This book takes the reader on a journey through the racism embedded in Twentieth Century judicial system that leaves a man who has lived an exemplary life facing death by electrocution.
Justice for the Black Knight, an explosive legal thriller, is a story of relationships wrapped in a dark mystery from the distant past that holds the key to the salvation of a man on trial for his life. As a child, Freddie Edwards created an alter-ego, the Black Knight, who vowed to fight injustice in all forms. Years later, he finds himself accused of the brutal murder of a well-respected elderly man, represented by an incompetent lawyer, and facing death in the electric chair. His sister Ruby and their childhood friend Annabelle are reunited at his trial where they begin an exploration into the past to find evidence that will prove Freddie to be a hero instead of a villain, his only chance to escape execution. Their journey brings to light the impact race has had on the system designed to provide justice, and provides a hopeful portrait of a future freed of the disease of racism by the power of love.
Professional Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
In Blair’s debut novel, African-American Freddie Edwards’ life story unfolds across history as a complex tapestry, leading up to his arrest for the killing of a 75-year-old man.
This superbly crafted, intricately detailed story is by turns joyful, sorrowful, frightening and uplifting. Blair draws readers in by establishing a mystery, as Annabelle Mann, the staid, white widow of a respected judge, is called to testify as a character witness for Edwards, a black man with a criminal record who’s accused of murder. The story then exquisitely details the childhoods of Mann, Edwards and his sister, Ruby, in 1930s Tampa, Florida. The post-Depression economy has forced Mann’s family to live on the edge of a black neighborhood; her father is a philandering salesman, largely absent from her life, while her mother is an open, generous woman. In graceful prose, Blair takes time to develop the children’s friendship: Ruby and Annabelle hit it off immediately, but Freddie distrusts the new white girl. Annabelle recognizes his innate intelligence, however, and lures him into friendship by lending him books. Freddie loves stories about knights, hence his self-proclaimed nickname, “the Black Knight,” a moniker he lives up to by always rescuing the mischievous girls. As Blair further develops the characters, as well as the time and place they live in, she toys with the overarching mystery. Chapters vacillate between past and present, and the narrative gradually drops hints about a strange, rich, neighborhood white man. Overall, this fine book offers well-drawn, human characters and logically flowing action, all written in a striking style: “Two silver-haired women walked together on an otherwise empty beach, its pristine white sands stretching endlessly around them, its peaceful quiet broken only by the sounds of waves lapping at the shore and gulls calling overhead.”
A must-read story of relationships, prejudice and bravery, and a vivid paean for justice.
Red City Review
...quite astutely tackles the topic of racism, combining the best attributes of legal thrillers like 'The Firm' with the exploratory and contemplative tone of subtle but powerful works of literature like Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man.
Clarion Reviews
...a twentieth century law and order fable...that has the feel of a true crime mystery, coming of age novel, and high stakes courtroom drama all rolled into one...
As deafness, illness, and demonic forces close in around him, Ludwig van Beethoven must summon his faith and genius to complete the Missa Solemnis—a sacred masterpiece he believes could bring divine light into a darkening world.
