping to conclusions is getting a little old. Haven't people gotten any smarter?

I wish to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I must state first that I am a huge fan of Robert Bailey. I have read all of his books and this one is right up there with the best of them. From the very beginning you are immersed in the story and until the very end you continue to be engaged in trying to solve the case and wondering who did it??? All the old characters from his previous books are woven into this story including Bear Bryant. and if you have not read them it does not keep you from enjoying this one. If you are a sports fan for Alabama, then “Roll Tide”. If you love legal thrillers this has it all. Settle back and be prepared to read because you will not want to put this one down.

This story begins in Pulaski, Tennessee, when a young high school football hero, Odell, wins the local ballgame. His girlfriend, Brittany, is found murdered and he is charged with the murder. He chooses Bocephus Haynes as his attorney. Bocephus is a fan of Odell’s and his children are the boy’s friends. If he represents him it will be against everyone’s wishes.
I will not tell the rest of the story so you will enjoy reading it. But I do highly recommend it. It is brilliantly written and leaves you anxious for Robert Bailey’s next book

Book Review: The Wrong Side (Bocephus Haynes #2) by Robert Bailey
Published by Thomas & Mercer, August 3, 2021

★★★★★ (4.5 Stars)

// On that fateful Christmas eve, 1865, according to the legend, in the aftermath of the American Civil War and the onset of Reconstruction, six defeated, disgruntled Confederate rebels assembled in a "social club" in Pulaski, Tennessee.

Their group was the first chapter of what would become known as the Ku Klux Klan. //

Bocephus Haynes, Book 2. "The Wrong Side."

October, 2017, Pulaski, Giles County, Tennessee.

It was literally an "Atticus Finch" crossroads for Bocephus Aurulius Haynes, raised by a man lynched by the KKK in 1966, except the former football high school all-star, college all-American and NFL prospect had always played his game "wide ass open" - his philosophy in life, and wasn't about to have any of his "Tom Robinsons" railroaded by the criminal justice system.

The only black lawyer in Pulaski, TN, had sworn off criminal defense cases after an excessively grueling court trial (in Bocephus Haynes Book 1),

But now it was time to take sides.

And decide whether or not to follow conventional wisdom.

On one side, Brittany Crutcher, gum-chewing, fun-loving teenager, gifted musician and vocalist, finalist in Simon Cowell's "America's Got Talent" with a promising, lucrative offer from SoCal record label "Elektrik Hi"; daughter of a churchgoing Baptist elder and respected Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, who himself had been a high school football teammate of Bo Haynes.

Slain.

On the other, Odell Champagne, a troubled juvenile delinquent with multiple theft convictions and an assault charge, raised by a jobless, alcoholic single mom, perennially on the dole and the sauce.

The same Odell Champagne whose transgressions are overlooked by everyone due to his genius in sports, the star of "The Brickyard", Pulaski's Sam Davis Stadium, a talented running back AND outside defensive linebacker who also happens to be the best friend and football teammate of Bo's son, T.J. Haynes.

Moreover, Odell, in many ways, reminds Bocephus Haynes of his own young self.

But is Bo being fooled by the young man.

Could he be on the wrong side...?

-----

// "Eat. Pray. Walk." - Mantra of Tom McMurtrie, "McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers" by Robert Bailey //

There was that remarkable ethos of retired law professor and defense attorney Tom McMurtrie who'd succumbed to terminal lung cancer, heralding the end to Author Robert Bailey's four-book "McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers".

In his new "Bocephus Haynes" series, the author takes two of his most compelling characters onto the next stage.

Bo Haynes, defense attorney and McMurtrie's best friend and protégé.

And "The General", McMurtrie's greatest courtroom adversary, Helen Evangeline Lewis, prosecutor, strong female protagonist, gun aficionado and Attorney General for the 22nd Judicial Circuit.

Well-written riveting legal thriller deftly touching on racial issues with credible, emphatic characterizations and entirely undivisive themes.

Review based on an eBook galley from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley.

Everyone- everyone- thinks Odell killed Brittany. The high school students had been lovers; he was a football star and she was a talented singer. Then, though, she broke up with him. Was that was propelled him to kill her? Bocephus Hayes, an attorney who has clawed his way into his current standing in the small town, takes the case. It's a tad trope-y but the law is good and the plot zips along. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I missed the first book but this was fine as a standalone and I'm looking forward to the next one.

The Wrong Side by Robert Bailey is a superb book with an engrossing plot and well drawn characters. Well worth the read!

