Almost a Murder

“ALMOST A MURDER” is a nonfiction novel of literary realism.

It is a starkly honest portrayal of a cub lawyer accepting a case no one else will touch in an attempt to cope with his recent grief and entrenched reflex of inferiority. He is up against powerful financial, social and political pressures in this epic legal battle.

Tension builds during the three trials that comprise this case: police procedures, crime scene investigations, legal jostling, and the defendant's relationship with the victim. “ALMOST A MURDER” is fraught with emotion and unflinching in its portrayal of abuse of power, human frailty and depicting the hypocrisy of "civilized" society turning away from the unincorporated because they do not warrant notice.

No doubt the authors can construct a compelling story, but it is the flesh-and-blood characters, the dead-on dialects, and the searing honesty that brings this story to life.

In a REAL-LIFE COURTROOM LEGAL DRAMA, “ALMOST A MURDER”, authors Jody Seay and Jim Lloyd recount how a wealthy “Son of Oklahoma” is slain by his delicate foreign wife. To police, the brutal facts are clear: she cracked his skull with a bat, shot him twice, she strangled him, dumped his body; lied repeatedly and then, when cornered, she confessed. Everyone believes it’s going to be a slam-dunk murder trial and a quick trip to lethal injection. 

But cub lawyer, Lloyd, reluctantly comes to her defense in this completely lopsided contest. He puts his family and future in jeopardy to defend a killer with no friends, no money, and who barely speaks English. Together the defendant and Jim stand against powerful political and financial forces in an epic battle between retribution and truth in the Oklahoma legal system. Ultimately this TRUE CRIME THRILLER is one of the most studied legal clashes in US law today. 

Written by an award-winning author and the lawyer who defended this case, “ALMOST A MURDER”, showcases their stunning ability to capture pivotal moments and to reveal vulnerability. This provides readers an unparalleled “you are there” view of the headline-making trial with personalities on display. And the regional tone is captured perfectly. It's a sensational battle... drama, humanity, moral dilemma and, yes, even painful self-examination as it happened in this great Oklahoma courtroom.