Set in the south 1968, a racially-charged murder case brings a duo of white and Black lawyers against an unfair justice system to defend a wrongfully-accused Black man. A wealthy white couple is found brutally murdered in their home. Jerome Washington, a Black man, is found at the scene and immediately arrested.

Jack Lee, a white lawyer, has never handled a murder case let alone fought racism but decides to represent Jerome. Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago that has argued in the Supreme Court. She has the experience and attention of the media to partner with Lee in a legal battle against the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The stage is set and the hard-to-read novel really begins. What follows is a string of events and revelations far greater than the outcome of a murder trial. Baldacci revisits the Civil Rights era in this fictional mystery. Interestingly published during a sensitive time in real life.

David Baldacci is one of those authors that I will read whatever he releases. Auto-add to TBR! I know a good read awaits. I know the mystery will grip me from beginning to end. However, A Calamity of Souls is unlike his other novels. A little too To Kill a Mockingbird-ish.

Given the topic, I expected to feel empathetic toward the main Black character but never quite connected. The sub-characters were almost more developed. The courtroom drama was underwhelming. The ending way too predictable. I understand A Calamity of Souls was over a decade in the writing but it could have been fine tuned a bit more.

Happy Early Pub Day, David Baldacci! A Calamity of Souls will be available Tuesday, April 16.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

In 1968 Jerome Washington, a Black man is charged with brutally killing the elderly and wealthy white couple he works for. Jerome hires Jack Lee, a white lawyer also from Freeman County, Virginia to represent him. Jack realizes almost immediately he is in over his head, and it isn't long before he begins receiving threats. Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who arrives just in the nick of time to help Jack out with the case. Desiree, who has devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality, often butts heads with Jack over her methods and delivery, but the two work well together. Some of the people of Freeman County are not so pleased to have her there, and there was more than one attempt on her life. including burning down Jack's office and apartment where she was staying. As the pair fight for a fair trial and to get a not guilty verdict, the prosecutors are determined to get a guilty verdict and send he defendant to the electric chair, at any cost.

This book was excellent. At first I was overwhelmed at the sheer size of it - it is an impressive 496 pages. However, once I began to read, I was so engrossed, I couldn't put the book down. It was a hard book to read, because of the subject matter. It is always hard to read about such blatant bigotry as what went on back then, even after slavery had ended, but white people still looked down on Black people and treated them as less than. This book made me angry, as it should. Things are better now, but not as good as they should be. This would make an excellent book club read, as there is much to dissect and discuss. I loved it, and I think you will to. I highly recommend it.

Laws can be changed more readily than peoples’ minds.

In 1968, the same year which saw the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, Leslie and Anne Randolph, an elderly white couple from the “good” part of town, are found savagely murdered. Standing over the bodies is Jerome Washington, a young black man recently returned from serving in Vietnam and who did work for the Randolphs. Since this is happening in Freeman County, VA, the two deputies who respond are more in line in their thinking with aspiring presidential candidate George Wallace than with the federal court’s rulings on civil rights. They have no doubt that Jerome is guilty, and no compunction in roughing him up and hauling him off to jail. The court of public opinion by and large sees things the same way that the deputies do, and there is little doubt that Jerome will be found guilty at trial. Jerome has one advocate, though, his wife’s grandmother Miss Jessup, who for years has been the housekeeper and ultimately nurse for a white family named Ashby. There is another family in the Ashby’s neighborhood, the Lees (no relation to the General), whose elder son Jack she has known since he was the local newspaper delivery boy and who has grown up to become a lawyer. Jack’s family is solidly blue color, and his degree didn’t come from any of the fancy colleges for those who have “connections”, but he passed the bar exam just the same. Miss Jessup asks Jack to defend Jerome, whom she swears is innocent, and while Jack is not overly enthusiastic about the idea….he’s never defended anyone for murder, among other reasons….he is also someone who doesn’t take kindly to being told what to do. When he becomes the target of threats and more, he becomes more determined to take the case. He receives a visit from Desiree DuRose, a young black woman lawyer who works for the Legal Defense Fund and has far more experience in handling major cases than does Jack. They form a defense team for Jerome, with Desiree’s technical expertise and political savvy combining with Jack’s knowledge of the local players and his roots in the community. The case attracts attention from powerful people in the state and beyond, and Virginia’s top prosecutor is summoned to mount the prosecution. Jack and Desiree will face increasing threats and other forms of intimidation as they fight to give Jerome a fair trial, and their commitment to justice may cost them more dearly than they could have imagined.
This is a novel that features the investigation and prosecution of a heinous crime, and is an enjoyable read on that level alone. It is also, perhaps more interestingly, historical fiction given the time in which it is set. The hearts and minds of Freeman County are not in synch with the legal decisions that have been made in Washington DC, and there are more than a few white people who continue to live their lives in accordance with the rules with which they were raised. Jack and his family are white and while they are not rabid racists, like many they are more concerned with the challenges that exist under their own roof than they are in fighting for justice for others. Desiree is fighting an ideological war, and while she hopes to help Jerome she is far more focused on the greater good than on any one small battle. The characters are well-developed, and Mr. Baldacci has done a fantastic job of showing what life was like in this part of Virginia at this tense moment in American history. In A Calamity of Souls, he has created a tale of flawed people doing their best to do the right thing in the face of steep opposition, and are facing some of the same thorny issues that continue to confront us today. Readers of legal thrillers by authors like John Grisham, Scott Turow and Lisa Scottoline should add this to their TBR pile, as should anyone who loved To Kill a Mockingbird (although to be fair, as even Jack himself admits, he is no Atticus Finch). Grab a tall glass of sweet tea or lemonade and find a sunny spot in which to sit and read…just be sure to carve out some time, because you are not going to want to put this story down till you get to the end. Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for granting me early access to this fantastic read.

