Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Good story, reminded me of Grisham. Late 60s, turbulent times, especially in the south. A struggling attorney takes on a murder case of a black man murdering a white couple. This is his first case and, of course, it’s racially charged. To add insult to injury, the wife is also charged. An experienced attorney, not only black, but a women (!!) swoops in to assist. While she’s looking to exonerate the accused, she’s also politically motivated. There are the usual twists and turns, but it was, in my opinion, a page turner. I’ve always enjoyed the author’s books, and if this is what he’s going to put out, I hope he’ll continue to write the occasional legal thriller.

What a roller coaster of a novel. Jack Lee is a “hometown hero” white male lawyer who defends a black man accused of murder. Desiree DuBose is a black female lawyer from Chicago, sent by the Legal Defense Fund, who arrives in 1968 Virginia to help. Plenty of plot twists keep tension high. Much of the story is heartbreaking and tragic although the novel ends with a bit of hope for the future. Probably the best Baldacci novel I’ve ever read.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Hands down my favorite David Baldacci book this far. I was not expecting all of this when I requested it from NetGalley, but I knew I couldn’t fail getting a Baldacci book. Interesting enough my parents were teaching in Southern Virginia during the time of desegregation and were right in the middle of all of the protests and the hate on both sides of the fence. It seems strange to look back at it now, but honestly, it wasn’t that long ago.
Jack Lee, a white lawyer, who was raised by parents who saw both side of the black and white lines raised a fine young man who saw the color of peoples skin, but didn’t understand why there was so much hate. He was asked to defend a black man who was accused of killing a wealthy white couple. There was so much on the line for both the defendant and the attorney and his family. This is just so beautifully written. When Baldacci describes a man as lean as a cattail, I knew that I would love every single page. If I could give this 10 stars I would!

1968 Richmond Virginia is the racially volatile setting of David Baldacci’s latest, a combination legal thriller and historical fiction with social commentary. The story pairs two attorneys who are seemingly polar opposites in defense of a black man charged in the killings of an elderly couple, pillars of the county.
Jack Lee , born and raised in Richmond, has mostly ignored the racism and brutality rampant in the lives of its Black citizens. Despite this, he takes on the defense of the accused and soon realizes his legal skills might not be up to the task as the case becomes very high profile, involving Virginia’s entire legal and political establishment in the prosecution of the man.
Enter Desiree DuBose, a Chicago-based civil rights attorney to add her substantial legal skills and political savvy to the defense. The two attorneys form an uneasy alliance to help save a man whose life is in their hands. They face secrets, political corruption, and danger as the case threatens to expose things that many in Richmond don’t want uncovered.
In spite of its often brutal and sad content, “A Calamity of Souls” is one of the best David Baldacci books I have read. I wonder if a sequel is planned, as the Lee and DuBose have definite partnership potential.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy for review

This book is like a whirlwind of emotions wrapped up in a gripping tale of justice and redemption. From the very first page, I was drawn into a world where the echoes of racism reverberate through every facet of society, and justice feels like an elusive dream.

Jack Lee, a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, embarks on a journey that challenges his beliefs and forces him to confront the pervasive racism that has long plagued his community. Representing Jerome Washington, a Black man accused of a heinous crime, Jack grapples with doubt and fear as he navigates a legal system stacked against him and his client.

And then there's Desiree DuBose, the fierce and fabulous lawyer from Chicago who swoops in to shake things up. She's like a breath of fresh air in Jack's world, and their partnership is like watching a buddy cop movie—I couldn't get enough of their banter and camaraderie. Together, they face off against formidable adversaries, both in the courtroom and beyond, as they fight for a fair trial and true justice.

Baldacci's storytelling prowess shines brightly in "A Calamity of Souls." This novel is not merely a tale of legal battles; it is a poignant exploration of race, power, and the enduring struggle for equality. With each turn of the page, I found myself captivated, enraged, and deeply moved by the profound themes and richly drawn characters.

This book is more than just a gripping read—it is a catalyst for reflection and dialogue on the pressing issues of racism and discrimination in society. Baldacci's masterful narrative weaves together intricate layers of emotion and insight, leaving a lasting impact on the reader.

Honestly, "A Calamity of Souls" is more than just a book—it's an experience. It's like going on a wild adventure with characters you can't help but root for, and coming out the other side feeling like you've been through something truly special. David Baldacci has outdone himself with this one, and I can't recommend it enough.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The Calamity of Souls is set in the south in the 60s where a black man is accused of killing his white employer. When a local white public defender teams up with a black lawyer from Chicago, they take on the case.

