Mama's Boy

A racial confrontation in Jasper, TX, between a white policeman and three African American teenagers ends up with the cop shot dead and a cell phone video recording of the confrontation. The phone belongs to 17-year-old Jamal Jones, who runs after the incident and nobody knows where he's hiding. Jamal's parents are conflicted about what to do; Gloria is desperate to save her son, while preacher Elton hates having his church life disrupted. When Jamal surrenders to the cops, Billingsley's (What's Done in the Dark; Say Amen, Again) layered story takes off. Kay Christiansen is a no-nonsense prosecutor with eyes on being the next mayor of Houston. Her husband Phillip defends underprivileged teens. No spoilers here, but the husband/wife lawyers who connect with Jamal have damning secrets, as do Jamal's parents. The old saying that people in glass houses should not throw stones applies to every page of this fast-paced novel.