A Reasonable Doubt

by Nancy Dane

A Reasonable Doubt is life during Reconstruction, an era when every southerner wore the oppressive yoke of Yankee invaders. In an attempt to throw off this yoke, ex-soldier Bill Tanner faces deadly peril and the injustice of a corrupt government. Along the way he encounters gentler invaders, a homeless widow named Abigail and her young son Jacob, who seek refuge on Bill’s land.
Woven into the tale is the true story of Sidney Wallace, a man known both as villain and hero in a place where carpetbaggers control politics, elections are rigged, and one small town in Arkansas becomes nationally known as Bloody Clarksville

309 pages, Paperback

First published July 11, 2014

About the author

Release Date October 15th 2024!
The Next Target

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWCK39XB
IAN 2025 BOOK OF THE YEAR WINNER!!!
Review: "The Next Target is a compelling work of fiction wrapped around the ugly, cutthroat world of Wall Street fraud, or more specifically, naked short selling. Author Nancy Dane pens a highly personal, emotional tale, using as a backdrop a pernicious type of stock market manipulation that captured headlines after the 2008 economic meltdown and again when the GameStop frenzy during the 2021 pandemic captured America’s interest. While readers will learn about the mechanics (and the consequences) of unchecked greed, the real story focuses on a father whose life work is destroyed by ruthless criminals, and his daughter who, along with a persistent journalist, seek the truth. Their journey takes them down twisting, increasingly dangerous paths that seem to lead to the highest levels of power in the nation’s Capital and beyond. Weaving both fact and fiction into a sordid tale of corruption and greed, the story is somehow simultaneously incredible and believable. The continual twists and turns will keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish."
Mark Faulk, author of The Naked Truth: Investing in the Stock Play of a Lifetime, and writer and field director of the documentary The Wall Street Conspiracy.

Hello, from Nancy! After 30 years of writing historical fiction, I’m excited to announce I headed in a new direction with a contemporary fiction. It was an excellent choice. I'm so thrilled to be an IAN 2025 BOOK OF THE YEAR WINNER!!!
Quoting one reader, “The Next Target is a fast-paced intriguing story that reads like today’s front page news!” I hope you will read it and leave a review. Nancy

Award winning author Nancy Dane writes historical fiction set in Arkansas. She has also compiled a Civil War history book titled Tattered Glory. Her four volume Civil War series for adults (titles Where the Road Begins, A Difference of Opinion, A long Way to Go, and An Enduring Union) won the 2011 Fiction Award presented by the Arkansas Library Association.
Ms. Dane has also published a reconstruction era novel, A Reasonable Doubt. And her first WWII home front novel, Jackson Loring. Other titles include Secrets, Smoke in the Hollows, and Deep Trouble.
She was a guest on the national radio show Talk America to discuss her Civil War novels for children. The books in the children's series are Sarah Campbell; tale of a Civil War orphan, William's Story, and A Boy Named David. The first book in the series, Sarah Campbell, is the recipient of the 2016 Amazon Reader's Favorite Award.

Ms. Dane and her husband of fifty-eight years reside in Johnson County, Arkansas. Along with research and writing, she tries to find time to spend with—as she calls them—her delightful dozen, her twelve grandchildren.

Reviews

[Bonnye Reed]

Netgalley
pub date March 10, 2020
St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books

[Greta Marlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a little torn about this book. I liked the fact that it was set during a time period one doesn't often see as a setting for stories - Reconstruction. I felt that I learned something from the story about how contentious that time period was and how, especially from the viewpoint of Southerners, difficult the process of being re-integrated into the union was, often because of conniving by men out to profit themselves. I learned about some local history, too, that I hadn't known anything about before.

I also enjoyed the development of the love story between the main characters. I liked the character of Bill from Dane's earlier work, so it was nice to see him starring in his own story and to have him find love. However, Bill's character was also one of the things that made me a little uneasy about the story. Honestly, I was a bit disturbed by Bill's attitude toward violence. The author explains in a forward that violence was a reality of life during that period of history in the South, and I appreciated that she stayed true to the history by keeping the violence real. What I didn't expect, though, was Bill's attitude toward the violence he commits. I won't say any more because it would require a spoiler or two, but I just couldn't identify with Bill once I saw the lengths he was willing to go to in committing violence. Maybe I should give him a break because of everything he would have experienced in the war, but I just don't feel the same about him as I once did.

Don't let my queasiness deter anyone from reading the book, though. It is a well-researched, action-packed story that shines some light on an important period of history that usually gets lost in the shadow of the war that came before.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Reasonable Doubt by Nancy Dane features some of the beloved characters of Ms. Dane's previous Tattered Glory novels. Bill Tanner, the protagonist in this work, is an ex-soldier in Reconstruction Arkansas. In this era when unscrupulous carpetbaggers control local government, Bill makes mortal enemies while trying to keep his land and his very life. Dane weaves in historical facts of the murder trial of a real historical figure named Sidney Wallace, who has become known in this region as either villain or hero. The tale includes an actual election that was so crooked, the U.S. Congress overturned it. To this volatile mix add a widow and her young son, along with her reprobate father-in-law, who have taken refuge on Bill's land by squatting in the deserted house he has just inherited. A story full of suspense, human drama, and enough romance to keep you guessing how the seemingly impossible obstacles will be overcome. All in all, a delightful read.

[57 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters in this book became better people when facing hard circumstances. I enjoyed reading this time period, the book was hard to put down.

I was given this book through Goodreads, thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it.