Customer Reviews

Miscarriage of Justice: A Novel

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With tremendous attention to detail, Judge Gayden does an incredible job of transporting the reader back in time to the late 1800s when young Christian camp counselor, Walter Dotson, first meets young Miss Anna Dennis, a pastor's daughter, and the two set upon a course that will later shape history. While the book is basically historical fiction, it is based on actual events, and Judge Gayden artfully weaves a tale based on newspaper clippings (included in the book), and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find that his rendition was exactly how events transpired. He does such an excellent job developing his characters that their actions come as no surprise, and we love and loathe them as he'd planned.

The main characters are Anna (Dennis) Dotson and her husband, Dr. Walter Dotson, both pillars of their community. They had been madly in love and wildly happy until Anna has a miscarriage, causing Walter's attentions to wane. The book is an excellent study on the human condition and how a family that appears on the surface to have everything can be hiding all sorts of secrets. There were many times during the story, however, that Dr. Dotson had it within his power to change the course of events had he only been a bit less self-centered and actually taken the time to listen to his wife. Judge Gayden does an excellent job of garnering the reader's sympathies for Anna and also making the reader feel as if her husband owes her. He also does a wonderful job of painting Charlie Cobb as a contemptible cad who isn't about to let Anna go once getting his clutches on her. Shades of a Victorian Basic Instinct, if you will.

Even more exciting than the human aspects of the story, is the legal wrangling that takes place. The reader gets a front-row seat and even a peek inside the minds of some of those present during the trial. And while there is no indication that Anna Dotson herself played a role in the suffrage movement, her trial and the resulting verdict has EVERYTHING to do with it.

I commend Judge Gayden for bringing the subject of legal inequality to light - especially at a time when our society is grappling with such things as same-sex marriage. Right now it is hard to believe that there was ever a time in our country's history when women didn't have the right to vote and that interracial marriage was illegal, but both of these used to be the case. Perhaps it's time for society to move on to correct another injustice.

Carol Ann Hopkins 3/5/2008

Miscarriage of Justice by Kip Gayden is the story of Anna And Walter Dotson in 1913 Tennessee. Walter is a successful physician, Bible study leader, alderman for the city of Gallatin, Mason, and leader of the city orchestra. Anna is the lovely mother of their two children who keeps her days busy with the social functions required of the wife of a pillar of the community. She also spends time flirting with the cause of woman's suffrage and the new barber in town: Charlie Cobb. Gayden weaves together historical fact with logical conjecture to create a fantastic story of how a crime in a small town in Tennessee helped shape the future of the nation. Anna's flirtation with Charlie leaps into full blown adultery, with both spouses left in the dark. Gayden describes the attraction of forbidden liasons with flair and emotion. He makes Anna's descent into lust as believable as her guilt over the double life she finds herself living. Gayden uses reporter Paul Christian as the reader's objective eye in the story, and as we hear the story filtered through him, it becomes not only believable but enthralling. The crime is shocking; the verdict even more so. Gayden introduced suffrage as a major story element in the opening chapters, but that line drops off until suddenly popping up in the jury room when the ties between the crime and suffrage become clear, and with a masterful stroke Gayden makes his case that this long forgotten crime of passion helped give women the right to vote in America. By fictionalizing the portions of the book, Gayden brings Anna and the rest of the cast to life, and you can't help but ache for her. My one and only complaint is a small one: I would have liked pictures of the principals to be included in the book. I hope that Gayden takes my advice for his next book, which I look forward to reading!

During the summer months I usually prefer 'lite' fiction, or popular titles that offer a quick and enjoyable read. While waiting for a book I purchased on AMAZON to arrive in the mail, my library had a copy of Kip Gayden's exciting novel, MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE. It was on the sale rack for one dollar! I immediately grabbed it after reading positive reviews.

The story unfolds in Tennessee in the late 19th century when the vivacious daughter of a pastor, Anna Dennis meets a charming and handsome camp counselor named, Walter Dotson who would soon become a prominent doctor. The two are immediately attracted to one another, fall deeply in love, and eventually marry.

Anna Dotson is sensual and continues to crave for her husband's affection, yet following Anna's miscarriage the passion wanes, and soon Anna meets the cunning and charismatic, Charlie Cobb. What unfolds is a remarkable triangle love story of passion and desire, lust and deception, pride and self-righteousness, deceit and contempt; betrayal and murder. But that's not all!

