What Seems True


Fiction - Crime
238 Pages
Reviewed on 01/22/2022
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

What Seems True by James Garrison is a crime story based on real-life events. The Texas Rangers are called in to investigate a murder at the Texas Gulf Coast Refinery. It’s 1980, and the company has employed its first black supervisor but when his body is found behind an old drive-in theater, the finger of suspicion is pointed at two company employees. Dan Esperson, the company attorney, is pulled into the investigation and things begin to get messy. As the company union calls a strike, Esperson begins to uncover secrets surrounding racial conflict and deception and when two employees are arrested, a married couple, even more secrets come tumbling out. One person confesses that their partner murdered the supervisor but swears they will never testify but when lack of evidence leads to the murderer being released, Dan has to watch his back – he may be the next victim.

What Seems True by Jim Garrison is based on the true story of a murder in 1979 and is told from the perspective of Dan Esperson, the company attorney. While it isn’t a thriller or a high-octane murder mystery story, it is steady with plenty of action, deception, suspense, and intrigue, not to mention the racial conflict. As the lies and the secrets are laid bare, the plot becomes complex with plenty of twists and turns and surprising events. The fact that the author was once an oil company attorney shows in the depth of detail provided in the story and makes it even more believable – many fictional stories based on true events don’t have that air of reality. The characters are sharp and well-developed, real people that you become invested in as you read, particularly the main protagonist. All in all, this is a well-rounded story with interesting characters and a decent plot; a must-read for all fans of true and fictional crime.