Synopsis
Longlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2021
‘Excellent, lucid, intelligent and gripping’ – Scotsman
‘An utterly riveting read’ – Guardian, Thriller of the Month
6 December 1993. A drug dealer called Scrappy is shot and left for dead on her mother’s lawn in South Central Los Angeles. Two local gang members, Wizard and Dreamer, are arrested. The problem is: one is guilty, the other wasn’t even there. It had to be a frame-up. And the cops had to be responsible, didn’t they?
Narrated by the characters involved – the suspects, the victim, the families who love them, and those simply doing their jobs – The System tells the story of one crime, from the moments before shots are fired to the verdict and its violent aftershocks. It’s a breakneck journey through the American criminal justice system. A system that can save you, or break you.
Details
Reviews
“Gripping, meticulously-researched and smartly-plotted, I devoured this brilliant novel over the course of a weekend.”Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train
“The System is a tour de force . . . It is a page-turner, but one you will want to read slowly in order to savor every gorgeous sentence . . . Ryan Gattis is a magician.”David Dow, author of Confessions of an Innocent Man
“I relate so much to this book, it’s painful . . . That’s how real this novel is . . . Front to back, it’s not just an incredible work, it’s an experience.”Gustavo "Goose" Alvarez, author of The Pawn
“The System's panoramic approach—eschewing one main character for a whole set of people associated with a crime—sets it apart . . . A tale of redemption, an examination of loyalty and a love song for family bonds.”Patrick Hoffman, author of Clean Hands