Parts of this story can be hard to stomach but it’s important that we realize this things happened. Even though this book exposes the vial and hatred of mankind, it also brings hope and the desire to do better for our neighbors. I highly recommend this book! Baldacci hit the nail on the head!

I’ve never been a huge David Baldacci fan, although I have enjoyed all of his books I’ve read, particularly the King and Maxwell series. Legal thrillers are among my favorite genres, so I was particularly interested in Baldacci’s Calamity of Souls, provided to me by Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This one is set in Virginia in the mid to late 1960’s, and features a legal hero named Jack Lee, who is representing an African-American man named Jerome Washington, charged with the brutal murder of a wealthy white couple. Set in the early days following several legal decisions that are designed to provide at least a semblance of fairness to all citizens, regardless of color, the book lays out the situation in Virginia early on, as the deputy reading Jerome his Miranda rights at the jail “…knew that the legalese upon the paper was designed to help those people, who had committed crimes, usually against white folks.”

Jack is a product of his environment: his father has taught him that while his family “…may not break bread with colored folks, but we don’t break bread with rich folks, either.” Jack knows he is up against an entrenched system that is anything but fair: “…I have a better chance of becoming president of the United States than Jerome Washington has of ever walking out a free man from this.”

Jack teams up with an African-American attorney from Chicago, who has spent many of her years of extensive legal experience fighting for justice. Together, they fight for a fair trial for Jerome, and work to save him from what seems like a foregone conclusion to his trial: a trip to the electric chair.

Fans who have spent many years reading and watching similar stories (To Kill A Mockingbird, anyone?) will likely blaze through this one thinking they know exactly how it will turn out. But those of us who despair at the recent years of renewed overt racism in this country will appreciate the storytelling skill of Mr. Baldacci, whose own experience as an attorney has contributed to his success as someone who can entertain as well as inform the reader.

Recommended for fans of legal thrillers, as well as anyone who wants to have some hope for racial justice in and out of the courtroom. Four stars.

Baldacci chose a great descriptive word for his title. It definitely was A Calamity of Souls!

From a clerical error to the instability of a veteran of WWI to a triple Purple Heart recipient returning from Vietnam to the racial bias in a Virginia courthouse in 1968.

So well written, touching at the harsh truth of inequality playing out in a courtroom controlled by corrupt politicians swaying narrative for their small minded candidate to continue to hold one race over another. Never understanding a great nation can never realize its full potential until all its citizens are allowed to realize theirs.

A story like this confirms the premise that to protest makes change occur, but attitudes are slow to come along for the ride. But real change transforms attitudes. And with that you have sustained change. -Baldacci

Read it, think about how attitude affects community, nation and world.

Thank you NetGalley, Hachette Book Group, and David Baldacci for the opportunity to read this Advanced Copy of A Calamity of Souls.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc, and for no pressure for a positive review. I requested this because I am a David Baldacci fan, but I confess to leaving it on my shelf for while because I wasn't sure I wanted to read yet another book about the black/white divide in our country. When I started, I read it in two days. I remember being alive in 1968, and racial inequalities were much worse than they are today. We should be grateful for the progress we have made. The injustice was palpable in this story, and the characters were so real that I could feel the pain. The courtroom action was compelling and unacceptable for those of us who believe in the rule of law. I highly recommend this story.

A thrilling historical legal drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

In the racially charged year of 1968, A Calamity of Souls takes us back to southern Virginia, where a murder trial sets two lawyers against a deeply unfair system. Jack Lee, a white lawyer torn between his prejudices and his desire for justice, teams up with Desiree DuBose, a brilliant Black lawyer from Chicago. Together, they fight for the wrongfully accused, navigating a treacherous path filled with powerful forces determined to silence the truth.

With its intricate plot and richly drawn characters, A Calamity of Souls is a captivating read that explores the themes of racial injustice, prejudice, and the fight for equality. It's a reminder of the struggles faced during a turbulent era in American history, and a testament to the power of collaboration and unwavering determination.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early access to this gripping novel. A Calamity of Souls is an unforgettable tale that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. Get ready to be engrossed in a story that will challenge your beliefs and inspire you to fight for what's right.

The author states this book was strated 10 years ago and kept getting shelved. Unfortunately, it has marinated too long.

There is no question David can write. Just go to his Memory Man series. Re-read Absolute Power. Read the "popcorn"novels over this "cause" ones. The characters are real. The word Art puts you in the scene. The issue is the story was written by Grisham 30+ years ago and the civil unrest was covered last year by Lehane.

The only thing they didn't cover that is new here is giving the lectures that Media spouts day in and day out. I agree with the book on this point: Look to Atticus Finch. I'm just saying, skip this book on the way.