This is a masterpiece. I love all of David's books, but this one really made me think. It is a courtroom drama set in 1968 in Virginia where the lines between Blacks and Whites are still very clear. Despite the Civil Rights Act this part of Virginia goes by its own rules. When Jerome Washington is accused of murdering his White employers, the trial begins with Jack Lee representing him. He has never handled a murder trial before. Desiree Dubose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who has devoted her life to justice and equality. Outside forces are at work within this trial. Together they fight for justice for Jerome and his wife Pearl.,

Thank you to netgalley and Central publishing for allowing me to read a copy of David Baldacci latest book. This book is a standalone novel. I am a fan of this author and have many of his books. This book is set in the late 1960s in the South a black man is accused of killing a white man. It was a gripping tail that was not easy to read. The characters were great but, I felt like this book can been a little shorter.

My favorite novel of the year so far! I loved everything about it including the beautiful title. A powerful combination of historical fiction, courtroom drama, mystery, and family relationships, but most importantly, an insightful look at racism in the Old American South, very reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

The story is set in Freeman County, Virginia, in 1968, the year Dr Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were both assassinated. It's just four years since the passing of The Civil Rights Act but little has changed for the people, school busing is just beginning and racial tension is high.

It is in this uneasy atmosphere that local attorney, John Robert Lee, agrees to defend Jerome Washington, a black handyman accused of killing his wealthy white employers, Leslie and Anne Randolph. That alone is enough to set off any number of problems for 'Jack' and his family but the case also awakens the interest of some big-time politicians on both sides of the race issue, creating a media storm.

Into this mess walks a high-profile Black attorney, Desiree DuBose, an answer to Jack's prayers. She works for the Legal Defense Fund, goes where she is needed and has handled over two dozen capital murder cases, so she brings courtroom experience of this type where Jack has none.

It's hard to put this novel down--easily one of Baldacci's best works. Great characterizations with a stunning understanding of how good people can do such evil things. I'm looking forward to see where the author takes the team of DuBose and Lee next.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks for the opportunity. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

My first time reading a book by Baldacci. I have heard great things about this author, and I'm so happy that I finally got to one of his books. This book was excellent. I loved it. It was fast paced, suspenseful, and gripping. I flew through it. This one pulled on my emotions and had me rooting for justice. What a story!! Definitely recommend this one.

This is a legal thriller taking place in Virginia in 1968. Jack Lee, a white attorney, takes on a racially charged murder case of a black man that is being tried for killing the older white couple he worked for. He's never tried a murder case before, and he gets a large negative reaction from the community. He teams up with a black female attorney, Desiree, who's know for fighting for equality, and the unlikely duo work the case together.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon once it publishes.

