The hands of justice work slow because of a myriad of rules
to follow -- T's to cross, I's to dot. But even then it is a
flawed system because of the human factor. This is a story
of what happens when justice affected by these flaws has to
police itself and make decisions that no longer serve the
public by acknowledging its flaws. Searching through her
father's mess of papers in cabinets and boxes galore Regan
Landry was hoping to find the inspiration for her next true
crime book. Following in her fathers footsteps Regan has all
ready made a name for herself as a first class cold case
researcher. Still recovering from his murder she found a
remarkable collection of information about individuals who
on the surface seem insignificant but she is determined to
sort through the piles of scraps and documents. With the
latest reports of misread DNA by a renowned lab and coerced
testimony of witnesses Regan starts thinking about writing
about a more current act of injustice. As more is uncovered
about the gross mishandling and ultimate forgery of DNA
evidence the courts are forced to reopen several cases and
release some convicts.
Lester Ray Barnes sees this as a miraculous opportunity to
save himself from his very eminent death sentence. Oh make
no mistake -- he's guilty of the grisly murder that put him
on death row but his conviction was based on the faulty DNA
report from the investigated lab and the testimony of an eye
witness who convincingly lied on the stand. Lester Ray is
determined to have his story become Regan Landry's next
great book and use his share of the profits to set him up as
a free man. The release of Lester Ray, and others, sets off
a chain of grisly murders with suspiciously similar aspects
to the one committed by him and Regan joins with the FBI in
investigating who is behind them. Is it Lester Ray or the
work of a copy cat murderer?
This is the second of the "Truth" series I've reviewed and
once again Stewart kept me guessing till the end. Every so
often you have an epiphany of who is the serial killer --
kind of an ah-hah moment -- only to have it dashed at the
turn of the page. Just as Regan and her FBI boyfriend Mitch
are racing against the clock to ferret out the culprit the
reader is busy turning the pages hoping that there isn't
still another victim. Just as in a real investigation this
story doesn't take any liberties or short cuts that would
make it less believable. We anxiously read on while they run
into road block after road block and ultimately become part
of the larger team trying to put the pieces together and
stop the killings. So turn on your best sleuthing and enjoy
the latest and last book of this series by Mariah Stewart.
All that stands between Lester Ray Barnes and the state of
Florida's death chamber is a judge's signature. He is
sentenced to die for the rape and murder of a young woman,
his conviction hinging on two pieces of evidence: DNA
testing and an eyewitness who placed him at the scene. But
when the story breaks that the DNA testimony at trial had
been fabricated and that the eyewitness was coerced by a
cop, all hell breaks loose. In the absence of credible
evidence to sustain the conviction, the court is forced to
set Lester Ray free. It's the sort of circus the media
adore—until it turns into the kind of Grimm's fairy tale
the media love even more.
Intrigued by the story of a young man railroaded by
justice, true-crime writer Regan Landry is drawn into
Lester Ray's camp like a moth to a flame. For Regan Landry,
writing is a way to stay connected to her late literary-
legend father, and her knack for detective work makes her
a natural when it comes to uncovering new leads in even
the murkiest mysteries.
Eager for the spotlight, Lester Ray willingly agrees to
work with Regan on a tell-all about his experience as an
innocent man on death row. But less than a week after
leaving prison, he vanishes from the Sunshine State. Soon
after, darkness descends on the outer banks of North
Carolina as a string of women are raped and murdered in a
frenzied spree. Fearing the worst, Regan and FBI Special
Agent Mitch Peyton sweep in to confront the unspeakable:
the horrifying possibility that they have helped to free a
cunning monster with an insatiable appetite for death—and
a ruthless determination never to be caged again.
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