Editorial Content for Blood Money
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On July 5, 2011, Casey Anthony was found not guilty in the death of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. The trial lasted six weeks and had the nation riveted. The court of public opinion would have seen Casey pronounced guilty and most likely subjected to the death penalty. However, as seen with the O.J. Simpson courtroom spectacle, justice does not always prevail in these high-profile cases. With his latest release, BLOOD MONEY, author and trial lawyer James Grippando has fashioned a fictional story ripped directly from the headlines. Additionally, the plot is strongly influenced by the events and aftermath of the infamous Casey Anthony trial.
"BLOOD MONEY grabs the reader by the jugular and never lets up. It proposes a hugely entertaining 'what if' scenario that deftly blends public sentiment, media and real-life events into a fast-paced novel that may be the best installment of the Swyteck series to date."
In this tale, Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck is defending cocktail waitress Sydney Bennett, who has been accused of murdering her two-year-old child. Her hard partying and impersonal attitude towards the proceedings have found her dubbed the “Shot Mom” by the opposing attorney. This sentiment has been picked up by the throngs of anti-Sydney protesters as well as the constant coverage from BNN (Breaking News Network), which is providing around-the-clock updates on the trial.
Once Sydney, like Casey Anthony, is found not guilty, everything turns crazy. Threats are made, and much of the nation is shocked and angry. Swyteck must find a way to safely get his client away from the courthouse and prison through an angry mob calling for her head. In an act of profane vigilantism, a college student named Celeste Laramore, who resembles the defendant, is attacked outside the courthouse and ends up in a coma.
With all of the anti-Sydney sentiment that is coming down upon Swyteck and his firm, he is unsure of what to do to spin himself out of the spotlight. Those who are against him feel that any notoriety or income he makes as a result of the case is literally blood money earned at the expense of a dead two-year-old.
Swyteck is immediately faced with two dilemmas. The first is when the parents of the comatose teen hire him to represent them in a lawsuit against both the courthouse and BNN --- which they dually claim as being responsible for their daughter’s condition. The second issue is the fact that the person behind the Laramore attack is attempting to blackmail Swyteck into giving up Sydney’s hideout. If Swyteck does not comply, he and those close to him are threatened with violence. Making matters worse, BNN and their attorneys are countersuing Swyteck and seeking to overturn the not guilty verdict as they turn up evidence that the jury foreman may have been bribed to deliver the controversial decision
With two cases pending in the wake of the Bennett trial, Swyteck is under the gun and in serious danger without any way of knowing where the real threat is coming from or who may be behind it. BLOOD MONEY grabs the reader by the jugular and never lets up. It proposes a hugely entertaining “what if” scenario that deftly blends public sentiment, media and real-life events into a fast-paced novel that may be the best installment of the Swyteck series to date.
Teaser
When a jury finds Sydney Bennett not guilty of killing her two-year-old daughter, the public is shocked. A mob gathers outside of the jail on the night of Sydney's release, and an innocent young woman resembling Sydney ends up in a coma. The victim's parents ask defense attorney Jack Swyteck for help because they are sure the attack was not an accident. In searching for the truth, Jack makes a frightening discovery.
Promo
When a jury finds Sydney Bennett not guilty of killing her two-year-old daughter, the public is shocked. A mob gathers outside of the jail on the night of Sydney's release, and an innocent young woman resembling Sydney ends up in a coma. The victim's parents ask defense attorney Jack Swyteck for help because they are sure the attack was not an accident. In searching for the truth, Jack makes a frightening discovery.
About the Book
New York Times bestselling author James Grippando delivers a powerful, nonstop thrill ride ripped from the headlines. Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck is back in his most frightening case yet, and this time the price of victory is measured in blood.
It is the most sensational murder trial since O. J. Simpson's. The nation is obsessed with Sydney Bennett, a sexy nightclub waitress and good-time girl accused of murdering her two-year-old daughter for cramping her party life. When he had agreed to defend Sydney, Jack Swyteck knew he'd be taking on the toughest and most controversial case of his career.
Millions of "TV jurors" have convicted Sydney in the court of public opinion.
When the shocking verdict of not guilty is announced, citizens across the country are outraged, and Jack is bombarded by the fallout: angry, profanity-laced phone calls and even outright threats. Media-fed rumors of "blood money" --- purported seven-figure book and movie deals --- ratchet up the hysteria, putting Jack's client and everyone around her at risk.
On the night of Sydney's release, an angry mob outside the jail has gathered to serve its own justice. In the frenzy, an innocent young woman bearing a striking resemblance to the reviled Sydney Bennett ends up in a coma. While the media blame Jack and his defense team, the victim's parents reach out to him, requesting his help. They don't believe the attack was the tragic result of random mob violence.
Searching for the truth about what happened that night, Jack makes a frightening discovery. Larger and much more powerful forces are working in the shadows, and what happened outside the jail is a symptom of an evil that infected the show-stopping trial and media-spun phenomenon of Sydney Bennett.