In this second installment of his Bochephus - Bo - Haynes series, Bailey offers up what in less skilled hands would have been a routine formulaic legal thriller. Almost everything is predictable and Bailey offers up several red herrings, some of them uncharacteristically clumsily, along the way. What differentiates this novel, and its predecessor, is Bailey's ability to develop characters about whom the reader cares. There are a couple of oddities thrown in, such as two characters - both female - who play no role in the case or its surrounding setting/background. Perhaps their roles will grow in subsequent books. I, for one, will be eager to read them, as will most other readers who are fortunate enough to get their hands on The Wrong Side.

Great introduction to the characters and buildup. A legal thriller with all the parts to make an enjoyable read, including likeable characters, challenging cases, great interpersonal relationships and feuds. The author clearly understands human nature and its effects with interpersonal challenges.

I recommend to all considering this read. It is the second in a series. While I do wish I had read the first book prior to this, the author keeps new readers abreast of all the important details of the past so it does not detract from the read.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy to read. The comments above are my own without influence.

LOVE Robert Bailey's books.

And I was so happy to get to read this one early, thanks to Netgalley.

Loving this new series with familiar characters. Loved some of the twists and turns in the book. I tried to guess who did what, but I was wrong. :)

I can't wait to see what the next book is like.

In the second installment of Robert Bailey’s Bocephus Haynes series, Brittney Crutcher, a beloved teen pop star is found murdered in Polaski, Tennessee where Bo Haynes practices as a criminal lawyer known for winning difficult cases. Although he initially refuses the case against Brittney’s boyfriend, Odell Champagne, a loved and respected football star, Bo finds that the circumstantial evidence is almost overwhelming and he doubts Odell is guilty. Everyone in the small Tennessee town is sure Odell is guilty and Bo is hated and ostracized because he takes the case. He has had difficulty in the town before due to his color and previous incidents that he has been involved in.

Robert Bailey is a master at storytelling, especially stories that take place in the South and involve both blacks and whites in small southern towns. This story has ups and downs as well as plenty of controversy due to the prejudices in the town, and readers won’t have any idea of how Odell can actually be innocent. Although Bailey’s characters are extremely well-developed, it helps to read the first in the series, Legacy of Lies, (and Bailey’s earlier McMurtrie and Drake Series) which is also excellent. With Robert Bailey, there will be no doubt in readers minds about who the characters are and how they seem to be real people in the various settings.

As with any good thriller, The Wrong Side has plenty of building suspense; readers will be on the edges of their seats. Thriller lovers will find that this series will become a real favorite and will impatiently anticipate the next installment. Highly Recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

When tiny-town Pulaski, Tennessee's rising star Brittany Crutcher is found dead and her boyfriend, football star boyfriend is the prime suspect, Bo Haynes struggles to know whether he should defend Odell or stay true to the Crutcher family that he has known most of his life.

The Wrong side is about 2 very young, very big fish in a tiny pond. Pulaski is the kind of small town where everyone knows everyone, their past, their secrets. Robert Bailey does a fantastic job of making his characters human and believable and also of giving the town and the history a life and a personality of it's own.

Part procedural, part who-dunnit, The Wrong Side has the feel of walking in to a conversation that has already started but getting just enough background information to follow the story at hand while knowing that there is more in the past and the future.

This is a good series, good characters, lots of backstory and several avenues to allow for more stories to be told.

Lives can be destroyed by lies while your own can be destroyed by the truth.

Robert Bailey returns with the second edition in the Bocephus Haynes Series. Not to worry. The Wrong Side reads perfectly as a standalone thanks to Bailey's little pockets of background. The first few pages carry a neon sign beckoning you in.

Let's sit with Bocephus Haynes for a minute. Bo is a highly talented African American attorney living in the small town of Pulaski, Tennessee. Bo's former reputation was built on his famous high school and college football career until injuries sidelined him. But then you know the old saying about when one door closes.........Law school opened wide and inviting.

Bo's law office was gaining traction with the usual cases. He never bargained for a tightly wound criminal case leaning heavily in his direction. It seems that the high school friend of his son and daughter, Odell Champagne, has been arrested for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Brittany. Odell had scored three touchdowns that night and drank heavily at a local party. Brittany, a talented lead singer in a popular band, had signed a recording contract earlier. The only thing she was leaving behind was a break-up note in Odell's locker after the game. And Odell was having none of this......

Brittany's death was dividing the town of Pulaski. She was popular and well-loved. Odell bore the stains of a young man's temper, a run-off father, and an alcoholic mother. All the evidence pressed toward Odell's direction. Bo didn't want his own children feeling the friction if he took on this particular case. Could he prove Odell innocent? Nothing points to any other suspects. Right or wrong, Bo has to make a decision that may just end his own career.

