"She wanted the truth. They wanted her dead". Since her first day on the Miami Herald, rookie reporter Deborah Jones has been agitating for a shot at one particular story. William Craig is on Death Row, convicted of killing Senator Jack O'Neill's only son. There is no question of his guilt. Craig murdered the young man who was acquitted of raping his granddaughter. There are only five weeks and one day until his execution. And Craig has not given a single interview. Deborah Jones has assembled a whole dossier on the case, including court transcripts and every newspaper clipping. She wants to know what prompted Craig to exact revenge. And she has her own, very personal reasons for wishing to uncover the truth. Managing editor of the Herald Sam Goldberg is well aware that Senator O'Neill has powerful friends. The two men have crossed swords on a number of occasions. But against his better judgement, he decides to give Deborah a chance to prove herself. Only with one warning - 'Be careful. Florida may be the Sunshine State to most people. But it's not. It's a swamp. Don't ever forget that.'
J.B. Turner is the bestselling author of the Jon Reznick thriller series. His next book, HARD SHADOWS (Thomas and Mercer), is published on 30 June 2026. He is a former journalist. His books have sold more than three million copies. He also wrote the American Ghost black-ops series and the Deborah Jones crime series. He has a keen interest in geo-politics. And he loves music. Everything from Beethoven to The Beatles, The Cure to Bach. And everything in between. He loves films. Well, good ones. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Heat, The Godfather, The Offence, The Parallax View, Silver Linings Playbook, The Banshees of Inisherin, The Gray Man, The French Connection, Payback, It’s a Wonderful Life, Manhattan, Sideways, Annie Hall, Hell or High Water. TV shows he has enjoyed include: The Terminal List, The Kominsky Method, The Morning Show, Succession, Call My Agent!, Your Honor, The Undoing, Patrick Melrose, Colony, Bloodline, Mare of Easttown, Dead to Me, Fleishman is in Trouble, The Mosquito Coast and After Life. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is married with two children.
Literary Agent: Mitch Hoffman, The Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency, New York.
Film/TV: Rich Green, The Gotham Group, Los Angeles.
The first third of the book seemed like an interesting plot might evolve - but I was disappointed. There was absolutely no investigative skills that the protagonist displayed - everyone just came through and gave her information. Someone brought her bank records, someone else gave her some biographical information about the victim, someone else sent her video evidence.
There were no thrills. At one point, she is kidnapped - the kidnapping scene ends in a half-paragraph. Her interrogation and horror when captured are similarly wrapped up in a paragraph or two. Her rescue happens "off-camera" as well. We're just told that she was rescued. Towards the end there are like fifteen paragraphs or so dedicated to her wandering on the beach. That's about as thrilling as the book gets.
This book by Turner is a good mystery, thriller. The main character is a female, a black female who is trying to make her way in the world. As a reporter she works very hard to figure out why a grandfather of a girl who was raped is on death row and was apparently railroaded to that decision. She makes waves and finds information important to the trial. Enjoyed it.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" "To Whom It May Concern" and "Tell Me About the United Methodist Church"
This was an exceptionally well done thriller. It is 2002 and a man is on death row in Florida for the admitted murder of a Senator’s son who had raped his granddaughter. He is scheduled for execution in the near future and a young African-American female reporter is assigned the story. Deborah Jones, the reporter, is also a recovering rape victim and has been trying to work on this story since her hire at the Miami Herald. It is a tale of politics, gangsters, stubbornness and, ultimately, victory but how this is all achieved is the best part. It is well written and will grab the reader’s interest from the onset. Thanks to the author and No Way Back Press for an e-Galley for an honest review.
Miami Herald reporter, Deborah Jones is a rookie, new to journalism yet brimming with single minded determination to pursue the truth and provide it to the newspapers readership. Her first ‘real’ assignment, one more of her own violation than an order from her superiors, sees her traverse to a correctional facility to visit William Craig, a death-row inmate waiting out his last days in a cramped cell for the murder of a Senators son of which he accused of raping his granddaughter eleven years ago.
