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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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