Stand Your Ground

By: Victoria Christopher Murray

Narrated by: Suzzanne Douglas, Madeleine Maby, James Colby

In number-one Essence-best-selling author Victoria Christopher Murray's new novel, three women must grapple with their faith and belief in justice when they become caught up in a highly charged murder trial involving the death of an African American teenage boy whose shooter maintains a "stand your ground" defense.

Stand Your Ground is the story of three women who find themselves thrown together because of the most horrible of situations. Janice Johnson suffers through every mother's nightmare when she finds out that her 16-year-old son, Marquis, was murdered in the parking lot of a convenience store. But she and her husband's horror becomes greater when they find out that the shooter has not been arrested. The Johnsons begin a quest to get justice for their son - though the Johnsons want to take different roads to justice.

Janice wants to work with the police while her husband calls on his brother who is a member of the Brown Guardians, a militant group who've been accused of being nothing more than street vigilantes. This struggle drives a wedge between Janice and her husband at a time when they should be drawing closer together. It doesn't help that there's been infidelity in their marriage in the past that is rearing its head again.

Shelly Vance cannot believe that she is in the middle of this nightmare. Her husband, Wyatt, has killed a teenager who he says attacked him. And now that tragedy has been magnified by the racial divide that it's created in the city. Matters are made worse when her husband is finally arrested and put on trial. And by extension Shelly finds herself being judged by everyone, from her employer to her friends. But no matter what, Shelly is going to stand by her husband, even though she has a secret that could blow this case wide open.

©2015 Victoria Christopher Murray (P)2015 Recorded Books

On Time Story

This story is very real and insightful. It tells a real story about real people.

Must read

Gripping and informative story about humanity, our frailties and our tragedies centered on race relations in the US. Beautifully written and the character development is superb.

Spell bounding

What did you love best about Stand Your Ground?

The characters were so well developed. I could see this story in my mind's eye.This was such a painful emotional story that I had to stop listening several times when it became to much. I felt the pain of Janice and I understood the emotional upheaval of Meredith in knowing her husband is guilty and the fear of him knowing she saw him.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Stand Your Ground?

Janice insisting that her son was not shot. Looking in his bedroom under the bed and telling her husband the police were lying. Their son was not dead.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. Forever an Ex. She had the characters jumping off the pages. It was hilarious. In this book her performance was moving. Her portrayal of Janice's emotional upheaval was spot on. Her handling of other characters were excellent as well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Too difficult subject for me to do that.

Any additional comments?

I think everyone listening to thus book will feel the emotions of a parent loosing their child.The presentation and performance of this book was off the chart.
The ending was masterful .

Gripping tale that you won't be able to get enough of!

Once I started listening to this story I couldn't tear myself away from it. It will make you cry, feel angry, feel sympathy and in the end question everything about the Stand Your Ground Law. I love how the story was told from both women's perspective and was surprised by the ending narrative. This a must read that will have you imagining these are the emotions that each mother who has had to lay her son to rest because of the unjust Stand Your Ground Law.

Wonderfully written!!

Ms. Victoria Murray is definitely one of my favorite writers! This novel is very interesting and worth the credit!

VCM has done it again

This was a hard read. NOT because it wasn't interesting but because this was so fresh. Chapter 1 took the wind from me and it took 5 days for me to start again. Having a 21 year old BLACK son this is fresh with me every time he walks away from me.....to work....to the movies....even when he was away at college. I cover him everyday and ask God to make me ok with His will for our lives. The scripture that keeps coming to me 1 Chronicles 7:14--"If my people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and will heal their land."
Keep praying. Keep focus. Allow God to heal all wounds. Awesome read VCM.

Chevonne

Wow!

This book was awesome! It was the best book I’ve ever “heard”. Ms. Murray is a supreme story teller who somehow makes her characters seem so real. Thank you for bringing this subject to the forefront and also allowing us to get a perspective from all sides. AMAZING!!!!

Great read

I loved this book. It was well written and I love how she illustrated the views and how it affected the lives of both sides.

Excellent

I loved this book. It was wonderful to hear Suzanne Douglas's voice as one of the narrators. Ms. Douglas died in 2021. Ms. Murray did a good job of telling both sides of the story. (Spoiler Alert) I do wish that the ending had clearly told us who attacked Wyatt. We are left to wonder if it was the vigilante group, and we don't know if the woman in high heels was Janice or Meredith.

Passionately Written - Great READ! POWERFUL!

I hope a spoiler alert need not be placed on my review. I tried to hold back a lot. This book was well written and well thought out. I was enlightened.

At first I was about to get a refund because the 1st narrator was monotone. I also have ADHD (not really) when it comes to beginnings of novels, because if it doesn’t grab me soon, I lose interest fast. I listened about 30 minutes in and was hooked. Give it sometime it gets jucilicious.

I had no idea that this book would be a similar depiction of the Trayvon Martin Murder (NOT THE SAME). What I liked most about this book is the focus being placed on two mothers of boys. VCM (author) chose to concentrate on the mother of the murdered boy and the wife of the murder. The story takes you through the parent’s realization of the boy’s murder; additionally the story gives the emotion of the wife of the murder, who had compassion for the murdered boy’s mother (with good reason). The story was weaved to give you a great back story of the important characters.

Another reason why I liked this story was the murdered boy’s girlfriend. The boy’s mom did not like this girl at all. We as humans judge as a self-defense or ignorance (actual ignorance, lack of knowledge). The moms dislike was unwarranted just as much as the murder’s dislike.