Wrongful Conviction

Laced with atmospheric poetry and literature and set in the heart of Denver's black community, this gripping crime novel pits three characters in a race against time to thwart a gross miscarriage of justice-and a crooked detective who wreaks havoc... with deadly consequences. What happens to a deferred dream-especially when an innocent man's life hangs in the balance? Langston Brown is running out of time and options for clearing his name and escaping death row. Wrongfully convicted of the gruesome Mother's Day Massacre, he prepares to face his death. His final hope for salvation lies with his daughter, Liza, an artist who dreamed of a life of music and song but left the prestigious Juilliard School to pursue a law degree with the intention of clearing her father's name. Just as she nears success, it's announced that Langston will be put to death in thirty days. In a desperate bid to find freedom for her father, Liza enlists the help of Eli Stone, a jazz club owner she met at the classic Five Points venue, The Roz. Devastated by the tragic loss of his wife, Eli is trying to find solace by reviving the club... while also wrestling with the longing to join her in death. Everyone has a dream that might come true-but as the dark shadows of the past converge, could Langston, Eli, and Liza be facing a danger that could shatter those dreams forever?

With striking prose and inspired by real wrongful conviction cases, this layered takedown of the criminal justice system follows one woman's quest for answers as the fate of an innocent man hangs in the balance, perfect for fans of S. A. Cosby. Denver, 1992. Claudette Cooper and Moses King have been failed by the justice system. Claudette was sexually assaulted and brutally attacked, blinded by the perpetrator, she's not able to identify him until she has a dream about the attack where she sees the face of Moses King. When Claudette testifies that she's identified her attacker from her dream, Moses is wrongfully convicted and sent to prison for the crime. Lawyer Liza Brown has seen firsthand the failings and shortcomings of the justice system, her father also suffered the injustice of a wrongful conviction. As she's working at a nonprofit to free those who have been wrongfully imprisoned, Moses reaches out to her. Liza sees the obvious cracks in the evidence against Moses, and when he confesses that he knew her father, she's determined to help. Recruiting her old friend Eli Stone to assist, Liza sets out to prove Moses's innocence. But Eli is dealing with demons of his own: corrupt cops are targeting Black residents of Denver, and when his nephew is beaten by the police, Eli doubles down on his efforts to expose them. Frustrated, Liza turns to Moses's accuser, Claudette, for help. But Claudette is hiding a dark secret, and as tensions in Denver rise, the city erupts in protests and riots. This rich, impactful novel paints a portrait not only of injustice and desperation, but of hope.