Exonerated

by S a Dymond

Overview

The Police Department of Schenectady, New York has handled its fair share of run-of-the-mill crimes. The brutal murder of a cop's sister, however, is no ordinary crime—especially where there is little evidence to go by. With emotions running high and the pressure mounting to solve the case, the investigation hones in on a young, uneducated, blue-collar worker who used to date the victim.

Fueled by his own ambitions, the District Attorney prosecutes the case with vigor, confident he will prevail. Until, that is, a renowned criminal defense lawyer steps in to represent the defendant.

Did the defendant actually do it? No one can be too sure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780996967723
Publisher:	Chunky Pops Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	02/01/2016
Pages:	266
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

S.A. Dymond lives in the New York City area with his amazing wife and children. He is a practicing appellate attorney.

Editorial Reviews

...one of the best murder mysteries I've ever read...Rarely have I seen characters, plot, and setting so meticulously woven together to tell a haunting tale. S.A. Dymond is definitely a name to watch in the murder mystery genre. -Readers' Favorite

Understated mystery concentrating on a morally ambiguous legal process--and riveting throughout. -Kirkus Reviews

An absorbing legal procedural that shines a bright light on the egos and strategic maneuverings behind a high-profile homicide. -BestThrillers.com

From the Publisher

2016-04-18
In Dymond's debut thriller, New York cops fight to bring a murderer to justice when the victim is a fellow officer's sister. The murder and mutilation of a Schenectady County woman unnerves local police. She was, after all, Officer Ed Roletti's baby sister, Mary. Cops question friends and former boyfriends, but it's evidence at the scene that narrows the suspects. Three of four sets of prints—the fourth unknown—lead to Ed and a couple of ex-lovers. With Capt. Jim Pollack refusing to believe Ed's the killer and one ex in jail—that leaves only Chucky Dericardo. Some, like Detective Bill Watkins, aren't convinced that Chucky's their guy, but most at the police department see enough to justify arresting him for murder. District Attorney Franklin Dorey believes a conviction could improve his career prospects, but he's understandably on edge when learning that Chucky hired notorious criminal defense lawyer John Upton. An ensuing trial, with no side dominating the other, ends with a jury's decision, but it's far from over. Seven years later, a SWAT raid uncovers something that causes everyone to reexamine Chucky's case. What follows is a number of surprises, including another trial or two and more murder. The novel starts as a procedural before merging into a legal thriller. It's a subdued mystery, thanks primarily to the plot's hefty amount of realism. No incriminating clue, for example, points to a probable killer, and the arrest of Chucky is via process of elimination. Chucky, too, may be a viable suspect, but nothing ties him directly to the body. Told from multiple perspectives, there's consequently no real protagonist; while a lack of viewpoint from Chucky keeps his guilt/innocence a secret but affords him no chance for sympathy. Female characters barely register, like Tammy Smith, sole woman in Jim's unit, who disappears early. Nevertheless, the men are fascinating, particularly Bill, who obsessively counts his tie's polka dots while watching the murder trial. And the ending, which wraps up everything, is bound to stick in readers' heads. Understated mystery concentrating on a morally ambiguous legal process—and riveting throughout.

Kirkus Reviews