Ajoobacats’ 500th Blog Post: Book Tour Giveaway and Review: Jonah by Vince Lane

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Excerpt

“Well Mr. Gremillion, I’ve got some startling news on this hit and run case involving Carl Willis.”

“So you said. What-cha got?”
“What I’ve got is an eye witness who says that he was asleep under a tree right by the bridge on the bank of the Rapides Bayou; the night Carl Willis was killed. He said he was awakened by the sound of the crash. He watched as the driver got out of the car, paced up and down for a while. Then he kicked ole Carl’s body into the bayou and took off fast.”
“Do you believe him?”
“Yes sir I do. He knew things about what happened that corroborated exactly with the evidence that our investigation has thus turned up.”
“Is this witness credible?”
“Mr. Gremilion, I do believe he is. But to some he probably won’t be. You see he’s a Colored. But he knows too many of the facts that we already knew, to be lying. Facts that nobody else could have known unless they saw it happen. And for that matter, why would he lie?”
“Can he positively identify who did it?”
“He said that’s a maybe. He didn’t see the face perfectly.”
“Well then just what’s all this concern about Sheriff?”
“Well ya see Mr. Gremillion, it’s not about what this new witness didn’t see that’s the issue. It’s all about what he did see.”
“Which is?”
“He saw the hit and run driver clearly by the light of the full moon. That driver, Mr. Grimillion, was driving a big green Lincoln, and wearing a white suit.”
Still not completely registering yet exactly what the sheriff was trying to convey, the DA sat there with a perplexed look on his face.
“Don’t you see Mr. Gremillion? Who is the only man that we know of in this entire parish who drives a big green Lincoln, and always wears a white suit?”
Mr. Gremillion thought about the sheriff’s question for a brief moment. But when he suddenly realized the answer to the question the sheriff had posed to him, the DA began to look a bit pale.
“Now Sheriff, surely you don’t mean…”

“Yes Mr. Gremillion I do mean…his honorable Judge Diamond Dupree. Oh there are a few details that I do have to investigate before I can be exactly one hundred percent positive that it was the good Judge. Think about it though, Mr. Gremillion, you have to agree that this evidence is too overwhelming to sweep under the rug, even if the witness is colored. I only hope those people didn’t realize that I was holding back, but it was all I could do to contain myself listening to that man’s story.”
“Now just hold it right there long enough to think about what you’re saying, Reggie? Because to my knowledge no one in the State of Louisiana has ever brought charges against a powerful and influential judge like Diamond Dupree. There’s a lot at stake here, my friend. And there’s a depression on. This is a bad time to be out of a job, and Judge Dupree would have both our asses run clean out of the parish. Why, the sympathies in the South towards the Coloreds are anything but favorable; you know that. And hell, all you’ve got to go on is the word of some colored man? If I were you, Reggie, I’d think on it a good long while before I’d go up against Judge Dupree with the only witness you’ve got.”
“Now Mr. Gremilion, are you going to sit there and presume to tell me that anyone is above the law?
Even if he is a damn judge, or for that matter especially if he’s a judge, he ain’t above obeying the law.”
“And we’re talking vehicular homicide here…fleeing the scene of an accident, corrupting a crime scene, and obstruction of justice among other things!”
“OK, OK, Reggie, you go ahead and conduct your secret investigation. And you’d better be damn discrete about it, because if the judge finds out what you’re up to, he’ll have your ass before you know what happened. But if you get some solid evidence, and I do mean rock solid, I’ll listen to what you have to say. But I for one, Sheriff, am not about to go off half cocked and bring an indictment against a damn judge on the word of some Colored man sleeping on the damn bayou. And don’t you breathe a word of this conversation to anyone outside this room or I’ll call you a damn lie.”
The sheriff stood and extended his hand. ”Thank ya Mr. Gremilion. I’ll get that evidence.”

Review

This heart-warming literary fiction book set in 1940s Louisiana tells the story of how a group of women thrown together as neighbours during the depression support and rely on each other through tough times. When one of the women is widowed due to a hit and run accident, Jonah is the only witness. However, despite his pleasing countenance and his positive contribution to their lives they face a dangerous man who wants to stay free and will stop at nothing to remain so.

This relatively short but rich read  celebrates human nature during adversity. The accented vernacular throughout the book makes the reading experience both authentic and charming. The reader becomes very attached to the characters who have very little and work hard to make ends meet and after Jonah comes into their lives he brings happiness and good fortune but the fear of something malevolent hanging over them looms larger.

Jonah is available to read for free to Kindle Unlimited Subscribers.

Links to Book:
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Goodreads

Giveaway

This giveaway is for one ebook copy of ‘Jonah’ by Vince Lane and is open internationally. It ends on May 30, 2015. Please click here to find the Rafflecopter giveaway to enter.

About The Author

Vince Lane has been writing most of his life, he first began seriously writing literary material around 1980.  At the time he was a musician, singer/songwriter, poet, and professional entertainer living and working in Los Angeles, California.

As a writer Vince Lane has always maintained an unabashed style, paying little if any attention to convention. Unlike many writers, he has never settled down into any particular genre having written sci-fi, horror, supernatural, literary, mystery, action adventure, justice, and experimental fiction in iambic pentameter.

“I have enjoyed writing what I like, what I want, the way I want, and I stay true to that artistic freedom to this day.”- Vince Lane

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