Victoria Christopher Murray has long been a favorite author for me. I have followed her hit book series Jasmine Cox Larson Bush with unabashed delight.
When her latest book landed on my desk, I was puzzled. It was not your typical Christian overture book. Sure there is Christian storyline threading its way through, but its not paramount.
The title pulled at my heart strings. I am sure that was intentional. The title invokes the raw emotions swirling around our country of race, guns and laws. Many states have enacted the so-called ‘stand your ground‘ laws that remove the duty to retreat before using force in self-defense. Victoria takes you intimately into the families who must deal with this. Victoria Christopher Murray comes Stand Your Ground, a new novel about two women who are faced with the same tragedy.
A black teenage boy is dead. A white man shot him. Was he standing his ground or was it murder?
Janice Johnson is living every black mother’s nightmare. Her seventeen-year-old son was murdered and the shooter has not been arrested. Can the D.A. and the police be trusted to investigate and do the right thing? Should Janice take advantage of the public outcry and join her husband alongside the angry protestors who are out for revenge?
Meredith Spencer is married to the man accused of the killing and she sees her husband and the situation with far more clarity than anyone realizes. What she knows could blow the case wide open, but what will that mean for her life and that of her son? Will she have the courage to come forward in time so that justice can be done?
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Should you read it? Yes, you may never think of current events the same after reading. Ms Murray’s take. She brings you into the intimate struggles on both sides. You will see what happens i a marriage, in friendships and in a neighborhood. When lead character Janice Johnson goes into shock upon learning of her son’s untimely death you will be moved beyond words. You will not be ready for the shocking ending. It will lead you with personal, thought provoking questions.
I read the book in one day. It’s an emotional page turner that will take you though the full gamete of emotions. Some of them you will be shocked that you have. I suggest that you use this book as your next book club read.
Here are the facts:
The book will be available on amazon on June 30th.
- File Size: 3470 KB
- Print Length: 368 pages
- Publisher: Touchstone (June 30, 2015)
- Publication Date: June 30, 2015
- Sold by: Simon and Schuster
Just so that you know, state self-defense laws may also overlap, but generally fall into three general categories:
- Stand Your Ground: No duty to retreat from the situation before resorting to deadly force; not limited to your property (home, office, etc.).
- Castle Doctrine: Limited to real property, such as your home, yard, or private office; no duty to retreat (use of deadly force against intruders is legal in most situations); some states, like Missouri and Ohio, even include personal vehicles.
- Duty to Retreat: Must retreat from the situation if you feel threatened (use of deadly force is considered a last resort); may not use deadly force if you are safely inside your home.
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