As she investigates the allegation, the wounds of Deborah’s past are reopened , splashed across her workplace serving as a nightmarish reminder that what’s done can never be undone regardless of time.
Senator O’Neil’s son may be dead but the ramifications of his actions live long. Craig’s granddaughter, Deborah Jones, and others are directly impacted by that horrific event eleven years ago. Only this time round, it’s the Senator’s questionable relationship with a mob boss and his unlawful friend’s desire to keep a lid on their secret deals and murderous intentions.
I’ve read other reviews which liken J.B. Turner’s work to James Patterson. Whilst it has the same mainstream allure, it doesn’t encapsulate the McBook rush-to-print, two dimensional feel of Patterson’s newer works. MIAMI REQUIEM is character centric, well plotted and paced, with an engaging cast thrust into believable circumstances. I’m surprised this book isn’t published by one of the major crime imprints as I see it appealing to the well seasoned and occasional reader alike.
I plowed through "Miami Requiem" and its sequel "Dark Waters" so fast during the early days of the pandemic, I forgot about reviewing them. Like a lot of people, I had time on my hands and not much else. I spent maybe a day on each. Author J.B. Turner is a pro. His words are never wasted, and his stories start with a scene-setting ignition and take off. A reader just has to sit back and enjoy all that g-force. Certainly a Jon Reznick story shoves me back in my chair like I'm accelerating in a car I only have watched on television. And American Ghost is the same. Only in a different way. Likewise, an outing with Deborah Jones, the protagonist of "Miami Requiem," is cut from a similar bolt of industrial strength cloth. But Jones is different. For one, she's a cub reporter at a big paper. And two, she doesn't carry a gun or exude that muy machismo known by readers of mystery thrillers to be the perfect ingredient for retribution against seriously base dirtbags. She's got a pen, paper and recorder. Her weapon is her readers. I would assume this is a departure for Turner. He alters his approach to uncovering injustice. Jones convinces her boss to let her interview a man on death row. He's due to face the executioner, and Jones believes he's got something to say. She also believes the case against him has holes. That there's more to the man soon to eat his final meal. The story takes her into layer after layer of deceit. The investigation leads Jones into danger almost immediately, and she grabs hold of the story vowing not to let go. It's good stuff, and Turner's description of reporting, although not exactly the level of danger I'm familiar with, rings true. All I ever did was get threatened by a group of really pissed off commercial fishermen outside a regulatory meeting.
This is an excellent story,of one person's fight for justice! I didn't know what to expect when started this book,but what a ride it was! All the characters are well explained,with many ups and downs as a young journalist tries to uncover a story surrounding a man on death row. There is never a stop to things happening,I feel breathless after finishing! I truly recommend this book to mystery lovers,or people who just like a good story,this is it...
This is a story of a young reporter with a Miami newspaper whose interest in a death row inmate leads her into the dark world of politics and cover ups. A senator, a congressman, police chief, a dodgy trial and undisclosed information about the victim. This has all been done before, and there really isn't anything new here. However if you like your crime fiction formulaic, dependable and well written, you will enjoy this. An easy read a solid 3 stars.
Bring your hip waders because you're going to need them for all the Leftie tripe and politically correct tropes. They're all here. Although the US senator villain being a Dem was surprising. As were the two shots at Hillary and the Clintons.
Story and premise are implausible and seem to only exist to service the aforementioned politics.
This book started off really well and I had good hopes for it, however, the ending was ok if a little predictable but the middle was just down right boring. I expected more from grit from a thriller, more to sink my teeth into but it was simply in the long run boring.
Fabulous thriller! Deborah asked for the assignment to interview a man on death row who'd killed the man who raped his granddaughter and got off because the rapist was the only son of a Florida senator. She had to prove that the trial was fixed before this good man was executed.
I enjoyed this book probably more so since I had just visited south Florida area and was familiar with names and places. It is a suspenseful, convincing read and reminded of Edna Buchanan's early thrillers centered in Miami
If only the good would prevail. As individual who firmly believes in God's commandments this was a feel good story, but unfortunately does not always happen.
