McCracken Poston Jr.

Zenith Man

Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom

Zenith man

Alvin Ridley

 

March 3, 1942 - July 2, 2024

AJC Article

 

‘Zenith Man’ gets late-in-life hug from Ga. town that once feared him

Zenith man

Nominated for Crime Book of the Year

 

CrimeCon’s Clue Awards, to be Hosted by Ashleigh Banfield
Zenith man

The Chris Voss Show Podcast

 

"Like a nonfiction John Grisham thriller with echoes of Rainman, Just Mercy, and a captivating smalltown Southern setting, this is the fascinating true story—sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking—of an idealistic young lawyer determined to free an innocent neurodivergent man accused of murdering the wife no one knew he had."

Zenith man

True Crime Legends Speak

"A case that simply defies belief.  You can't make something like this up!"

- Paul Dowling, Executive Producer, with Vince Sherry, Senior Producer, Forensic Files

"Was this a case of murder - or a most unusual love story?"

- Bill Kurtis, A&E's American Justice

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McCracken Poston is a good storyteller and has a good story to tell, with the kinds of twists and turns that will make readers think it’s great fiction—except it all happened.

Jon Meacham

New York Times bestselling author, winner of the Pulitzer Prize



Poston found himself defending a guy everyone thought was guilty in what appeared to be a slam-dunk murder case. But the amazing truth in this true crime drama is there was no crime at all. It’s one hell of a story.

Jonathan Karl

author of Betrayal, Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News



Poston is a natural storyteller in the great Southern Gothic tradition. He sees the pain, but finds the humor, too, and ultimately the humanity, turning a tale of murder into a remarkable story of love, friendship and justice.

Rory Kennedy

Emmy Award‑winning documentary filmmaker



McCracken King Poston Jr.’s skillful account in Zenith Man is a warning about prejudice, a rush to judgment, and how Americans who are different can be swept up unfairly in our justice system. An inspiring tale about courage and how both lawyer and client helped each other find redemption. A must-read.

Pete Earley

New York Times bestselling author of The Hot House, Crazy, and No Human Contact



Poston's unique voice has brought to life two fascinating characters thrown into a case that challenges our basic assumptions about law enforcement, the courts, and the media. You won't be able to put down The Zenith Man until the very last word.

Charles Bosworth, Jr, and Joel Schwartz

authors of Bone Deep
McCracken Poston Jr

McCracken Poston Jr

McCracken King Poston Jr, is a criminal defense attorney and former state legislator in the Georgia House of Representatives. He gained national attention for his handling of several notable cases that were featured on CNN Presents, Dateline NBC, A&E’s American Justice and Forensic Files.

Book Clubs

McCracken Poston Jr. is scheduling Book Clubs for  private appearances!  Depending on location and availability, the session could be in person or virtual! 

Book Now!

McCracken Poston Jr and Alvin Ridley, 2023.

LATEST NEWS

McCracken Poston Jr

The Atlanta Readers Club met at Aldo’s in Sandy Springs last night, and all members had read my book in advance. These are the most fun talks, as I can feature things that got cut from the story… such as when Alvin held his extended his middle finger toward the jury during…

It's a nice feeling to visit the library of your alma mater and find that they have indeed acquired a copy of your book, stripped it of its dust jacket cover, and cataloged it with the new Galileo Interconnected Libraries (GIL) system! Nice to see you, HV6534.R55P67-2024!

Denni @CaffeineAddicts, in the Ridley Building (7819 Nashville St., Ringgold, GA), has always honored the space that was once Ridley’s Zenith TV Sales & Service. Come on by and learn more about Alvin Ridley, one of life’s unforgettable characters! See some of Virginia’s…

4

Two old friends swapping books!
My friend of almost 30 years, Michael Thurmond, wrote a fantastic book about James Oglethorpe, the Father of Georgia. I think it could be the next “Hamilton”!

The Goodreads Giveaway of Alvin’s story has surpassed 5000 entries nationwide! Remember, it’s better odds than Powerball!

Sign up to win a FREE BOOK! Share with everyone you know interested in #Autism #AutismAwareness #truecrimecommunity #alvinridley #hypergraphia #murdertrial

Back to #1 in an Amazon Kindle category: Disability Biographies and Memoirs. Alvin used to calmly smile at news like this, nod his head, and then tell me another story of Ringgold, from his unique perspective.

Win a signed copy of my true crime memoir, “Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom” (Citadel).
Enter the @goodreads giveaway (ends Sept 8).
👉

I told John Grisham today, in front of a crowd, that we had a lot in common: Southern roots, teenage pothole fixing jobs, law school, service in state legislatures, and first books about cases in our home counties.
Then I asked, “So… what are we going to do next?”
He laughed!

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