Trial by Ambush by Marcia Clark @thatmarciaclark @brilliancepublishing #TrialByAmbush

the setup…
On March 9, 1953, Mabel Monohan, a 64-year old widow, opened the door of her Burbank home to a woman claiming car trouble and needing to use the phone to call for service. She allowed the woman in and details vary about what happened next. Four men eventually ransacked her house looking for a safe of cash they believed her former notorious son-in-law had left behind. Mabel was murdered and three of the alleged perpetrators were later arrested. Barbara Graham was the lone woman but became the main focus and target by the prosecutors. Former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Marcia Clark examines the case and Graham’s trial, exposing how the toxic cocktail of misogyny, media sensationalism and prosecutorial misbehavior led to her execution.

the heart of the story…
I found it fitting that the lead prosecutor for the modern trial of the century revisited one that was considered the same in the 1953. Clark knows better than most how the power of the media can infiltrate the judicial process. Barbara Graham had a tragic life leading up to the robbery but had never been convicted of anything but petty larceny and non-violent infractions, mostly to help provide for her children or assist a friend. Clark meticulously researched the details of Graham’s life, the evidence and the trial (she found the trial transcripts!) and it showed. Her assessments are based on fact and less personal opinion, providing a riveting dissection of a trial that abused the defendant and the judicial system in the process, further manipulated by a biased press.

the narration…
I loved everything about Clark’s narration. Most have heard her speak and she clearly knows how to tell a story and have you hanging on to every word.

the bottom line…
Barbara Graham would probably not have been convicted today and Clark convincingly lays out that case. I loved how she compared and contrasted the elements of the evidence, witness testimonies and courtroom behaviors with the laws today, making it easily digestible for laypersons. What was tragic for Clark is how she went into this thinking she’d be able to see one her heroes in action, legendary prosecutor J. Miller Leavy, but was left with something far less than admiration. If you prefer true crime stories that lean more heavily on facts but still with a powerful narrative, you’ll love this book.

Book Info

• Release Date: December 1, 2024
• Narrator: Marcia Clark
• Audio Length: 9 hours, 35 minutes
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio

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(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)