The year is 1964, and Cooper Lindsay is a lawyer in
Justice, Mississippi. He's returned to where he grew up and
his dad was a minister. When Hattie Ross, an African-
American maid, comes to his office asking him to represent
her boy in a murder trial, Coop's world is turned upside
down.
Hattie's boy, Calvin Ross, is accused of murdering local
high school teenager Becky Booth. After speaking with
Calvin and being convinced of his innocence, Coop agrees to
take the job, pro bono. Justice is a hotbed of racial
tension, and Coop experiences prejudice on all sides. John
David Maltose tries to bribe Coop into dropping the case,
but when Coop won't bite, John David changes his tactics.
Will Coop live to see the case come to trial? Can he find
the truth?
Fast forward fifty years to 2014. Clark Cooper Lindsay
arrives
in Justice to find answers to questions that followed this
historic trial. Coop Lindsay and Calvin Ross were never
seen again after the day the trial ended. This Coop is the
original one's grandson and is also an attorney, just four
years out of law school. First on his agenda is to visit
his granddad's law office. He finds it exactly as it was
the day Granddad Coop disappeared, and he receives a
visitor while he is there. Michael Maltose walks into the
office asking Coop to represent his son in a murder trial.
Michael isn't happy with his New York lawyers and believes
Coop can find the truth. Will Coop live up to the legend of
his granddad?
Ace Collins's THE COLOR OF JUSTICE delves into a
past of racial prejudice and then brings it full circle to
the present, searching for answers and for justice to be
serviced. Both Coops have a sarcastic manner in their
questioning methods that always gets their clients and
witnesses saying more than they intended. It's a nice
technique used by Ace Collins, who employees some
unique storylines in his writing.
The plot moves along at a
fast pace, especially since in 1964 Coop is only given
three weeks to prepare for trial. How different things are
today! As I read the first half of THE COLOR OF JUSTICE, I
yearned for DNA analysis, the digital age and social media.
In the second half, I got just what I wanted. How far we've
come in a span of fifty years!
THE COLOR OF JUSTICE is a story about secrets,
hate and prejudice, yet also about trust. It's about right
and wrong, not for glory or revenge, but seeking justice
for all. There is much irony and many contrasts between the
two parts of this story with quite a bit of role reversal
of the characters. THE COLOR OF JUSTICE is a dynamic
inspirational story, masterfully told, reminding us to be
Good Samaritans.
In 1964, Coop Lindsay has a thriving law practice in Justice, Mississippi. When an African American maid who once worked for Coop’s family asks him to defend her grandson, Martin Jennings, on charges of rape and murder, the attorney takes the case. It’s a decision that divides the town, but Coop devotedly digs for facts, faces attempts on his life, fights against all odds…and wins. A few weeks later the boy disappears and Coop Lindsay is murdered. Almost 50 years later, Coop’s grandson, Clark, returns to Justice and to the old family home. Opening his own law practice, his first case is just as controversial as the one that ended his grandfather’s life. This time the victim is African American and the suspect is white. The tables have turned, but the racial tension is just as high. Clark digs for evidence with the tenacity characteristic of his family. But even he doesn’t know that this crime will reveal clues to the 1964 Jennings case and may even uncover his grandfather’s killer as well — if only he can stay alive long enough to prove it.