The best books about miscarriages of justice

Truth and Honour explores the 2011 murder of Saint John businessman Richard Oland, of the prominent family that owns Moosehead Breweries, the ensuing police investigation, and the arrest, trial, and conviction of the victim's son, Dennis Oland, for second ­degree murder.

Oland's trial would be the most publicized in New Brunswick history. What the trial judge called "a family tragedy of Shakespearian proportions," this real­life murder mystery included adultery, family dysfunction, largely circumstantial evidence, allegations of police incompetence, a high-powered legal defence, and a verdict that shocked the community. Truth and Honour explores this question: was Dennis Oland responsible for the death of his father?

Kabir has been in jail since the day he was born, because his mom is serving time for a crime she didn’t commit. He’s never met his dad, so the only family he’s got are their cellmates, and the only place he feels the least bit free is in the classroom, where his kind teacher regales him with stories of the wonders of the outside world. Then one day a new warden arrives and announces Kabir is too old to stay. He gets handed over to a long-lost “uncle” who unfortunately turns out to be a fraud, and intends to sell Kabir. So Kabir does the only thing he can–run away as fast as his legs will take him.

How does a boy with nowhere to go and no connections make his way?

An army brat-turned-marine, he saw combat in Vietnam, and returned a decorated soldier. An avid reader, his dreams of being an acclaimed novelist came true. His desire to find love was fulfilled when he married brilliant executive Kathleen Atwater, the first female student accepted at Duke University's School of Engineering. The Petersons seemed the ideal academic couple- well-respected, prosperous, and happy.

All that came crashing down in December of 2001, when Kathleen apparently fell to her death in their secluded home in an exclusive area of Durham, North Carolina. But blood-spattered evidence and a missing fireplace poker suggested calculated, cold-blooded murder. Her trusted husband stood accused. 

In the vein of the classic The Wave and inspired by a real-life incident, this riveting novel explores discrimination and antisemitism and reveals their dangerous impact.

Senior year. When an assignment given by a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution, a euphemism used to describe the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people, Logan March and Cade Crawford are horrified. Their teacher cannot seriously expect anyone to complete an assignment that fuels intolerance and discrimination. Logan and Cade decide they must take a stand. As the school administration addressed the teens' refusal to participate in the appalling debate, the student body, their parents, and the larger community are forced to face the issue as well. The situation explodes, and acrimony and anger result. What does it take for tolerance, justice, and love to prevail?

Set against the violent backdrop of apartheid South Africa and then the calm of late-twentieth-century Britain, Another Woman’s Daughter (Shifting Colours) tells the tale of a little black girl, Miriam, who captures the heart of a childless white couple while her mother is working as a maid for them in the suburbs of Johannesburg. When the couple decides to leave South Africa following the Sharpeville uprising, they ask to adopt Miriam. The decision Miriam’s mother makes is one she makes out of love, but it is a decision which comes to haunt all the characters, the outcome so different from what was intended.

A powerful and affecting story of a mother and daughter separated by land, sea, and heartrending circumstance.

When I was fourteen, my extraordinary brother, Lawrence, was killed in a mountain climbing accident. That night I had an epiphany: Life is short. Dream big, even if it means taking risks. After graduating from high school, I set out on my own to do just that, taking me from North Carolina's Outer Banks to disco-era New York City and home again. 

Untethered is a candid memoir about a young woman’s quest to find hope and stability after a devastating loss. Ultimately, it’s about overcoming shame, embracing faith, and learning that taking risks—and failing—can lead to a bigger life than you've ever dared to imagine. 

First released in June 1960, Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, forever altered the landscape of horror films. But just as compelling as the movie itself is the story behind it, which was adapted as the 2012 movie starring Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock, Helen Mirren as his wife Alma Reville, and Scarlett Johansson. as Janet Leigh. Stephen Rebello brings to life the creation of one of Hollywood’s most iconic films, from the story of Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein, the real-life inspiration for the character of Norman Bates, to Hitchcock’s groundbreaking achievements in cinematography, sound, editing, and promotion.

Packed with captivating, firsthand insights from the film’s stars, writers, and crewmembers, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho has been hailed as “indispensable and marvelously readable,” “the bedrock on which all Psycho mansions are built,” and “a meticulous history of a single film production. It is a riveting and definitive history of a signature Hitchcock cinematic masterpiece."

Hitler in the Crosshairs is a true story of a courageous soldier who volunteered to lead a raid to take out Adolf Hitler in Munich in the closing days of World War II. It is also the true story of a German-led revolt against the Nazis that saved the city of Munich from the firestorm that destroyed Dresden.

Francis Hoyt, arrogant, athletic, brilliant, manipulative, ruthless is a master burglar who specializes in stealing high-end jewelry, breaking into homes that seem impenetrable while his victims are in the house. Although he did a stint in prison, he’s never been caught in the act. Recently retired Connecticut State investigator, Charlie Floyd, brilliant, and just as ruthless as Hoyt, teams up with Manny Perez, a strait-laced Cuban-American Miami police detective, in an effort to bring Hoyt to justice. Told in alternating chapters, Second Story Man is a cat-and-mouse thriller as the two lawmen are pitted against this master burglar. Having been compared to Michael Mann’s To Live and Die in L.A., Second Story Man won the Beverly Hills Book Award and was nominated for a Shamus Award and a David Award.

This book is for anyone who sees a glaring injustice or community-wide problem and feels like screaming, “there ought to be law!” but doesn’t know how to make it happen. Pat Libby makes the work of conducting a successful grassroots lobbying campaign seem relatively painless by sharing her easy-to-follow formula and pulling the curtain back on things we think we should know but don’t. The book is funny, relatable, and illustrated by a real-life example of people who successfully used her strategy to pass a law. For those who are passionate about creating change in their communities, cities, or states this book provides a simple recipe for making a difference.