I just now finished this Very Powerful Novel, and I am now trying to catch my breath. Taking place in 1968 in Virginia, Jack Lee, a local lawyer takes on a case defending a black man, Jerome Washington, who is accused of murdering a very affluent white couple. They were murdered in their home where Jerome worked as a handyman. What transpires is a novel rich in history, and the prejudices that takes place between black and white residents of a small southern town. Add to this brilliant story a black woman lawyer, Desiree Dubois, who is called in to help Jack with Jerome’s defense.

This is a story that will stay with you for a very long time, as it should. A very emotional read with a cast of extremely well thought out characters. I highly recommend this novel. Don’t Miss it. Thank You To Netgalley, The Author, David Baldacci, and The Publisher Grand Central Publishing, for allowing me to read this novel for my honest review.

Wow - what a book!! I raced through this and loved every second. A calamity of souls is a very thought provoking and a different style from most of his books, but it is extremely well researched and well written powerful legal thriller, which will have you on the edge of your seat.

This is a fictional historical book based in 1968 with a racially charged murder case at the heart. Two fantastic new characters in Jack Lee and Desiree Du Bois who are representing a black family in Freeman County. Brilliant character development.

Might even be his best yet and I've read almost all of Baldacci's books and will definitely been catching up with the couple I've missed. Every book he writes just gets a little bit better and his first book Absolute Power written in 1996 was also fantastic and made into a movie.

A big thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the advance review copy. I know this book will fly off the shelves and be enjoyed by many. I can easily see this being made into a movie and a sequel would be brilliant.

A thought provoking legal case set in Virginia during Jim Crow and George Wallace sixties era. Two prominent whites are found murdered. The obvious suspect is the black hired help. Jack is the attorney who’s going to defend his client with everyone against him. Desiree DuBose swoops in from Chicago with aspirations of the bigger picture. She’s a black female attorney at the Legal Defense Fund. She is not warmly welcomed or accepted yet, expects to take the lead in the case. The prosecution has powerful and wealthy names on it’s side. The defendant has only his family and one strong neighborhood woman on his side. The legal drama is one of Baldacci’s best efforts with an accurate southern historical atmosphere. It isn’t a political or preachy story, just an example of how hundreds, if not thousands of legal proceedings were conducted during this era. My take is that history should teach and inspire us not to repeat injustice. If only we could read this story and say how far we’ve come and how proud we are not to repeat past wrongs. Thanks to the author for the years he put into the final product, Baldacci remains one of my all-time favorite authors.
An uncorrected digital galley of “A Calamity of Souls” by David Baldacci, published by Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Book Group, expected publication 04/16/2024, was provided by NetGalley. These are always my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Thought provoking. Heartbreaking. Powerful. This book has it all and I think this is Baldacci’s BEST!

A Calamity of Souls, a standalone book, is difficult to read due to the finely woven depiction of life in 1968 rural Virginia, amidst racial turmoil, the Viet Nam war, and Presidential campaign politics. Racial prejudice is at its worst.

A poor black man, Jerome Washington, is accused of murdering a wealthy elderly couple and a naive local lawyer, Jack Lee, is set to defend the accused.The arrival of Desiree DuBose, a well known Civil Rights activist, brings legal help and insight to Lee. The lawyers encounter roadblocks, threats, lies and misdirection in their pursuit of justice.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Nice easy read as one would expect from a Baldacci book. Well plotted novel with nice characterization of the protagonists.
It's great to see Baldacci venturing out to historical fiction and not sugar coating the mistakes that were made. I could definitely see sequel potential here,
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

David Baldacci's A Calamity of Souls (Grand Central Publishing 2024) starts as a typical 1960's racial-legal-social saga. Black man arrested for the murder of a white family in Freeman County. Prejudiced white police find him guilty until proven innocent despite that the US Supreme Court has taken steps to correct that. In the 1960's, public perception--both among legal experts and everyman--hasn’t caught up with the Supreme Court's evolved jurisprudence, but this book shows how the fix will take hold, one case at a time. In this story, one white lawyer (Jack Lee), raised to believe all men were created equal, fights to save a black man (Jerome Washington). We are led to assume Washington is innocent, but there is scant proof either way. At first. Of course not. That comes out as we turn the pages, and we do that eagerly, engaged, and curious. Lee teams up with a black female civil rights attorney, Desiree DeBose, to fight for Washington's future, but also the future rights of all black American citizens.

The story is well plotted, interspersed richly with U.S. race history, both the shame and heroism as we fought to correct centuries of accepted practice, struggling as a country to find our feet. There is lots of backstory of the white attorney's upbringing--that left his mind open enough to defend a black man who every one knew was guilty. You can't fail to be struck by his resolve, made more resolute the more he is personally and physically attacked. As the story develops, both sides--black and white--struggle to come to terms with an America trying to bring equality to all people all races.

This story was better than I thought it would be, touching on these difficult topics without getting too preachy. One point I was curious about: 'Black' was always capitalized (for that group) while 'white' never was. I'm not sure of that message, but it didn't take away from the 5/5 rating.

The best book Baldacci has ever written, and I can see why it took so long to write. It’s a masterpiece. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

As he stated in the authors notes at the beginning of the book, the author took 10 years to write this book. It is not your typical Baldacci book. It is set in 1968 in Virginia and focuses in on the case of a black man accused of killing his white employers. The story paints a picture of racial prejudices, corrupt officials including police officers and hatred toward blacks. The ending is an unexpected surprise. This is a thought provoking book. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

A Calamity of Souls
by David Baldacci
Pub Date: April 16, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
Set in the tumultuous year of 1968 in southern Virginia, a racially-charged murder case sets a duo of white and Black lawyers against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully-accused Black defendants in this courtroom drama from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci. 
Don't miss this one! I highly recommend this stand alone novel.
**The author’s note explains that this book has taken him over a decade to write. He put it aside to work on other projects however this story kept coming back to him. It also explains how some parts of the novel are “autobiographical elements in this story”. I really appreciated the notes at the beginning rather than the end of the novel - they explain a lot!

. It is really unlike any other book I have read by this author and is perhaps his best novel ever.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

I loved this outstanding novel! It gripped me from beginning to end, and I think that this is both the best and the most important book that David Baldacci has ever written. In the author's notes at the beginning, he states that he has wanted to write this book for over 10 years, and his reasons why. The book is set in a small town in rural Virginia, in 1968 and centers around the trial of Jerome, a black man accused of murdering his wealthy, elderly, white employers. Jack is a young, white attorney in the town, who is asked if he will defend Jerome. Although he has never tried a murder case, Jack is convinced Jerome is innocent and agrees. Desiree, a black attorney and Civil Rights activist from Chicago hears of the case, and travels to Virginia to work with Jack. Proving the innocence of their client, however, is thwarted at every turn by racial bias, corrupt officials, manufactured evidence and fraud. Everyone connected to the defense find themselves in danger at every turn. They need to both defend Jerome, and discover who really committed the crime, since no police investigation was ever done. The mystery of what really happened twists throughout the book until it's final, surprising conclusion. David Baldacci has created a powerful story and characters that shine a glaring light on the world of 1968 in the South, with all of its prejudices and hatred. It is a thought provoking, totally absorbing book. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of the book. The opinions of this review are my own.

A Calamity of Souls is a captivating, intense look into Southern racial tensions and torment. Family dramas, murders, accusations, lies, prejudices, passions and perhaps even a love story or two swirl together into a fabulous story. Could not put this heartbreaking book down until the major plot mystery was stunningly revealed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Great story from Baldacci.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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