WORSE THAN A LIE by Ben Crump

5 stars

In an America beset with today’s racism, this legal thriller set in Chicago, 2008 with the election of Barack Obama and resentful whites taking it out on Blacks, this story reverberates deeply. Hollis Montrose, a Black transit police officer and former city police officer, gets pulled to an arbitrary stop by two hostile white cops. Backed by two other arriving white officers, they shoot Hollis ten times in the back as he lies down on the pavement. They claim he was reaching for his gun and had no ID on him- but Hollis always carries his wallet and has no incident reports against him. He’s a devoted husband, father and grandfather who is innocent, but facing all the powers that be against him from the cops covering up what really happened and a hostile judge favoring the prosecution.

In sweeps heroic Beau Lee Cooper, a Black civil rights attorney form Houston who’s dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of Black people to be treated fairly Beau finds himself in Chicago settling a civil case against banks, when he cannot resist taking Hollis’ case on. Along with local Latino powerhouse attorney Princess, Beu’s law firm partner Nellie, and his former-felon investigator Cape, Hollis legal team has a seemingly unsurmountable battle to free Hollis of charges the police department has brought against him, to stop the police from moving him from hospital intensive care to the county jail, and to bring the corrupt cops to justice.

Much like Beau’s favorite childhood book, To Kill a Mockingbird, the fight to do what’s right is arduous and tenuous. In the meantime, you’re on the edge of your seat cheering Beau and his team on to find the moral high ground.

Thanks to Ballentine, Bantam and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.