No Truth Left to Tell Book Review

No Truth Left to Tell is a smart legal thriller that pulls readers into a compelling courtroom drama and an illusive search for justice in a troubled community.

About No Truth Left to Tell

February 1994—Lynwood, Louisiana: Flaming crosses light up the night and terrorize the southern town. The resurgent Klan wants a new race war, and the Klansmen will start it here. As federal civil rights prosecutor Adrien Rush is about to discover, the ugly roots of the past run deep in Lynwood.

For Nettie Wynn, a victim of the cross burnings and lifelong resident of the town’s segregated neighborhood, the hate crimes summon frightful memories of her youth, when she witnessed white townspeople lynch a black man. Her granddaughter Nicole DuBose, a successful journalist in New York City, returns to Lynwood to care for her grandmother. Rush arrives from DC and investigates the crimes with Lee Mercer, a seasoned local FBI special agent. Their partnership is tested as they clash over how far to go to catch the racists before the violence escalates. Rush’s role in the case becomes even more complicated after he falls for DuBose. When crucial evidence becomes compromised—threatening to upend what should be a celebrated conviction—the lines between right and wrong, black and white, collide with deadly consequences.

My Thoughts

No Truth Left to Tell is an incredible story of courage, perserverance, kindness in the face of hatred and racism.

The small town of Lynwood, Louisiana is home to some who still believe that the colour of your skin defines who you are and who want to see those of colour put down and not succeed. A group even brings back the Klan and begins to terrorize the town and citizens. This quickly brings chaos to this small town, something that hasn’t been seen in a few years. A federal civil rights prosecutor is brought in to bring the criminals to justice and the book unravels some very ugly history in this small town.

This is a well written novel that hits on some very difficult topics. The crimes that were committed against these groups in Lynwood were horrific and shocking, but even worse that you can still see this happening in the news today. The flashbacks that this caused for the one victim, broke my heart. I can only begin to imagine how I would feel if I were in those shoes. As the case is investigated, we see so many layers of right and wrong – both in society and in our law enforcement. Some of the actions blur the lines between what is right and wrong – something that can feel so right (justice for the victims) but at the expense of a lie and information obtained against the rights of another could be wrong.

This novel leaves you feeling conflicted, angry, sympathetic and wanting to make a difference. It is well written, with a plot that keeps you reading well into the night. You can’t put this book down, as you want to see criminals brought to justice and the shock you feel at our legal system. The characters are powerful, with a rich history and connections that you slowly learn. You want to reach out and protect some and others you hope they get the justice they deserve. No Truth Left to Tell is a definite must read novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Michael McAuliffe, has been a practicing lawyer for thirty years. He was a federal prosecutor serving both as a supervisory assistant US attorney in the Southern District of Florida and a trial attorney in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC. 

In 2008, Michael was elected and served as the state attorney for Palm Beach County, leading an office of approximately 125 prosecutors. He was  known for leading the ethics reform movement in county that resulted in the creation of a permanent inspector general, an ethics commission, and new ethics code.

He also has been a partner at a major law firm, a global company general counsel, a senior lecturing fellow at Duke University’s School of Law, and an adjunct professor at William & Mary’s School of Law. Early in his career, Mr. McAuliffe was a Civic Education Project fellow and visiting professor of law in the Czech Republic.

Aside from the law, Mr. McAuliffe is an alpine mountaineer, having climbed and reached the summits of Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro (with his daughter), Island Peak in the Himalayas, and many other mountains.

He received his JD from the College of William & Mary’s Law School and his BBA from the Business Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin. Michael and his wife Robin Rosenberg, a US district judge, have three children, and live in Florida and Massachusetts.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.