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Jason V. Burton is on trial for the killing of Kevin Taylor. His attorney, Mark A. Smith, is a public defender trying to avoid a death sentence for his client. During the trial, Smith has often tried to bring up Kevin’s past conviction, but the judge will not allow it. Indeed, there is a reason why Jason did what he did. Kevin raped and choked to death Jason’s daughter, Sara. Kevin got off easy because of a technicality. He was charged with accidental manslaughter and received a five-year sentence. Jason was heartbroken and devastated. The justice system had failed him. So, he waited for Kevin to complete his sentence, and then he took matters into his own hands. Throughout this journey, Jason and his attorney must convince the jury that he was not in his right mind when he did what he did to Kevin.
Gatlin explores how a flawed justice can have devastating consequences for the family’s victims. A fair judicial system is supposed to put away murderers and not free them. But because of technicalities, a killer can sometimes walk free without facing real consequences. The author has managed to give a distinct voice to each character, and the dialogue helps them establish their personalities. For example, Gatlin depicts Jason as a devoted father who went off the rails after the death of his daughter. The author digs deeply into Jason’s emotions and psychological state, giving readers insight into his personality and making his grief, pain, and desire for vengeance relatable. The book exposes how unequal justice can turn even good people into cold-blooded killers because they feel like the system has let them down, yet also conveys the message that revenge is not a solution for a tricky judicial system.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review