True Crime Deliberation - Open Carry

A Tense Psychological Thriller of Self-Defense and a Divided Jury

A woman's car is rammed on a desolate road. A man is shot dead at point-blank range. For the jury, it should be a clear-cut case of self-defense.

Danielle, a young schoolteacher with a clean record and a registered firearm, claims the man she killed was a violent aggressor who threatened her life. The prosecution argues it was an unnecessary execution, painting Danielle as a vigilante. With the nation fiercely divided on the issue, the pressure is on the twelve men and women in the deliberation room to get it right.

As they examine the grainy gas station video and listen to the chilling audio of the encounter, the jury finds itself split down the middle. One juror, a combat veteran, sees a textbook case of survival. Another sees a tragic, avoidable death. But it's the jury's most silent member, a man with a secret connection to the victim, who holds the key to understanding the truth.

As secrets are revealed and biases clash, the jury uncovers a shocking detail missed by the police —a detail that could change everything. But in a case this volatile, the legal truth may be the most dangerous lie of all.

From the author of The Birthday Girl, this explosive legal thriller is perfect for readers who crave the courtroom tension of John Grisham and the dark psychological suspense of Shari Lapena. What happens when the right to stand your ground becomes a license to kill?