I came late to Baldacci, starting with The Memory Man series, which led me to other series, but this book is really like no other Baldacci book.
Semi autobiographical as Baldacci was raised in Virginia and saw first hand how the black/white divide operated. He started this book a decade ago, and I believe this is the optimum time for this book to be published. A black man is accused of murdering a white couple. He is beaten and dragged off to jail.
It is 1968, and George Wallace is running for president, exacerbating the already bad Jim Crow prejudices in Virginia. Jack Lee, a white local lawyer, a son of middle-class parents with seemingly strong prejudices, is asked to take the case by the grandmother of the accused man. The ramifications of his decision will affect his family to a large degree.
Meanwhile, an experienced black female lawyer is sent by the NAACP to Virginia to help him. Deserie Dubose is from Chicago and travels wherever a black client needs representation. Baldacci brings these to people of very different backgrounds together to solve a problem and perhaps learn from each other. I wonder how some of Baldacci's loyal readers are going to react to this book.
I was in college in 1968, and this book had a visceral effect on me. I am from Ohio but lived in Annapolis Maryland in 1962, when schools were still segregated. I did not realize Maryland was a Southern state until I moved there and saw firsthand how differently blacks were treated. And not only blacks. I was the first Jew some of my classmates had met, which surprised me because many were Navy brats who had lived all around the world. One girl took me home to meet her grandmother, who asked me to show her my horns. I had no idea what she meant.
I hope people reading this book will have the same reaction as I did, and I hope it makes them think about comparing 1968 with the injustices of today. How much has changed, yet how much more needs to change.
The book is also a very good mystery, with twists and surprises.
I highly recommend it and hope it becomes a best seller. I will be suggesting it for several of my bookclubs because it is quite thought-provoking.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC for review.
This is an honest review.

David Baldacci has delivered an emotionally-charged legal thriller once again. While the setting is 1968, the racial prejudices sadly still ring true today making this book extremely timely and thought provoking.

First, I want to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of David Baldacci's various series and standalones throughout the years. There are definitely elements in this book that are consistent with his style, but this book is quite unique even within his extensive library of books. It says that he has been working on this book off and on for 10 years, and you can feel how this book must have had its ups and downs. I think the author's upbringing in the south comes to the forefront and although there may be some parts which come off a little preachy, I think there are several, very important thought-provoking points that are brought to the forefront. Perhaps most importantly, in the current environment within our country, I think there are several points which should be real talking points amongst our peoples. This kind of story has been done before, but I think the author does a great job of tackling some very important issues within the story. As I said, I have been a fan of this author's books, and it just may be the times but quite frankly, this may be my favorite book he has ever written. Very well done. Thank you - 5 stars!!!!

A Calamity of Souls is David Baldacci’s best work to date and arguably his most important. Set in southern Virginia in 1968, a black man is accused of viscously murdering a wealthy, white older couple in their home. The case is a flash point following the Civil Rights Act is passed and gathers national attention, including a presidential candidate.

Attorney Jack Lee – the pride of Freeman County, VA and local legend – has been a bystander to racism his entire life and never did anything about it. Until now. Despite never trying a murder case, the backlash of the community, and the not-so-veiled threats, Jack agrees to represent the black man. Teaming up with a black, female attorney, the unlikely pair must confront racism head-on – inside the courtroom and out – to keep an innocent man from the electric chair.

A Calamity of Souls is an emotional rollercoaster. It’s not an easy read by any means. It’s tragic, heartbreaking, and hopeful. It forces the reader to confront our past, the present and ultimately our future. A Calamity of Souls might be set in 1968 but could easily take place today. The similarities are striking and maddening.

A Calamity of Souls should be required reading for everyone and has my highest recommendation.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege to read an advanced copy of A Calamity of Souls!.

A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci

This book departed from what I normally expect from David Baldacci. Normally, it would be a sit-on-the-edge-of-your-chair action adventure, ie. The Camel Club, which I highly recommend or Mercy, or Amos also highly recommend. This book is a thought-provoking metaphor for our current state of affairs. Baldacci recreates “To Kill a Mockingbird” in his own unique, and oblique manner.
The book forcefully makes you look at how you look at people of another color. Race is the plot's focus, but the situations posed are not just plot devices. Baldacci weaves a mystery around social commentary. I’m not privy to Baldacci’s thoughts but from my perspective, the book abounds with similes that apply to current events.
I always enjoy David Baldacci’s writing but this book may have provided more fodder for introspection than any of his other many books I’ve read.
I applaud his courage to tackle a controversial topic.
I highly recommend it.

