Death Row Defender

A legal thriller set in Clearwater, Florida. It has been five years since Jon Clayton was convicted of the rape and execution style murder of Donella Nash. It is springtime in an election year and, as part of the Governor's war on crime, Jon Clayton is scheduled to be executed in October. Clayton still swears he is innocent, but he had a record of violence and the bullet found in Nash's head came from his pistol. Woody Thomas, an ex-Public Defender, is appointed by the court to pursue Clayton's final appeal. Woody relives the trial through the transcripts, then locates and questions the witnesses. The case looks solid, but federal agents begin to follow him, local police try to frame him, and someone is trying to kill him. As Woody's troubles mount, the murder case begins to fall apart and the Governor signs Clayton's death warrant--five months early. [Maryland Writers Assn Novel Contest Winner; Authorlink New Author Contest Winner]