Blood on the Leaves

BLOOD ON THE LEAVES by Jeff Stetson turns up the volume on originality, suspense and mystery. It is a bold new step for an established writer who has received many awards for his projects in the theatre and movie industry. The storyline takes place in Mississippi, a stronghold of several unsolved killings and lynchings against blacks during the Civil Rights era. Professor Martin Matheson, an activist, discusses several of these cases with his class and distributes a list of the black victims and their white accusers. The list includes their names, addresses, and other pertinent information. When the white accusers begin coming up dead one by one by the very same method they killed the black victims, all attention is diverted to the professor. Assistant District Attorney James Reynolds, who is also black, now faces the difficult task of prosecuting the professor. However, because of the issues in the case, he will also have to come to terms with his insecurities and haunting dreams that keep him awake at night. He is matched up against the professor's defense attorney who is a liberal white Civil Rights lawyer who will become a strong adversary during the trial. The suspense, and political foreplay is nonstop and takes you on an educational journey on life and times in the south during the Jim Crow years. The courtroom drama becomes the main plot, leading up to the grand finale. Both the primary and secondary characters complement each other with strong dialogue and intensity in bringing to the forefront a unique blend of issues, drama and emotions. Who is responsible for the murders? Is it a lone vigilante, members of his class, or the professor? Jess Stetson is a writer to watch on the literary scene. His writing style and strong character development put him at the front of the line. What makes BLOOD ON THE LEAVES stand out impeccably is the subject matter and how well it is presented to the reader. The originality of the plot made it an instant winner. I highly recommend BLOOD ON THE LEAVES because it is a great book to choose when you're looking for something unique and different. Reviewed by Kalaani of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

I was in Palm Beach Florida last weekend on vacation when I came across an editorial in the Palm Beach Post urging its readers to read BLOOD ON THE LEAVES. The opinion piece stated the book was "as engaging and compelling as a novel by James Patterson or John Grisham." It concluded with the rather weighty notion that "if you really want to understand black history, I urge you to read Blood on the Leaves." I had never recalled reading a book review that glowing, let alone one written by an editorial writer. So I bought the novel, unconvinced it or any other book could live up to that type of hype. On my flight back home to Detroit I decided to read a chapter or two with the intention of either putting it my briefcase to complete at my leisure or leaving it behind tucked neatly beside the air-sick bag. The plane flew into some violent turbulence and my sole thought throughout the entire disturbance was Lord, please don't let this plane crash before I finish this novel. And, my friends, I can't think of a better recommendation than that. The book was magnificent. The editorial writer who brought this novel to my attention, however, was wrong in two important ways. Patterson and Grisham are terrific writers but the two of them combined couldn't have written this novel with the same degree of eloquence, humor, tenderness and power. Secondly, this novel is not simply for those who want to understand black history. It's for those of us honest, open and courageous enough to dare to understand American history or quite frankly, world history as it pertains to issues of justice, revenge, retribution and the fine line between hero and terrorist, good and evil, right and wrong. Yeah, I know. Sounds overblown. That was my feeling after I read that editorial. I was wrong and if you don't find the time to read this marvelous novel, you will have missed something quite special, extraordinary, and fear not, incredibly entertaining. Had this novel been written by either Patterson or Grisham, in addition to being considered their best and most important work, it would no doubt be on the bestseller list for as long as the Da Vinci Code. As you can tell, I loved this book. I firmly believe that you will, too, even if you read it as I did, in the middle of a storm.

This powerful book cost me about 4 hours of sleep. I simply couldn't put it down. The premise is powerful. The writing is spellbinding. The detail the author used to describe the slayings, particularly for a black person from the South, is simply overwhelming. And the plot is so wickedly taunt, you have NO chance of figuring out what will happen before the very end. The moral interplay between "justice" and "vengence" and who deserves which will give you pause. By the middle of the book, the pace is simply breathtaking. Do yourself a favor and read this one.

Set in Jackson, Mississippi, Blood on the Leaves weaves around wonderfully drawn three-dimensional characters amid social injustice and long suppressed memories. The catalyst is in the actions of one charismatic Professor Martin Matheson, a disputatious community leader, who uses his classroom as a medium to resurface 30-40 year old unsolved crimes involving murdered/lynched blacks. He wantonly distributes the names and addresses of whites suspected of carrying out theses deadly deeds and when the white named suspects are murdered in similar manners as the black victims, pandemonium breaks loose and Matheson is arrested and charged with murder. The community is immediately split along moral and racial divides. The core of the story centers on theatrical courtroom scenes of Professor Matheson's trial; however, it is the internal struggles of the key characters that add depth and drama to the plot. For example, prosecuting attorney James Reynolds is the only black assistant DA with an impeccable win ratio and is also a social acquaintance of the defendant. Reynolds is assigned to prosecute Matheson against his wishes by his racist and inept boss (the County's District Attorney). He suffers from haunting, sleep-depriving nightmares, and wrestles with his own internal morals regarding justice and duty. Todd Miller, Matheson's defense attorney, is a white Civil Rights lawyer who was disowned and disenfranchised by his family in the 1950's for his liberal political views. Stetson also interjects ingenious subtle references to and commentaries on modern day political groups and social issues that trigger deep internal examination on the reader's part. Bravo, Mr. Stetson! This book is extremely well done - a true page-turner until the very end! When I finished Blood on the Leaves, I was emotionally drained but thoroughly entertained! Stetson's skill as a playwright brought the story to life via dialogue, carefully crafted scenes and vivid imagery. It is a suspenseful, thought-provoking story that grapples with age-old concepts of revenge, redemption, and morality! This book is most definitely on my 2004 favorites list and I am looking forward to the next release. Reviewed by Phyllis APOOO BookClub Nubian Circle Book Club

Move over John Grisham. There's a new king of torts; and he's taking the literary world by storm. In his amazing new debut novel "Blood on the Leaves," Jeff Stetson crafts a delectable tale of racial hostility, murder, and retribution that commands your attention. In the book, several of the white men accused but never convicted of murdering blacks during the civil rights era are turning up dead. What's more, they're dying in the same fashion as their alleged victims of long ago. When it is discovered that Professor Martin Matheson has composed a list of the men for a college course he teaches, he becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigations. Matheson, an intelligent yet pompous man believes the men got just what they deserved. But did he participate in their untimely deaths? That's what James Reynolds, the only black prosecutor in the district attorney's office, would like to know. When Matheson is arrested for one of the murders, he hires long time civil rights advocate, Todd Miller as his attorney. Miller, a middle-aged man who sports a pony tail and is a friend of the prosecutor, comes from a long line of attorneys. And by the way, Miller just happens to be Caucasian. Though Miller is not thoroughly convinced of his clients' case, he cannot refuse what will prove to be the case of a lifetime. Thus sets the stage for the trial of the century, even bigger than O.J. When Reynolds's haunting secret of the past reveals itself again, he becomes even more dedicated in proving Matheson's guilt. But battle with a genius professor, a seasoned attorney, and a history of bigotry may prove to be enough to send the prosecutor over the edge. Can he win the case? And if he does, will justice be served? Regardless of the outcome, the clear winner will be the reader. Jeff Stetson, writer of the long-running play The Meeting, has crafted a powder keg of a tale full of intrigue and shock that will leave readers longing for more well after its dynamic conclusion. Though you may not be able to decide which side to cheer for, you will no doubt love this remarkable book. This is the kind of story moviemakers should eat up. I hope Hollywood is listening. Run out and buy "Blood on the Leaves" today! Emanuel Carpenter Author of "Where is the Love?" emanuelcarpenter dot com