From debut author John Macleod comes an edge-of-your-seat murder mystery set in the rural South with strong women, skilled lawyers, and twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end. When a Washington lawyer is found savagely mutilated and murdered in his vacation home in the Virginia woods, Sam Picken and Jessie Macaulay, lifelong friends, are forced to confront the childhood they left behind in West Virginia coal country. It seems like an open-and-shut case, but a key piece of evidence leads Sam and Jessie down different paths as the childhood friends seek to identify the killer. Their friendship is battered as the secrets revealed during the murder investigation point to disturbing conclusions that are too damning to be shared, even with each other. Justice Hill is a spellbinding thriller featuring a brutal murder and struggling heroes torn between love and duty, truth and lies . . . "An exceptional legal thriller, deftly written and full of gritty, fascinating details. The bizarre nature of the murder leads to startling revelations and a wholly unexpected conclusion. Highly recommended." - Marcia Trahan, award-winning author of " Mercy: A Memoir of Medical Trauma and True Crime Obsession" "A brisk tale with intriguing clues, surprising twists, detestable villains, compromised heroes, and enduring friendships." - Chuck Rosenberg, former US Attorney, senior FBI official, and DEA administrator "A delightfully atypical murder mystery that takes the investigation of a crime deep into a captivating tale of lifelong friendships entwined together in love, jealousy, deception, trust, family, and faithfulness. Quite simply, mesmerizing." - Christopher Rosow, best-selling author of False Assurances and Threat Bias "Kudos to John Macleod from a prolific reader of mysteries. I welcome him to the select ranks of very promising mystery writers. Mr. Macleod is a very good story teller." - Lon Bouknight, Past Chair of Steptoe & Johnson, LLP " Must read: A thrilling ride. The ending is full of jaw-dropping surprises. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys legal thrillers, mysteries, and stories of complex relationships that test your moral compass."- Reedsy Discovery ( Gail Kaufman) Justice Hill was my first effort at fiction. It followed 47 years as a lawyer, then a memoir, and then a collection of essays and some poetry. Writing fiction, in this case a mystery/legal thriller, is harder than I thought it would be. It is the art of creating a puzzle and solving it, but slowly, thoughtfully, with a dodge here, a feint there, and some moral complexity to keep things interesting. The story must have integrity. The pieces must fit together so the reader, at the end, can look back at the crumbs that marked the path and say "oh yes, I see." Some writers develop the plot and characters at the outset. I just jumped in and started writing, figuring it out as I went along, reasoning that if I didn't know where I was going, the reader wouldn't either. I was excited to learn how it all turned out, and I hope readers will feel the same way.