This book was a pleasure to read. It was a good story, well told, building tension step by step, and balancing those elements with strong characters and good character development.
The story centres around Deborah Jones, a young, ambitious journalist, who convinces her editor, Sam Goldberg, to allow her to pursue the story of a death row inmate, William Craig, who is due to be executed within a matter of weeks.
Joe O’Neill, a prominent senator’s son, had raped the Craig’s granddaughter but was acquitted at trial because of irregularities in the investigation. After tormenting her for months, O’Neill was killed by Craig, who then called the police and allowed himself to be arrested.
Deborah interviews a reluctant Craig, wanting to find the human element, the truth hidden within the actions of the condemned man. Wanting to know more, she interviews his granddaughter, and following on from the interest generated by the resulting article, she is approached by a high-profile actress, Rachel Harvey, who admits that she knew Joe O’Neill, and that she too had been raped by him.
When Rachel Harvey’s body is found only a few hours later, apparently having committed suicide, Deborah’s newspaper runs the interview article, and the investigation begins to take on a much darker tone as she begins to uncover more than she bargained for - murky politics, questionable business connections, scandals and cover-ups. And to make matters worse, the trauma that has been festering below the surface of her own life for so many years is exposed once again.
This book had a slow start, but once the groundwork was done, the story took off. It went to some very unpleasant places, but the author’s handling of it felt very safe and it remained a good read throughout.
I am unfamiliar with the intricacies and nuances of US politics, but I do have to admit that I found myself questioning the author’s motivation in some of the characterisations and ideologies. At times, I wondered whether this was, at best, a commentary on the Democrat and liberal fronts, and at worst, an anti-Democrat polemic. And yet, the author dealt with the issue of race deliberately and with care, without (to my mind) resorting to clichés so that the story remained gripping and the anchoring of the fictional narrative within the actual events of that time period (2002) was fascinating.
I really enjoyed this story. The moral dilemmas posed by the situations presented were immense, and it was interesting to see how the author took the characters through those situations and what decisions they made. It did make for uncomfortable reading at times, and although it did have some satisfying moments, there remained the worm of doubt over the validity of some of the resolutions. But this is what literature is meant to do for us - to provoke us to think about the dilemmas that the world throws at us, and what are the options and results when we deal with those dilemmas.
Mr Turner has written a second book, “Dark Waters” which follows journalist Deborah Jones as she investigates another story. He has also written a series of action thrillers about a ‘black ops’ special operative, Jon Reznick, and a new political intrigue action series, American Ghost, about an ex-CIA operative turned covert assassin, Nathan Stone.
1991, William Craig (71, “Butcher of South Beach”) now awaits on Death Row. He was convicted of killing Joseph “Joe” O'Neill (Jack’s son). Deborah Jones (Miami Herald reporter, Berkeley) was headed for New River Correctional Institution (0 Unit) to interview William (82).
