Worse Than a Lie

BEAU LEE COOPER #1

By Ben Crump

A PROVOCATIVE DEBUT LEGAL THRILLER

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

On November 4, 2008, America's first Black president is elected and Chicago was the location of Obama’s victory speech.  Hollis Montrose, a 53-year-old Black ex–police officer from Chicago, is shot ten times by four white men during a traffic stop, just as the speech was ending off in the distance.

Raised in 1970s Texas, Beau Lee Cooper, a serious lawyer, dreams of fighting for justice. Now running a law firm with his friend Nelson Rivers and partner Brent Capers, he's determined to help Hollis. While Hollis’s survival hangs in the balance, the Chicago police have manipulated the story, leading to an unreasonable bail, incarceration while still under medical care, and possible wrongful conviction. Was Hollis targeted, or was it random? Beau Lee knows uncovering the truth will be challenging, but time is critical as lives hang in the balance.

REVIEW

WORSE THAN A LIE is a thought-provoking legal thriller about overt police racism and blatant injustice in the courts. It is emotionally charged and, at times, difficult to read. But it is also a story of faith, hope, and perseverance.

The writing is provocative, and the characters are strong and vivid.  Hollis is a dedicated family man working two jobs. When his life is changed forever, he maintains his faith.  He is a lifelong cop and is loved by the community.  Beau Lee is a hard-working and successful Texas civil-rights attorney who happens to be in Chicago in the days following Hollis’s shooting. When asked by Hollis’s family to consider taking his case, he does not hesitate.

Debut author Ben Crump is an expert in the maddening subject of civil rights.  He is a nationally known Florida attorney who specializes in social justice, civil rights, and wrongful death. Many of his former clients are now sadly household names, including George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, and Breonna Taylor.  I am looking forward to reading the future Beau Lee Cooper books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for an advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Publisher    Bantam

Published   February 17, 2026

Review       www.bluestockingreviews.com