A Death in Live Oak

A Jack Swyteck Novel

By: James Grippando

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

From the 2017 winner of the Harper Lee Prize for legal fiction comes a powerful and timely story of race, politics, injustice, and murder as shocking and incendiary as today's headlines.

When the body of Jamal Cousin, president of the pre-eminent black fraternity at the Florida's flagship university, is discovered hogtied in the Stygian water swamps of the Suwanee River Valley, the death sets off a firestorm that threatens to rage out of control when a fellow student, Mark Towson, the president of a prominent white fraternity, is accused of the crime.

Contending with rising political tensions, racial unrest, and a sensational media, Townson's defense attorney, Jack Swyteck, knows that the stakes could not be higher - inside or outside the old Suwanee County Couthouse. The evidence against his client, which includes a threatening text message referencing "strange fruit" on the river, seems overwhelming. Then Jack gets a break that could turn the case. Jamal's gruesome murder bears disturbing similarities to another lynching that occurred back in the Jim Crow days of 1944. Are the chilling parallels purely coincidental? With a community in chaos and a young man's life in jeopardy, Jack will use every resource to find out.

As he navigates each twist and turn of the search, Jack becomes increasingly convinced that his client may himself be the victim of a criminal plan more sinister than the case presented by the state attorney. Risking his own reputation, this principled man who has devoted his life to the law plunges headfirst into the darkest recesses of the South's past, and its murky present, to uncover answers.

For Jack, it's about the truth. Traversing time, from the days of strict segregation to the present, he'll find it - no matter what the cost - and bring much-needed justice to Suwanee County.

©2018 James Grippando (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

MUST READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AWESOME PERFORMANCE!!! KEPT ME WANTING TO HEAR MORE. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND LISTENING TO THIS BOOK

Well done

Very well done story. The narrator is great and the racial tension keeps you interested.

One of his best...

One of his best... great writhing and great narration. great combination of writer and narrator.

Excellent

I never tire of Jack Swyteck. Mr. Grippando is an author you will get hooked on!

a very good read about my town .

I truly enjoyed this !! I love the town specifics and accuracy . This is a good book for anyone interested in criminal stories

Excellent legal thriller

If you are a fan of John Grisham’s Jake Brigance series you should give this a try. It is in a familiar vein. Jonathan Davis does an excellent narration and I found it hard to put down. I will be continuing the series for sure.

Edge of the Seat

A story of unspeakable brutality. Still, there was at least partial redemption. A legal thriller.

OUTSTANDING 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Absolutely outstanding! This is cliche but I wish I had more than 5 stars to give.

A REALLY well written story

The story captivated me from the very first paragraph.
The written narration is so good that it immediately creates a very unique atmosphere around you: you're now part of the story and feel as much involved as Jack (the lawyer).
It's also written with finesse: you might have an idea, but until Jack knows, you don't.
To top all that, the narrator is very very good!!

Great story

But when you write about a real life place and have a narrator read it, please have them first be sure of the pronunciation of things in that area. Other than that I really enjoyed this book!