TRIAL

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

From his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard the story of his great-uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now, Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a novel he's written - a novel called Trial.

As a lawyer in early-twentieth-century Washington DC, Ben Corbett represents the toughest cases. Fighting against oppression and racism, he risks his family and his life in the process. When President Theodore Roosevelt asks Ben to return to his hometown to investigate rumours of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse.

Arriving in Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful daughter, Moody. Ben enlists their help, and the two Crosses introduce him to the hidden side of the idyllic Southern town. Lynchings have become commonplace and residents of the town's black quarter live in constant fear. Ben aims to break the reign of terror - but the truth of who is really behind it could break his heart.

Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross's Trial is a gripping story of murder, love, and, above all, bravery.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

In this 15th installment in Patterson's (www.jamespatterson.com) Alex Cross series-following Cross Country (2008), also available from Hachette Audio-Cross makes only a brief appearance. Instead, listeners go back in time to the early 1900s as Cross's great-uncle, Abraham, and Abraham's daughter, Moody, assist lawyer Ben Corbett in investigating a series of lynchings in Eudora, MS. Tony Award nominee Dylan Baker seamlessly transitions among the many characters, voicing the likable Corbett at one turn and a Ku Klux Klan member at the next. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this title, though Patterson devotees may miss Dr. Cross. [The Little, Brown hc, published in August, was a New York Times best seller.-Ed.]-Theresa Stoner, St. Joseph Cty. P.L., South Bend, IN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Framed as a book written by Patterson's iconic detective, Alex Cross, the story centers on the relationship between Cross's great-uncle Abraham and civil rights lawyer Ben Corbett, who teamed up at the turn of the 20th century to fight the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi. Shawn Andrew's turn as Alex in the introduction is unmemorable, but Dylan Baker, the core narrator, captures listeners with keen emphasis and pacing. Even if his voice tends to be a bit caricatured (his Theodore Roosevelt invokes an old-time radio shtick), his overall efforts-coupled with typical Patterson pacing and prose-will keep listeners hooked. A Little, Brown hardcover. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved