4.0
The System
ByPublisher Description
On December 6, 1993, a drug dealer called Scrappy is shot and left for dead on the lawn outside her mother's house in South Central Los Angeles. Augie, a heroin addict, witnesses the whole thing—before he steals all the drugs on her person, as well as the gun that was dropped at the scene. When Augie gets busted, he names local gang members Wizard and Dreamer as the shooters.
But only one of them is guilty.
A search of Wizard and Dreamer's premises uncovers the gun that was used in the shooting, and a warrant goes out for their arrest. They know it's a frame-up, but the word from the gang is to keep their mouths shut and face the charges. With these two off the streets and headed for jail, Dreamer's friend Little, the unlikeliest of new gang members, is given one job: discover how the gun got moved, and why . . .
Played out in the streets, precincts, jails, and courtrooms of L.A.,
is the harrowing story of a crime—from moments before the bullets are fired, to the verdict and its violent aftershocks—told through the vivid chorus of those involved, guilty, the innocent, and everyone in between.
"Gripping, meticulously researched . . . I devoured this brilliant novel over the course of a weekend." —Paula Hawkins,
–bestselling author of
"Immersive and vivid, with strong characterization and no punches pulled . . . an utterly riveting read." —
(Books of the Month)
"One of our most gifted novelists." —Michael Connelly,
–bestselling author of
"The most compelling courtroom drama I have read this year." —
"Superb . . . weighty, authentic to its bone marrow, questioning and thoughtful . . . I massively enjoyed the book and I hope it gains a wide, wide readership." —David Mitchell,
–bestselling author of
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe System Reviews
4.0
“Well written in a style that led me to try to figure out if this was based on an actual account or if it is completely fiction. While it doesn't seem to be based on an actual event, you feel as if you are reading from the perspective of the people as if they were real, mainly because the dialogue for each is completely unique and stays consistent throughout. A few things didn't ring quite true to life - the case changes a bit conveniently, the people are a bit one-dimensional, and the ending is a bit predictable. Even so, it is unfortunately a likely insight into the real system.”
About Ryan Gattis
is the author of
,
, and
. His books have received the American Library Association's Alex Award, the Lire Award for Noir of the Year in France, and the First Annual McIntyre's Fine Books Mystery Prize. Gattis lives and writes in Los Angeles, where he is a member of the street art crew UGLARworks and a founding board member of 1888, a Southern California literary arts non-profit.
Other books by Ryan Gattis
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