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The Devil Amongst the Lawyers

In 1934 all the national publications sent their star reporters to remote Virginia to cover the trial of Erma Morton: a beautiful 21-year-old year old mountain girl with a teaching degree, accused of murdering her father — a drunken tyrant of a man.

Eager for a new cause celebre to capture the public's imagination, they were counting on reports of horse-drawn buggies, run-down shacks, children in thread-bare clothes — all of the stereotypes of mountain life. But among them is Carl Jennings, an 18-year-old mountain boy on his first job. An eager, honest journalist, he reports accurately — describing telephones, electricity, gas stations, and coal company executives.

So when their reports conflict, Carl is condemned, while the seasoned journalists perpetuate the myths of country life — and Erma Morton's guilt or innocence is literally sold to the highest bidder — a wronged woman on trial sells papers. Soon, it is not the murder that is of interest: but the vultures attracted by the deaths. In the midst of all this, Carl continues to search for the truth, relying on his younger cousin, Nora — gifted with the "sight" — for help.

A stunning return to the lands, ballads and characters upon which she made her name, Devil Amongst the Lawyers is a testament to Sharyn McCrumb's lyrical and poetic writing.

  • Format
  • hardcover
  • Pages
  • 320
  • Language
  • english
  • ISBN
  • 978-0-312-55816-1
  • EAN
  • 9780312558161
  • Genres
  • mystery, fiction, southern, historical, audiobook, novels, adult
  • Release date
  • 2010