Harold Erhert was the warden. What did Deborah go see about Jenny Forbes (William’s granddaughter)? What did Deborah find out from Maria Gonzalez (Jack’s maid)? Willard Office Building (Pennsylvania Ave). Anthony “Tony” Stone (Jack’s attorney, Sr. partner, Stone, Finkelstein & Black law firm) & Senator Jack O'Neill (father, Senate Intelligence Committee) were discussing his current business ventures & other matters the Miami Herald headlines read. Deborah’s next stop to see Mrs. Rose O’Neill (wife/mother). 11/4/2002, William was eating his last meal. Tallahassee, FL. Governor Wilkinson was live on the TV media.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written political thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great political thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; No Way Back Press; 1st. edition; EBookDaily; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
"Miami Requiem" by J.B. Turner is a pulse-pounding thriller that will keep readers hooked from the first page until the very end. With its atmospheric setting, intricate plot, and relentless suspense, this book showcases J.B. Turner's mastery of the genre. One of the standout aspects of "Miami Requiem" is the richly depicted setting. Turner's vivid descriptions bring Miami to life, immersing readers in the city's unique atmosphere and culture. The attention to detail is remarkable, making the story feel authentic and adding a layer of depth to the narrative. Jon Reznick is complex, with a fascinating backstory and a strong sense of justice. His determination, resourcefulness, and internal struggles make him a captivating and relatable hero. Turner's writing style is tight and engaging, with a seamless flow that propels the story forward. The pacing is fast with short, punchy chapters that create a sense of urgency. The author's ability to build suspense and maintain a high level of tension throughout the narrative is exceptional, ensuring that readers will find it difficult to put the book down. Furthermore, "Miami Requiem" delves into relevant and thought-provoking themes, such as terrorism, corruption, and the cost of justice. The story raises ethical questions and explores the grey areas of morality, adding depth and complexity to the plot. In conclusion, "Miami Requiem" is a gripping and adrenaline-fueled thriller that showcases J.B. Turner's talent for storytelling. With its engrossing plot, well-drawn characters, and expertly executed suspense, this book is a must-read for fans of the genre. If you're looking for a captivating and action-packed read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, "Miami Requiem" delivers an unforgettable experience.
I wouldn’t normally read a book with a plot centered on rape, however, the story is told primarily from a woman’s perspective. I was also intrigued by the blurb, title, and Miami setting. Protagonist Deborah Jones is a smart, young African-American reporter whose own traumatic past drives her to expose the truth about the sham of a trial for a death-row inmate. Deborah is a refreshingly unique character. Kudos to author J.B. Turner, whose age, gender, and ethnic background are quite different from Deborah’s.
As you can imagine, the author places plenty of realistic obstacles in Deborah’s way as she tries to bring to light the story of William Craig, a former Scottish police officer and decorated WWII hero, who’s about to be executed for killing a senator’s son, the man who raped Craig’s granddaughter. Senator O’Neill will do anything to ensure that the execution happens, by using law enforcement, politicians, and the mob. It makes this a contemporary David and Goliath story that transcends issue of race and victimization.
Given America’s political climate, this is a timely story about buried truths and the political will of people who’ll do anything to get their way. I definitely recommend this suspenseful page-turner.
First, let me say, I didn’t read the whole book. I gave up after the first couple chapters. I read the author’s Reznick books and found them to be great mind candy. I’m looking forward to the next book coming out later this year. Unfortunately, this book appears to be wildly different.
I’m tired of the main stream, politically correct, tired and tedious portrayal of Americans that are not liberal (aka, writers/journalists) as backwoods racists. I don’t know the author’s politics but this story leads me to believe he falls in line with the rest of pop culture: everyone wants to be a writer; The South is evil and white men suck; black people are victims and it’s the white man’s fault.
I wish I could have read the whole book. But I don’t have the time or the inclination to subject myself to more mainstream bias and brain dead leftist drivel.
This book leaves me with a familiar and nagging question: why do so many writers subscribe to group think while believing they are unique?
If you think you would like to read a book from the left of John Grisham, buy this one.
Found this new author (to me) in Kindle Unlimited and quickly downloaded another from another of Turner's series. Miami Requiem is the first of two of his Deborah Jones, Crime Thrillers collection. Deborah Jones is a young African American newspaper journalist who is still struggling with a traumatic experience which has resulted in her losing a romantic relationship with her college sweetheart. She becomes very interested in helping a man get freed from being executed for killing the man who raped his granddaughter. The man got off scot-free for the raping and the grandfather had confessed and is now a short time away from being executed. Deborah is not only a newspaper on the case but she is also emotionally involved in getting the grandfather freed from execution. Turner has strong and interesting characters and I know I'll be looking to read more of his series. I recommend him to those who like fast-moving, strong plots with excitement and sometimes edge-of-the-chair action!
After reading and listening to several other books by JB Turner I can't believe this book was written by the same writer.
Hard Road, the first book about Jon Reznick was a book that kept me up at night. It was difficult to go to sleep because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
I almost gave up on this book and that hardly ever happens.