This book is nothing like any of the others that I have read by this author. It is a standalone that deals heavily with desegregation in the South during the late '60s. As we all know, this was a difficult time for America, especially in the southern part of the country. I find it interesting that Mr. Baldacci would publish this novel now when America is yet again having racial issues and an election is on the near horizon. But as someone else said, this is a "cause" book, and it shines as such.

It is a difficult book to read at times and not just because of the politics, bigotry, and bias - it is also difficult to read because it has been done before, although with a tad more subtlety. This book just pounds you over the head with hatred -aggressively.

It did have an interesting little twist at the end that I didn't see coming.

This book is very predictable, and I felt that the characters lacked something; some emotion, and I couldn't 'feel' for them.

For comparison, try the classic book To Kill a Mockingbird

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Grand Central Publishing | Hachette Book Group, the author, and NetGalley

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I don't read very much historical fiction. It is often degrading to women. The commonplace beliefs are upsetting. A Calamity of Souls was heartbreaking each step of the way.

With less scientific methods, and the prejudice in law enforcement and judicial systems, a black man arrested for murder is likely to be convicted. He is beaten before he even makes it to the jail. The death penalty in the state is resurrected by the courts in days to be applied to his case.

A local attorney, Jack Lee takes on his defense and is aided by Desiree DuBose, a nationally prominent female black attorney. They face multiple threats to their lives. Even when witnesses prove facts against the conviction, the court and jury seem inclined to convict. It's infuriating how people who lie and some were coerced to frame the defendant. Jack and Desiree work hard and really do uncover many facts and lies.

The true beauty of the story is the development of the characters with their complex beliefs and morality, which is realistic. Jack's mother is an example of the dichotomy, all in one person. I believe the prejudice and happenings to be representative of the actual situation in Virginia at this time. Sadly, some still have these feelings and biases.

I felt a real connection between the racist political machinations of George Wallace and his violence in this time, and the current situations promoting this division and violence because someone is different. They find the truth irrelevant ; the rule of law unnecessary to their decisions. The only thing critical is their power and greed.

The real killer is revealed, which brings some relief. Because they are white, they don't even face charges. Although some who manipulated various false evidence are held accountable.

This was an amazing book! The author did an extraordinary job of depicting the prejudice against black people in 1968 and especially in the judicial system. More than just a legal thriller the book shows just a small amount of the racial tension and injustice of the 1960s. So much of the hate and vitriol expressed by some of the characters is still heard today. This is probably one of Mr Baldacci’s best books and I commend him for tackling this subject. I would make this highly suggested reading for any adult. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book Title: The Calamity of Souls
Author: David Baldacci
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Courtroom Drama
Pub Date: April 16, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 496

This book opens with “Author’s Note’.
I always enjoying reading the author’s note as it offers the inside scoop to the story. However, it is usually at the end where I am sure many readers skip. So I liked that it was up front.
Baldacci tells us that he actually started this novel over a decade ago. He made notes in a journal which was like lined notebook his mother gave him to write down his stories. (Much later, when David thanked her for being the spark that ignited his writing career, she revealed that she’d given him the notebook to keep him quiet, "because every mom needs a break now and then.”)
He put aside this current journal but it kept pulling him back. He grew up in the South in Richmond Virginia in the sixties and seventies and remembers his sixth-grade class being bused to a Black school.
(I grew up in a small town in West Virginia and remember Black students being bused to all-white schools. Although I am not Black I was very aware that being different made you a target. -as an Italian Catholic I was bullied and teased as I walked to the Catholic school on the other side of town.)
Back to Baldacci’s story - he wanted this story of two people from divergent life experiences to come together to tackle a difficult problem. Thus his story begins . . . .

Time period is 1968 in Virginia
Jack Lee, a young white lawyer, who was raised by parents who didn’t agree with the racial prejudices; however never really took any stand against it.
.
When Jerome Washington a Black veteran of the Vietnam war is charged with murdering the elderly wealthy couple where he works; additionally his wife Pearl is charged as his accomplice; Jack see this as a his chance to right a wrong.
Jack soon discovers he is had something huge on his hands and as a new lawyer may not be able to accomplish.
Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who has devoted her life to justice and equality for everyone, goes to Freeman County, VA and partners with Lee in his legal battle against the best prosecutor in town.

