Description

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For fans of Serial and Making a Murderer, the true, bewildering story of a young woman’s disappearance, the nightmare of a small town obsessed with delivering justice, and the bizarre dream of a poor, uneducated man accused of murder.

On April 28, 1984, Denice Haraway disappeared from her job at a convenience store on the outskirts of Ada, Oklahoma, and the sleepy town erupted. Tales spread of rape, mutilation, and murder, and the police set out on a relentless mission to bring someone to justice. Six months later, two local men—Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot—were arrested and brought to trial, even though they repudiated their “confessions,” no body had been found, no weapon had been produced, and no eyewitnesses had come forward. The Dreams of Ada is a story of politics and morality, of fear and obsession. It is also a moving, compelling portrait of one small town living through a nightmare.

“A riveting true story of a brutal murder in a small town and the tragic errors made in the pursuit of justice.”—John Grisham

About the Author

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Robert Mayer was born and raised in New York City. As a journalist and columnist for Newsday, he twice won the Mike Berger Award for the year’s best writing about New York City, as well as a National Headliner Award as best feature columnist in the country. Mayer has written seven novels and two works of nonfiction. He currently lives in New Mexico.

Praise For…

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"A riveting true story of a brutal murder in a small town and the tragic errors made in the pursuit of justice." —John Grisham

“A work of quiet brilliance . . . Like Capote and Mailer before him, Mayer compiles his details with a reporter’s skill and arranges them with a novelist’s arrogance.”
—Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Ranks with the best . . . Clearly, thoroughly, and deftly written.” —Santa Fe Reporter

“A compelling, marvelously detailed picture of justice in a small, scared town.” —Booklist