The Rural Lives of Nice Girls
No Charity in the Wilderness

The Silver State

When a public defender receives a letter from a client on death row, he is forced to reexamine his role in the murder case he cannot shake; a gripping and thought-provoking legal thriller that redefines the genre–by critically acclaimed writer and criminal defense attorney

What if justice isn’t something the legal system is truly capable of?

Law school graduate Santi Elcano’s idealism is wearing away by the cases and clients he’s assigned. When a young mother, Anna Weston, is brutally murdered and her body is found near Reno’s infamous silver mines, Santi and his mentor in the public defender’s office, C.J., are tasked with defending Michael Atwood, a man arrested for Anna’s murder on scant physical evidence.

Eight years later, a shocking letter from Atwood–now on death row–forces Santi to reexamine his role in the case. At the time, public obsession with Anna’s disappearance and intense pressure on the police to make an arrest led to a rushed trial. As they investigated the case, Santi and C.J. became increasingly convinced they were defending an innocent man. Now, a horrific discovery leads Santi to reconsider everything he once believed, and all that it has cost him–love, family, and friendship.

Illuminating the deals that get cut in the name of justice, The Silver State explores the murkiness between victim and perpetrator, and the cost of a life in the law. Turning the legal thriller on its head, Urza tells an electrifying, emotionally charged tale of systemic failure and moral ambiguity that asks: What if justice isn’t something the legal system is truly capable of? For readers of Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent and Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy.”

More Non-Juvenile Books

  • The Tradition explores cultural threats on black bodies, resistance, and the interplay of desire and privilege in a dangerous era.

  • Louise Glück's poetry questions, explores, and finally celebrates the ordeal of being alive.

  • The Women tells the story of Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a twenty-year-old nursing student who joins the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. As she navigates the chaos and destruction of war, Frankie discovers her own strength and idealism, ultimately facing the challenges of returning to a divided America. This novel illuminates the sacrifices of women in service and their enduring impact on history.

    Read More about "The Women"...