True crime is a wildly popular subject. From podcasts to documentaries to books, it seems we cannot get enough of this genre. In the preface to her new book, Marcia Clark acknowledges her conflict in contributing to the true crime glut. And as a well-known criminal lawyer (not to mention the author of several legal thrillers), she felt that she has been neck-deep in true crime for most of her life.

Still, Clark came to be fascinated with the case of Barbara Graham --- not so much because of the crimes she was accused of, but because of the trial in which she was found guilty and how the media and the public responded to her appearance and demeanor. After a few years of research and writing, Clark has published her examination of the case in TRIAL BY AMBUSH.

"TRIAL BY AMBUSH is a sad story and an example of justice frustrated. Marcia Clark does a great job presenting the nuances and facts of the case in this interesting and compelling read."

Barbara Graham was born in 1923 to 17-year-old Hortense Ford but didn’t know who her father was. Hortense never cared for or took care of Barbara, and she and her little sister were often sent to live with friends and family members. At 19, Hortense was sent to an institution for “wayward” girls, the same place Barbara would find herself years later. Though she briefly enjoyed the stability of a stepfather, Barbara’s childhood was tumultuous and full of abuse and neglect. It is no wonder that as a young woman she found herself rootless, addicted and engaged in petty crime. Still, her involvement in the murder of Mabel Monahan in 1953 seemed wildly out of character.

Monahan was rumored to have large amounts of cash and jewelry in her home, and Barbara was the bait to get her to open the door, allowing a group of men to rush inside and rob her. Chaos ensued, and Monahan was beaten and strangled, dying on the floor. Soon, one of the men went missing and was presumed dead. Another turned state’s evidence in exchange for immunity, claiming that Barbara beat Monahan with a gun.

Clark doesn’t doubt that Barbara was part of the robbery scheme and notes that, per the law, she was responsible for Monahan’s death as part of the break-in. But the legalities --- or lack thereof --- of the prosecutorial process, as well as the judgments and accusations of the media, essentially marched Barbara to a death sentence. Using letters, court transcripts, legal notes, newspaper articles, books and film versions of the events, Clark analyzes the court case and demonstrates both the corruption and the misogyny that Barbara faced as she hoped that her lawyers could save her life. Much of what was done during her trial would be illegal today, but even in the early 1950s, a lot of it was unethical.

Clark is a good guide through the nuance of the process, explaining it all clearly and with a tone that is both conversational and informative. The way that Barbara Graham was treated by the journalists reporting on the crime, the trial and her incarceration will seem all too familiar to people today. Her looks, her attitude, her clothing, and even her relationships with her children and with men were all fodder for respected publications and tabloids alike. Suffice to say that what was written about her was brutally judgmental, often inaccurate, and terribly unfair and sexist.

TRIAL BY AMBUSH is a sad story and an example of justice frustrated. Marcia Clark does a great job presenting the nuances and facts of the case in this interesting and compelling read.