I love good Courtroom Drama and David Baldacci certainly delivered.
I knew this was going to be an emotional read but didn’t know it was going to be a WOW read.


This is David Baldacci novel #28 for me.
Who’s a fan? Yep! That would be me! My favorite characters are John Puller, Will Robie, Amos Decker~ The Memory Man and Atlee Pine and I ended up liking her in the other novels.

Want to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 16, 2024

The year is 1968 in a very racially divided USA. George Wallace is running for President on a racist platform. Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr have been assassinated. In a Jim Crow south it is nearly impossible for a black person to receive a fair trial by a jury of his peers. Herein lies the background for David Baldacci’s latest novel, set to be published on April 16, 2024. I expect it will be an instantaneous best seller.

Baldacci explains that it took him ten years to complete this exquisitely written passionate tale that chronicles dark days in USA history. The topic has been addressed before by Harper Lee in “ To Kill A Mockingbird “ and John Grisham in “ A Time to Kill.” The storyline has much in common with its predecessors, which is why my rating is a four, not five. Nonetheless, this book felt important and compelling in its own right, and I highly recommend it.

Lawyer, Jack Lee, living in small town southern Virginia , is approached by the grandmother of Jerome Washington, to help her grandson, a black Vietnam War hero, who has been accused of the cold blooded brutal murder of the elderly white couple who has employed him. Lee is in over his head. With the best of intentions, the fact is that he has never defended an accused murderer, nor a black man at that! In a town where racism thrives, and the jury is all white, Jack is unlikely to save Washington from the newly resurrected death penalty Enter Desiree DuBose, a black, smart as a whip, savvy attorney from Chicago who has years of experience fighting inequality in an unjust legal system.

As Jack and Desiree flounder and find their way as a team, Baldacci introduces a myriad of suspicious characters, some with evil in their hearts, others with secret motives for murder, and yet others still who might have profited from this heinous crime. Who committed this murder? What secret lies within the victims’ family? Can a racist judge and prosecutor be beaten? Will two lawyers of completely different backgrounds successfully work together to uncover and reveal concealed information?

The more I read of this book, the more I liked it. Combining historical fiction with a legal thriller, Baldacci tells a story that will long be remembered. Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for my review.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. As a huge fan of David Baldacci, I was so excited to get an advanced copy of his newest book. I have read most of his books and this was a real departure from his previous work, and I was not mad about it. With this book, I felt like I was reading a John Grisham novel. As a fan of John Grisham, I was delighted. A Calamity of Souls will remind you of A Time to Kill and To Kill a Mockingbird. Even though this novel is set in the late 1960’s, it really could have read as if it were taking place today. My jaw was on the floor and my heart was ripped out of my chest by the end the book. I could not predict the outcome. David Baldacci is an auto-buy author for me. I highly recommend this book.

A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci is a courtroom drama/mystery set in southern Virginia in 1968 during the desegregation of the South. It is an exceptional, very highly recommended novel.

Jack Lee is a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, who agrees to defend Black Vietnam veteran Jerome Washington who has been charged with murdering his employers, Leslie and Anne Randolph. Even though it is clear considering obvious evidence that Jerome is innocent, it soon becomes apparent that local prejudices and outside forces are all working against Jack and Jerome to ensure a guilty verdict and they won't hesitate to use physical violence. Then Desiree DuBose, a Black lawyer from Chicago sent by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, arrives in Freeman County. She has devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality for everyone and enters into a partnership with Jack to defend Jerome. The two work together to fight against a system that doesn't want to accept change of their prejudicial beliefs.

In the author's notes at the opening of the novel Baldacci explains that this novel has been in the works for over a decade and contains autobiographical elements in the story. This was a tumultuous time in history when George Wallace was running for president and vehemently opposed desegregation and Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy had been murdered. The historical context is an important element to the whole narrative.

The characters are all wonderfully, fully realized and come to life in A Calamity of Souls. The well-developed characters help set this one apart. The actual narrative is a subject that has been told before in several other excellent novels and this is a welcomed edition to that group. Baldacci's experience as a lawyer help make the preparations for the defense and the trial come to life. There are plenty of twists and evidence revealed to surprise you and make this an exceptional novel that should resonate with most readers.

