The masterful true-crime account of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing that captured the world's attention, and Richard Jewell, the heroic security guard-turned-suspect at the heart of it all.
The Suspect is
a fascinating reconstruction of the Neo-Gothic tale of Richard Jewell, the security guard who was memorably and unjustly implicated in the 1996 bombing at the Atlanta Olympic games. Meticulously reported, bracingly written, full of memorable and bizarre characters,
the book casts a wary eye on the worlds of law enforcement and journalism, and their multiple failures in this tale. It's a story with no winners - except for readers of this terrific book.
From questionable FBI tactics to the role of the press,
The Suspect lays bare how Jewell became their unwitting victim in the rush to solve the biggest and most public crime of the era. It is a cautionary tale that reminds us that criminal investigations are often lengthy and painstaking, ill-suited for today's media frenzy.
The Suspect is
an important, highly relevant book.
Domestic terror, white nationalism, FBI profilers, a trial by punchline in the infancy of twenty-four-hour news cycle-what happened in Atlanta's Centennial Park during the 1996 Olympics still echoes like a bomb blast today in this engrossing and meticulously researched ticktock about the railroading of Richard Jewell and the killer who almost got away.
Kent Alexander was the US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia at the time of the 1996 Olympics. He spent hundreds of hours in meetings with the FBI about the bombing, and ultimately, he wrote and hand-delivered Jewell's clearance letter.
Journalist Kevin Salwen is a former Wall Street Journal columnist and an editor who ran southeastern coverage for the paper during the Olympic Games.