No Truth Left To Tell

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In No Truth Left To Tell, the author Michael McAuliffe tells about a Klan hanging that happened 100 years ago in Lynwood, Louisiana. It’s an ugly and brutal scene of which he writes in 1920. A black man and his daughter, Netttie Wynn, nearly stumbled into the scene, but escaped from being detected or they too would surely have died. Jump forward to 1994 when Nettie was now an old woman. Over the years, the Klan had gotten smaller in membership, but it was still there. Frank Daniels, the current grand dragon, wanted to wake up the locals to start a new race war. He thought that by burning crosses in several well chosen sites, that he could achieve that. He chose the outside of a law office where lawyers worked who defended the rights of blacks, the courthouse, the local office of the NAACP, a “Jew bank,” and Lettie’s home which she inherited from her parents and where she continued to live by herself.

There was never any real doubt to those investigating this Federal hate crime about who was responsible. Where was the evidence in this tight-lipped community who would say nothing meaningful to outside investigators. It was a stunning surprise when Daniels confessed, was convicted, and went to jail. But, what would you do if you realized Daniels’ confession was tainted, that it was obtained illegally? Is it tolerable to do the right thing by putting away this scum of a man, but to have done it for the wrong reasons?

McAuliffe spins a fabulous story about racism and truth. There were good guys and bad, all of whom were believable characters. I was hooked on this one from the beginning, and you will too.