The Wrong Side is in the hands of the talented Robert Bailey who brings the character of Bocephus Haynes to life front and center. Bo has made a multitude of mistakes in his life and almost lost custody of his own children. But you couldn't ask for a steadier hand than Bo's. Bailey inserts rich dialogue that commands attention and leaves the reader sitting up straighter. Real, raw, and human. The Wrong Side tips the scales with a very original and very deeply drawn main character as Bocephus Haynes.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to Robert Bailey for the opportunity.

Bo Takes On a Case With a Less Than Poor Outlook

After a short prologue that reveals that the relationship between the District Attorney General, Helen Lewis, and local businessman, Mikael Zannick, has not improved since the end of the first novel, this novel opens just before a major Giles County High School football game against their rival Tullahoma. The Giles County star running back and outside linebacker, Odell Champagne, is meeting with his girlfriend, Brittany Crutcher, who was on American Idol and is the lead singer of the Fizz who will perform after the game. Brittany seems a little cool, but Odell must get to the locker room. Odell has the best game of his life after which he reads a note slipped into his locker. Brittany is leaving tomorrow without him for LA. Just before sun rises on Saturday, Brittany’s body is discovered in a school bus yard.

The main storyline proceeds with the investigation starting with a drunken Odell found sleeping off a drunk a few hundred yards away with the apparent murder weapon not far away. Several threads make up the main storyline. The investigation that keeps finding more and more of inculpatory evidence. The only bump in the way of prosecuting steam roller is that Helen Lewis takes a leave of absence. Odell wants Bocephus “Bo” Haynes to defend him but Bo is leery. This tread turns into “Bo” and his private investigator, Albert Hooper, try to find any exculpatory evidence. The author kept the edge on by playing the progress of the prosecution against the very slow progress of the defense. My attention was quickly captured and held tightly all the way to end.

Similar to the first novel in the series, the B-storyline is rich and extensive. The author uses Bo’s interaction with all the major characters from the first novel to reveal Bo’s character quite well. Of interest is a new character, Israel Crutcher, Brittany’s father. He was on the Giles County High School football team with Bo. Since that day, there has been bad blood between them. This tread provides a very poignant aspect to the B- and main storylines. The richness of the novel and my reading enjoyment was enhanced by these B-storyline threads.

For the usual aspects that some readers find objectionable, this novel is remarkably clean. There are references but no actual initiate scenes. Vulgar and rude language is minimal along with violence. There is teenage drinking. This is the second book in this series, I did not find any aspect that wasn’t backfilled adequately.I did not find any aspect that wasn’t backfilled adequately. A reader should be able to read this book first. I do recommend reading the first novel first, but that is not necessary in my opinion.

Overall, this novel was an easy read, and the story keep my interest and literally compelled me to continue reading. There were not any loose threads by the end. If the teaser write-up for this novel interests you, I strongly recommend reading this novel. The only downsides were a very minor police procedural error, and, it appears, that this is the last novel in this series. I would like to see more novels. I after reading both novels, completed the purchase of all four novels in the author’s previous series. A testament to the quality of this author’s writing. Finally, I rate this novel with five stars.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Another standout from Robert Bailey I thought I'd give up on the series after the death of one of the characters but the new protagonist Bo Haynes has me convinced to stay with the series. Lawyer No takes on a case of a high school football star charged with murder. The book has sharp dialogue with a semis surprise ending. This one's a winner!

I received this book through the ReadNow Program on NetGalley.

This is the 2nd book of this series that I have read and it certainly hits the mark. This story begins with the introduction of Odell, the star football player for the high school and Brittany, the lead singer for the group Fizz. Odell talks to her before the start of the big game which will be followed by a concert with the group Fizz. Brittany does not tell him that she is going to leave to accept a recording contract.

After the game and a concert, Odell reads the note that she left for him in his locker. He looks all over and sends texts to Brittany, but gets no response. He does something that night and gets drunk which he normally doesn't do. He finally receives a text from Brittany and asks him to meet her at their special location. AS a result of this meeting, Odell gets arrested for murder.

Brittany was well loved by the entire town and they were out for blood to get her killer. Bo was asked by Odell to represent him. Bo, was friends with the girl's family and knew that doing so would wind up with him being looked down on and would put him on the wrong side of their feud. After giving it a great deal of thought he agreed to represent him because he needed to insure that Odell received a fair trial. He and his team looked at all the evidence and even had an idea of presenting another party as the killer.

As the trial was running down to the final days, thing looked bleak and it looked like Odell would be found guilty. At the last minute there was a breakthrough. To find out who the real killer was, what shed light on that last day and why Bo's opponent in court was someone other than expected, you must read this book. It is definitely worth it.

