Words Kill

by David Myles Robinson Narrated by David Doersch

Overview

Famed reporter Russell Blaze is dead. It appears to be an accident, but after Russ's funeral, his son, Cody, finds a letter in which his father explains that the death may have been murder. It directs Cody to Russ's unfinished memoir for clues as to what may have happened. The opening words are: On the night of October 26, 1968, I uttered a sentence that would haunt me for the rest of my life. The sentence was, “Someone should kill that motherfucker.”

As Cody delves into the memoir, a window opens into a tragic past and thrusts the still-burning embers of another time's radical violence into the political reality of the present. History that once seemed far away become a deeply personal immersion for Cody into the storied heyday of the Haight: drugs, sex, war protesters, right-wing militias, ground-breaking journalism-and the mysterious Gloria, who wanders into his father's pad one day to just “crash here for a while until things calm down.”

Cody discovers aspects of his father's life he never knew, and slowly begins to understand the significance of those words his father spoke in 1968.

Words Kill is a story of loss, violence, and racism; love, hate, and discovery. It is a story of then . . . and now.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"A hauntingly riveting tale in a uniquely engaging style. Highly recommended!" — Kevin G. Chapman, author of The Mike Stoneman Thriller Series.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176095432
Publisher:	Terra Nova Books
Publication date:	10/15/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

Cody worked in his office in downtown San Francisco all the next morning. But by lunchtime, he couldn't stand it anymore. He told his secretary he'd be unavailable the rest of the afternoon but would be back to work in the morning. Then he drove to Berkeley.

Mary's face registered surprise when she opened the door. “Hey. I thought we were going to talk on the phone. But I'm glad you're here. James just called. He said he was on his way over. He didn't tell me anything.”

They moved into the house and automatically went to the kitchen. Cody sat at the Formica table while Mary busied herself making coffee. They had just taken their first sips
when there was a knock on the front door before it opened.

“It's me,” came James' unmistakable voice.

“In the kitchen,” Mary called out.

James walked in as both Mary and Cody stood to greet him. He gave Mary a long, hard hug, then did the same with Cody.

“Sit,” Mary said. “Let me get you some coffee.”

James sat. There were tears in his eyes. “I still can't believe it,” he said. “I think both Yvette and I cried all the way back from Saigon.”

Mary served coffee. After a few moments of silence, Cody spoke.

“Dad thinks he may have been murdered.”

James furled his brow. “Is that what his voice mail was about?”

“What did he say?” Cody asked.

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