Deborah Jones had been raped in the past. She doesn't drink anymore but that seems to be her only precaution. She is going to dangerous places, she leaves her FBI protection behind, she has been threatened and attacked but she just keeps going. That was not believable to me. I can understand that she really wanted to help Craig but why wasn't she more careful? She could have been killed several times and if she was dead, who would help Craig? Deborah didn't do much work herself, she got help from a lot of other people.
I look forward to read/listen to more books about Jon Reznick and Nathan Stone, this was my one and only Deborah Jones book.
I really enjoyed this book. It ripped along at a steady pace and the characters were very well drawn indeed. There were so many twists and turns in this contemporary tale of sex, love and politics. I was immediately engaged with the reporter at the heart of the story and was willing her to beat the heartless cruel Mafia connected bad guys for whom life was cheap as long as it was someone else's life. Their own was obviously sacrosanct for these hideously two-faced hypocrites. So topical and typical maybe of what we believe politicians and their 'friends' are up to and feeds my instinct as a 'conspiracy theorist'. I have downloaded the next book in the series already with great anticipation.
I absolutely inhaled this book. Once I started reading it it was impossible to put down. You are dragged into this book from the first page and it doesn't let you go till you have read the last page. The characters , the storyline , the twists and turns makes for a compelling read, ( great for your holiday) . I have been disappointed up till now about crime fiction , my favourite author Colin Forbes died and no one seemed to match his capacity for telling a story.....but it looks like I have just found another great storyteller, I have the next book by this author so will let you know. Thank you Mr Turner for a brilliant book.
This was a spellbinding mystery written to be a page turner. The main character Deborah Jones is trying to make her way into the publishing world by investigating sex crimes, especially focused on the son of a high profile politician who raped a yong girl. The girls grandfather killed the rapist and was sentenced to life in prison. Jones doesn't believe the man should be executed and tries to investigate the charges that the trail against the rapist was fixed to get him off. This is a scary type of thriller and Jones finds herself in some very dangerous situations.
This book introduces Deborah Jones, a reporter on the Miami Herald paper. She was working as a feature reporter when she became involved with the story of a man who was on death row at Raiford Prison for killing a rapist who had raped his granddaughter. She was drawn into his story as a result of her having been raped in her college days. This book is a true page-turner, that is hard to put down. There is plenty of action to keep you involved. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
I've read 4 J B Turner books previously and was hooked into each of them I looked forward to reading this and was not disappointed, but this one came from a totally different angle than the others brilliantly written the characters are amazing the storyline breathtaking even to the end I was asking myself is there to be twist absolutely brilliant book 5 star rating easily anything less would be an injustice
Inspirational on so many levels. J.B.Turner grabs hold of his audience and doesn't let go until the last page
Just like the heroine in his story Mr Turner is single minded to achieve his goal. He entertains us with good versus evil, the have and have-nots, those willing to accept their lot in life and those who finally find the hero in themselves and put it on the line for something bigger than all of us. The color of one's skin or the amount of money in your bank account does not protect or deny anyone from the greater meaning of life. An overall phenomenal read!
I had high hopes but this book just didn't cut it for me. The main character, Deborah, was wishy washy and the writing never seemed to show her journalist instinct or nose for a story. The other characters had more going for them - the Senator, the wife, the Editor etc etc. I felt more suspense could have been added, and the only page-turners were near the end, but then it was all rushed. Very disappointed.
Strength is strength no matter where you find it-even in a female cub reporter. The main character was easy to like,admire even. Not used to feeling so drawn towards a female protagonist as I was to this one. The author was careful not to delve into the easy usual cliches for femine hero’s frailties,keeping her above the traps she could have fallen in,and keeping the story cleaner and more realistic. A good read indeed!
Really enjoyed this book from start to finish. Deborah Jones is just a reporter for a large paper in Miami when she gets the opportunity to look into the murder of a young man and the person who murdered him. All is not as it appears and along the way she is out in serious danger and people around her are killed and threatened. Found I could not put it down and look forward to the next book in this series.