A short and racy thriller with Bo Haynes. Though I didn’t much like the first book, this one has all the characteristics for a good thriller. The town of Pulaski is brought out live by the author. All the characters are given adequate coverage. Well done.

You can tell the author has written legal thrillers before - this book is just so smooth.

In many ways, this is like many of the legal mysteries you have read before. There is a murder, there is a lawyer championing the accused. There is a mystery -is the guilty or not?

However, the difference with this book is that you are not just drawn into the mystery - you care. You care about the murder victim, you care about the accused and you hope he isn't guilty. You care about the lawyer and you root for him.

I was totally drawn into this - I needed to know if he was guilty or not. However, this book was not JUST about the destination - it was also about the journey - I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and the town and will be reading many more by this author.

Thank you to the author #RobertBailey the publisher and to #netgalley for the ARC which I really enjoyed. MY review was not impacted by the fact that I received an Advance copy - read some of my other reviews..

I have read very few legal thrillers till now though I have watched a few shows of this genre. But I am very glad my recent introduction into this genre has been through Mr. Robert Bailey's The Wrong Side.

This is the 2nd book of the Bocephus Haynes series and the first book I am reading of the series. So, I had to assume a lot of things as I went along, particularly the previous life events of the principal character Bocephus - Bo as he is called.

Inspite of this disadvantage, the story and the complex nuances happening in the background of the story,  made a lot of sense to me. And it made me want to get my hands on the first book, Legacy of Lies to know more about the backstories of many of the characters. 

I particularly loved the way,  the author has managed to weave a crisp, taut, plausible story with well-connected plots, in what could very well have been a very boring tale to read. The characters in this story are not all black and white; they are all of various interesting shades of gray. The complex characterization and the nuanced way they have been handled in the story, show the true mettle of the author. 

He is on par with most of the top-notch writers and very much more than the rest. I would love to read each and every one of this author's work and can't wait to get my hands on some. 

To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. And I really can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series. Thanks to Netgalley and the author for THE ARC and for the opportunity to discover such a wonderful author.

Hold on to something for this book can move you and even mountains for how good it was. Haha But no, seriously be ready for this book is really good that it had me at my feet for the whole time I am reading this.
Bocephus Haynes already had his fill and wants nothing about cases about crimes in court. He already had enough. But it changes when a young man who he knows all his life was now the main suspect for killing his girlfriend. Odell Champagne is a football star making his name and his girlfriend is Brittany Crutcher a teen pop star who just landed a contract to a major record label. The two seem too perfect but it changes when Brittany was found dead inside the school bus and Odell was standing right outside the bus holding what seems to be the object that killed Brittany, a beer bottle. The community was in a rage when the news got out. They all blame Odell except for one person, Bo. He believes that Odell was innocent and had nothing to do with the murder. He wants to represent and prove that Odell is innocent but choosing this would make the community be mad at him and his family. But he can`t just sit do nothing and let a young man who is not yet proven to be guilty receive all the punishment. Bo was determined to prove the young man`s innocence and went into details about the life of Brittany before she was found dead. He then discovered that this young lady has many rivals enough to be a suspect for murder. That is just the tip of a great story this was.
The story can be found as ordinary amongst the books with almost the same story and theme but like any other book that has been called great this book was also exceptional, for how it was delivered is superb.
Before reading this novel I had stumble upon a book that was dreadful to read. Now I am grateful for this was the book I read after that. This changes my previous thoughts and saved me from that awful book. This book was almost perfect, a good story, a good plot, well-developed characters, and more. The story ain't just simple. It was not either a fight between colors rather it was a fight for justice. Equal justice that everyone deserves. This is not just a well-written story but also a well-thought one. this is a book you can never go wrong recommending to anyone.

In a small town in Tennessee, two teenagers are becoming the town sensations. Odell Champagne is a local high school football hero with a dark past who is dating teen pop star Brittany Crutcher. Brittany is found dead and Odell is the prime suspect. Odell's attorney is one of his friend's father, Bo Haynes, who decides to represent Odell once he's been charged with murder. As all the evidence starts coming out, is Bo representing a murderer or is Odell innocent?

I found this book to be an enjoyable, quick, engaging read. Of course, I love books that weave several POV's to keep you guessing on what's really going on and Robert Bailey did just that.

I loved the character of Odell and feel like there are more kids out there like this character who have had a bad past that seems to haunt them when they've been trying to do right in the world.

This was my first read by Robert Bailey and now I'll have to check out other books he's written. Thank you to Robert Bailey, Thomas and Mercer, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book for the exchange of an honest review.