Kip Gayden takes the reader on an exciting journey about small town America, and invites the reader into the daily lives of fascinating townsfolk during the early 20th century in Tennessee. We learn about their personalities; their traditions and their biases. More than that, Gayden offers the reader a glimpse of what life was like as rapid change was occurring during that first decade, and how citizens were adapting to industrial boom and new social ideas while clinging to long held cultural customs.

MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE is an exciting 'lite' historical fiction, full of twists and sub-plots, which is [loosely] based on a real trail that will keep you enthralled and pleasantly entertained.

I highly recommend this wonderful book for a quick and easy read.


Maizie Lucille James
July 11, 2010

Miscarriage of Justice is based on the actual events surrounding a 1913's love triangle gone horribly and irrevocably wrong. Kip Gayden has delivered an impressive novel that is as exciting as the crime and verdict were shocking. Anna and Walter Dotson were prominent members of the small Tennessee community of Gallatin. Walter, in addition to being a very successful physician, was active in numerous community activities, Masonic Lodge, church bible study and city orchestra leader, and he also had political aspirations. While Walter was attending various groups and meetings, his wife, Anna, was home with her two children. There's a pointed change in the marriage after Anna miscarries their third child, all the romance and intimacy the couple had once shared was drained from the relationship. As time and time again Walter rejects his wife's attempts to rekindle the romantic fires, she is left feeling lonely and unfulfilled.

When Charlie Cobb and his family moved to town, he began working at the local barbershop and quickly became Walter Dotson's favorite barber. It isn't long before the flirtations between Charlie and Anna spiral into a full blown affair. They are both so consumed by the affair and finding ways to be together they fail to recognize the whispers, quiet nods and gossip, that eventually reach Walter. With her adulterous behavior exposed, Anna confessed her actions to her husband and then at his behest, to her brother. What follows is a crime that rocked the small Tennessee community to its core and a controversial verdict that would ultimately play a roll in the women's rights movement.

Masterfully weaving fact with fiction, Kip Gayden has crafted a wonderful novel that brings the characters to life and gives the reader a front row seat in the private lives of people that lived almost a hundred years ago. Gayden has the ability to take the reader back in time and present a believable story, that is informative and entertaining. Threading the women's suffrage movement into the story at the onset puts the reader into the mindset of the era...painting a detailed picture of Anna Dotson's daily life and the importance of women's rights.

A tragic, beautifully delivered historical novel that was a real pleasure to read. I look forward to reading Kip Gayden's next novel. Miscarriage of Justice: A Novel has a wonderful combination of everything, true crime, romance, deceit, adultery and historical fiction.

This book was recommended by someone and since it is set in middle Tennessee and we are originally from Nashville, TN, it was very interesting.
Enjoyed reading it.

Joe Spencer

I was quite surprised by the quality of this book. As it's written by a judge and first-time author, I wasn't necessary expecting the most exciting literary accomplishment. But this was a great story! It definitely kept me reading.

It's usually hard for me not to side with one character or another, but in this case, Gayden presents both Walter and Anna's sides so equally that I could see where they both were coming from as they became more embroiled in this nasty situation.

Also, I was pretty sure I could see the ending coming from a mile away--but I was wrong! I was shocked by the conclusion, and even now the justice--which I do believe was justice, not miscarried--stays with me.

The women's suffrage movement was such an exciting time in history, and this is the perfect book to go along with it. The story chronicles a definitive moment in the fight for women's rights.

This is a well-written and enjoyable book that took place in the era of the woman's suffrage movement. It was a story of romance, infidelity, and murder. It's sure to keep your interest and has a nice twist of events in the end. I found it intriguing.

This is a wonderful, interesting story of love, longing and even womens rights. A bittersweet story of a lady reaching out to an unreachable husbnad.

I bought this book because it is set in my home county and for a first novel, I wasn't expecting much. However, I was hooked from the opening page. This is a great read. I'm looking forward to more books by Judge Gayden. Now I'm off to see if I can find pictures of the characters in the Sumner County Archives and read the newspaper accounts for myself.

This book was great-fast read! I am in Nashville and it was fun to know the places where the book was taken place.

I had hoped that the Women Suffrage had played a larger part of the story.