Ring of Truth [Hardcover]

Nancy Pickard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2001

With the bestseller THE WHOLE TRUTH, Nancy Pickard introduced gutsy, charismatic Marie Lightfoot and kicked off a thrilling new series with 'an intriguing story, faxcinatingly told' (The Philadelphia Inquirer). Now, Pickard once again 'pushes the presumed limits of crime fiction' (Los Angeles Times) as she sends her emotionally complex heroine into the darkest realm of human nature. Sex, violence, evil and betrayal: the shocking murder case splashed across the Florida headlines has it all, making it the perfect candidate for true-crime writer Marie Lightfoot's next bestseller. But beyond the lurid tale of a love affair gone fatally wrong, there are disturbing twists that leave Marie sensing in her gut that something doesn't jibe. Twist number one: the killer is a man of the cloth who murders his wife in collusion with his lover. Twist number two: the minister is convicted though his lover walks free. But it is the final blow that truly gives Marie pause: for the first time in her illustrious career, she fails to win the killer's confidence during a jailhouse interview. When a dark revelation emerges, Marie is forced to confront her own shortcomings as she learns a bone-chilling lesson: to err is human, but to underestimate the criminal mind could be deadly.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The appearance of The Whole Truth a year ago jolted readers and thrilled critics. Pickard, a popular writer of conventional mysteries, took off on a risky, imaginative tangent, making her protagonist, Marie Lightfoot, an author of true crime books, and alternating Lightfoot's personal story with her work-in-progress. Now Lightfoot is back, and once again Pickard crafts a marvelous behind-the-scenes thriller. As the novel begins, Lightfoot is beginning to edit her latest true-crime thriller, set in her hometown, Bahia Beach, Fla. The tale she has to tell is riveting minister Bob Wing and his lover, Artie, murder the minister's wife, Susanna but Lightfoot can't shake the feeling that some crucial element is missing. Nobody has anything bad to say about the charismatic Wing, who was an anti-death penalty crusader. He is now on death row himself, right next to Steve Orbach, a young man he had been trying to liberate. Once Lightfoot begins to investigate, both cases are revealed to be full of holes. How to explain the seven pairs of wedding rings found by the two little girls when they discovered Susanna's body? Is it possible that the police were too eager to arrest and convict both men? The clock is ticking for Orbach and Wing, and the separate solutions to the mysteries only come to light at the very last minute. Cleverly unraveling Lightfoot's original manuscript as she proceeds, Pickard constructs an intricate, perfectly timed double mystery. The dastardly plot she reveals at last is satisfyingly grotesque, and Lightfoot is a down-to-earth heroine, plagued with all the convincing problems of a real-life writer. Pickard never lets her premise descend into gimmick this second installment is as fresh and satisfying as the first. Mystery Guild Main Selection.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Nancy Pickard, creator of the acclaimed Jenny Cain mystery series, won the Anthony Award for SAY NO TO MURDER, a Macavity Award for MARRIAGE IS MURDER, and two Agatha Awards for Best Novel, for BUM STEER (1990) and I.O.U (1991). Her next novel featuring Marie Lightfoot is forthcoming in hardcover from Pocket Books. A former reporter and editor, she is a past president of Sisters in Crime. She splits her time between Kansas and Florida.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Atria; First Edition edition (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671887971
• ISBN-13: 978-0671887971
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,322,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Read, December 14, 2001

By 

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ring of Truth (Hardcover)

This is a mystery with a difference! Our heroine, Marie Lightfoot, is not a lawyer, police officer, private detective or journalist for starters. She is a best-selling True Crime novelist. What vistas this opens up for a series! She has every reason to be nosing around the crime scene, the courtroom, the witnesses and families of victims; and she has no boring boss to slow her down. She has a highly comfortable life style, easily explained. Marie has no background, so the reader is sure to exercise his/her own imagination. I have always felt Kinsey Mahone was far more effective before Sue Grafton hung a back story around her neck giving her a plethora or relatives and details about an ex-husband.

Marie switches from first person observation to chapters from her current manuscript with the lackluster title, "Anything To Be Together." It is the story of a charismatic minister convicted of beating his attractive wife to death, probably with the aid and assistance of his girlfriend. Rev. Wing is awaiting execution on Death Row. Ironically, the rector has received much local publicity in the past for his anti-death penalty activism. She has just completed the text, but feels dissatisfied with parts of it, particularly the lack of background and insights on the principal players.

The plot is excellent, complex with a labyrinth of twists and turns. There are a few attitudes that boggle my mind, but perhaps that is just me. Ms. Pickard is a fine writer and has created a thoroughly likeable heroine. A fine read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A chilling thriller, May 12, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ring of Truth (Hardcover)

True crime fighter Marie Lightfoot has completed her latest true crime novel, Anything To BE Together, and sends it to her editor in New York. Her latest book centers on Robert F. Wing, a Florida minister, convicted of murdering his wife. Robert's co-defendant, Artemis McGregor, the woman he was allegedly having an affair with, received a not guilty verdict.

Marie feels the case has too many loose ends to fully satisfy her that Robert killed Susana. When she obtains new evidence, she uses it to bait the person she thinks committed the crime. However, that ends tragically with the person guarding the information dead and the evidence gone. As Marie digs deeper, she places herself in danger from someone who prefers the status quo rather than the truth.

Once again, Nancy Pickard has created a fascinating thriller centering on people who are not what they seem to be. The novel contains several shocking revelations, but nothing matches the frightening climax. Proponents of the death penalty will reconsider their position after reading RING OF TRUTH as Ms. Pickard makes her views quite clear on the subject.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Six stars, September 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Ring of Truth (Hardcover)

This is one of the BEST books I have ever read. It is a book in a book.

I have 9 of Nancy Pickard's books and all of the are really great but this one is the top of the list. It was hard to put down. I read it every chance I had to read. She is a wonderful author.

This is the story of a true crime writer and we get to read the book she wrote and then how she feels about the crime and what she did after she wrote it.

Do read this book. You will be glad you did.