More than anything else, this story - which the author says he started to write more than a decade ago - provides an unsettling look at a part of our history that these days, IMHO, many folks seem to want to shove under the rug where, also IMHO, it doesn't belong. And yes, it tends to get a bit "preachy" in spots, but if the message brings edification to just a few readers, that's fine by me. Set in 1968 in Virginia, where some residents are trying to live with new laws that protect the rights of some others (some accepting, others not so much), it centers on Jack Lee, a white lawyer who finds himself representing a Black man charged with the gruesome murder of a wealthy, elderly husband and wife. The second the man was found near the dead bodies, he was presumed guilty by virtually all the powers-that-be; so without hard evidence to the contrary, the man is destined for a lifetime behind bars at best.

And while Jack is a talented, experienced attorney, he's never dealt with a capital case - much less the blowback from those who believe his client has no real standing as a human being and therefore doesn't deserve someone to defend him (certainly not a white man). The situation gets what could be a bit of a break with the appearance of Desiree DuBose, a seasoned Black lawyer from Chicago who's made a name for herself with exactly this type of case. She and Jack form a somewhat uneasy alliance, both knowing that without the other, the defendant cannot possibly get a fair trial.

Quickly, though, they realize that outside of a couple of personal friends, the two of them are the only ones inside the courtroom who give a rip about fairness. To everyone else, their client is Black, guilty as charged and deserves to die - the sooner the better. As do, apparently, those who dare to try to prevent that from happening.

Of course, the backstories of the client, Jerome Washington, Jack and his family and Desiree add enlightenment to this complex story - as do the efforts of the aforesaid powers-that-be to "convince" Jack and Desiree to back off and allow the natural order of things to remain the status quo (this is the deep South, after all). More than that I can't say without giving too much away except that it's an exceptionally well-written book that's worth reading. Especially now.

David Baldacci does it again. Actually, as a long-time reader and fan of many of his characters, I enjoyed this stand-alone title more than I thought I would. As a born-and-raised Southerner, I know. Boy, do I know. It was hard to read in places, but a worthy read all the same. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love David Baldacci's action novels so was interested to see what his writing is like in the courtroom genre. Overall the book was just OK. The overt and subtle racism and ensuing violence in the south is well done and I enjoyed the full fledged characters, especially with the defense lawyers. The overall plot was just so so, mostly stemming from the assumed guilt just because of the color of the defendants skin.

If you enjoyed A Time to Kill and/or To Kill A Mockingbird you will definitely enjoy this one as well.

This is a bit of a departure from David Baldacci’s usual suspense thrillers. It’s a vivid portrait of the segregated South in the 60s just as civil rights marches were reaching the reluctant, still racist states as good men were trying to change attitudes. I suspect some scenes (the “whites only” signs) were part of Baldacci’s own childhood since he was born and raised in Virginia (although he was in elementary school at the time), but he has brought 1968 to life.

This is the story of Jack Lee (who barely missed out being named Robert E. Lee), an idealistic young lawyer who is asked to defend Jerome Washington, a black man accused of murdering the wealthy white couple he worked for. Jerome had discovered the bodies and that alone was good enough for the police to presume his guilt and never look for any other suspects. Jack takes on the case as the previous public defender is threatened and flees. He’s never had a murder case before — what’s considered the ultimate challenge for a criminal defense attorney. As he’s told: “Colored man accused of killin’ rich white folks in Freeman County? I’d say that will be some challenge, all right. Some might say impossible.”

We get to understand a lot of Jack’s upbringing that has shaped him — a more understanding father, but a sometimes harsh mother, defended by his dad “Now, she has her beliefs. You may not agree with them, but they’re what she believes.”

As the odds stack up against Jack — beatings by strangers, the blowup of the case to national headlines, and then the addition of a hotshot attorney general as prosecutor who is trying to politically impress the ultimate racist of the day, George Wallace, Jack is finally surprised by the appearance of Desiree DuBose. She’s a black woman with the highest possible legal education of the day — Howard University followed by Yale Law School, an activist who has participated in the civil rights activities and has even won a case in the Supreme Court. She wants to take over the case, but he convinces her to let him partner with her.

It’s the partnership between Jack and Desiree that’s at the heart of this novel, although it still contains the mystery — who killed the rich couple and why is Jerome being framed? This is thought provoking and heart wrenching as well as sad when you realize a lot of the hateful feelings of 50 years ago still exist today. 5 stars! I think there’s a possibility we might get to meet Jack and Desiree again in the future.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Hilly Lee, Jack’s mother, has green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The landscaping is distinctly southern: crepe myrtles, dogwoods and hydrangeas.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!