McCracken Poston Jr

McCracken Poston Jr.

Zenith Man

Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom

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Zenith man

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

"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

ALL REVIEWS

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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 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.

Amazon Bio

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

McCracken Poston Jr. Follow

https://t.co/6mH7u2cAct, I wrote a book about a strange murder trial. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."-Maya Angelou

McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

8 Dec

THIS FRIDAY! Come to Book & Barrel to hear AMY PETULLA talk about her macabre true crime book on the anniversary of the Corpsewood Manor case! Pick up a signed copy as a gift. Perfect for someone you know!

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McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

4 Dec

Our annual Downhome Christmas Parade is this Friday! I wrote about the 1998 parade in the book. Come on out!
So many memories from the past, and so many memories you can make in the future!

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McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

3 Dec

This little story out of Ringgold, Georgia, gnawed a hole in me until I could tell it right, in long form. Finally, the subject's autism diagnosis made it click in my head. Alvin was on board with sharing his diagnosis, and I witnessed an amazing change in how he viewed himself…

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McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

25 Nov

I am honored beyond words to share this endorsement.

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McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

25 Nov

In a great but embarrassing late discovery, I got TWO badges from the American Writing Awards today: the aforementioned FINALIST badge for Nonfiction Book of the Year; but there was also a WINNER badge. I tried to notify the organization that they had sent that to me by mistake.…

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McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

24 Nov

Just learned that my book is a FINALIST for the 2025 Nonfiction Book of the Year from the American Writing Awards!
Thank you for this honor. I know Alvin would've been very proud.

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McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

16 Nov

Please share this with your favorite teachers, or with those of your children.

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McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

10 Nov

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING…
THE CHILLS!
My friend and colleague Amy Petulla put out a great book on a shocking case. It’s not only true crime - it’s local history. Come to Book & Barrel on Friday, December 12 to meet Amy and hear about it!

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McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

16 Oct

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…

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McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

15 Oct

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!