Once you start reading you will not be able to put A Calamity of Souls aside. It will hold your complete attention and the pages will just fly by. In fact, I was so engrossed in the narrative that after I finished it I was surprised to see the length of the novel. Thanks to Grand Central for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, X, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

This was such an experience. I went through all the emotions while reading it. I loved the characters and the story. Fantastic all around. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A Calamity of Souls takes place in the deep south in the late sixties. Jack Lee is a white lawyer defending an African American man who is accused of murdering a wealthy white couple. Jack Lee is scared yet brave, knowing that he will soon become the target of hatred.

This book pulled me in from the first sentence! I felt like I was right there. The characters are amazing. Some I love and some not so much. Many times I felt sick to my stomach reading the hate that went on and still goes on for no reason other then someone being different. Hate is taught, we are not born with it. Some parts are hard to read but must be read. The author did a great job bring it all to life. I laughed, I cried, I cringed. I enjoyed this book so much and learned a lot.
The ending blindsighted me and that's not easy to do. I hope we will see more of these characters in future books.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. Thank you netgalley for providing a free advanced copy.

This is a racially-charged legal thriller, addressing a Black man charged with murdering the white couple he worked for in VA in the 1960s. There's also a political angle, as pro-segregation presidential candidate George Wallace gets invested in the outcome.
*
It's a fairly long book, and did take me a little bit to get into it, but once the trial starts, it's absolutely fascinating. A lot of it is upsetting and tough to read, how pervasive and overt the racism was. It's also far too easy to compare to very recent political commentary.
*
I did think it took a long time to develop any nuance in the characters. They come off as fairly one-dimensional at first, with the white lawyer representing all that is good, and every other white person being evil. That did get better, but the protagonist was a bit insufferable at first.
*
The other issue I had with this is that when characters are introduced, the race is only mentioned when they're Black, and it's assumed for white characters. ("the librarian, a fussy old woman" vs "a shirtless Black boy on the sidewalk". The author had a deliberate and thoughtful approach to how he handled using the n-word in dialogue, it was disappointing that he wasn't as thoughtful in the character descriptions.
*
Overall I think it was pretty good, I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Southern Virginia, 1968. Jack, a young white lawyer, decides to represent Jerome, a black man charged with the brutal murders of his wealthy white employers. As the importance of this decision begins to weigh on him, Jack doubts that his legal skills are good enough to keep Jerome out of jail. Desiree, a black lawyer from Chicago with far more experience in this kind of case, comes to town to help Jack, but even her skills might not be enough.

David Baldacci is one of my favorite authors and I have read almost every book he has written, but none of them moved me as much as this book. I read that it took him over ten years to write it, and I can see why. While not autobiographical – he is too young to have been a practicing attorney in 1968 – it’s obvious that he knows what he’s writing about.

Of course I was rooting for Jack and Desiree to clear Jerome of the charges, but at times during the story, I truly doubted that would come to pass. The attitudes and prejudices of many of the town’s residents appalled me – and did a double whammy on my heart when I realized that this is often still the case today, more than 50 years later. Have we as a nation really not learned *anything from our past?

For these reasons and more, this was not an easy book to read, but I’m glad I did, and have been singing its praise to every reader who will listen. That said, however, I feel like it might be a case of preaching to the choir – those that really need the lessons taught in the book either won’t read it at all or won’t like it, while those that do are already on board with the issues presented.

I cried.

Yep. I cried more than once. Sometimes (as expected), sad tears. Sometimes surprisingly happy and hopeful tears. I loved this one.

I approached with some hesitation – I was afraid that it was going be yet another white author telling a Black person’s tale. It wasn’t though. Baldacci is telling a story of heartbreak, complexity, and history that not only exposes the racism of the past, but the still relevant challenges of today.

The best character of all was Helly – she was so very complex.

This is a really good book and absolutely worth the read.

• ARC via Publisher

A big thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

Another captivating read from Baldacci. The first chapter was difficult to read due to the racially charged violence…and so it took me some time to get into the pace of the novel.

Fantastic courtroom scenes and inspiring monologues. While I prefer Baldacci’s more modern-set novels, this was a pleasant surprise for me.