Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A private investigator returns to the case that has haunted her for decades--a death row execution that might have taken the life of an innocent man--and sets out on a deeply personal quest to sort truth from lies. In 1990, Ellen McGarrahan was working as a journalist when she witnessed the botched electric-chair execution of Jesse Tafero, convicted of killing two police officers in Broward County, Florida. When evidence emerged implicating a different man in the murders, McGarrahan found herself haunted by Tafero's fiery death--and by her own unquestioning acceptance of the state's version of events.
Decades later, McGarrahan has left Florida and become a successful private investigator--one of the very few women at the top of the field--but the Tafero case remains an insistent mystery shadowing the edges of her days. She decides that the only way to come to terms with this obsession is to investigate it herself. She goes back to Florida, digging deep into dusty courthouse archives and knocking on the doors of key witnesses, tracking down hard evidence and hearing crucial new testimony, as slowly but inexorably she pieces together what actually happened. The journey plunges her back in time, to the Miami of the 1960s and 1970s, where jewel thieves, drug kingpins, and go-go dancers inhabit a deadly paradise of smuggling, speedboats, cash--and blood. The tragedy of the two murdered officers, she discovers, is only the start of the story, and Florida becomes the jumping-off point for a search that will take her not only to the other side of the world but into a long-buried secret of her own life. As McGarrahan homes in on the truth, questions of guilt and innocence become ever more complex. She discovers that she is not alone in her need for closure, because whenever a human life is taken by violence, the reckoning is long and difficult for all.
A rare and vivid first-person account of the life of a private investigator, a gripping true-crime story, and a powerful journey into the harrowing heart of personal obsession, Two Truths and a Lie is ultimately a profound meditation on grief, complicity, and justice.
Synopsis
In this powerful memoir, a journalist turned private investigator revisits the case that has haunted her for decades, asking profound questions about grief, complicity, and justice. In 1990, Ellen McGarrahan was a young reporter for the
Miami Herald when she covered the execution of Jesse Tafero, a man convicted of murdering two police officers. When it later emerged that Tafero may have been innocent, McGarrahan was appalled by her unquestioning acceptance of the state's version of events. The revelation propelled her into a new career as a private investigator.
Decades later, McGarrahan finally decides to find out the truth of what really happened in Florida. Her investigation plunges her back into the Miami of the 1960s and 1970s, a dangerous world of nightclubs, speed boats, and cartels, all awash in violence. She combs through stacks of court files and interviews everyone involved in the case. But even as McGarrahan circles closer to the truth, the story of guilt and innocence becomes more complex, and she gradually discovers that she hasn't been alone in her need for closure. Because whenever a human life is forcibly taken--by bullet, or by electric chair--the reckoning is long and difficult for all.
A fascinating glimpse into the mind of a private investigator, Two Truths and a Lie is ultimately a deeply personal exploration of one woman's quest to find answers in a chaotic world.
Synopsis
In this powerful memoir, a journalist turned private investigator revisits the case that has haunted her for decades, asking profound questions about grief, complicity, and justice.
"Beautifully written."--Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Blood in the Water
In 1990, Ellen McGarrahan was a young reporter for the Miami Herald when she covered the execution of Jesse Tafero, a man convicted of murdering two police officers. When it later emerged that Tafero may have been innocent, McGarrahan was appalled by her unquestioning acceptance of the state's version of events. The revelation propelled her into a new career as a private investigator.
Decades later, McGarrahan finally decides to find out the truth of what really happened in Florida. Her investigation plunges her back into the Miami of the 1960s and 1970s, a dangerous world of nightclubs, speed boats, and cartels, all awash in violence. She combs through stacks of court files and interviews everyone involved in the case. But even as McGarrahan circles closer to the truth, the story of guilt and innocence becomes more complex, and she gradually discovers that she hasn't been alone in her need for closure. Because whenever a human life is forcibly taken--by bullet, or by electric chair--the reckoning is long and difficult for all.
A fascinating glimpse into the mind of a private investigator, Two Truths and a Lie is ultimately a deeply personal exploration of one woman's quest to find answers in a chaotic world.
Synopsis
In this powerful memoir, a private investigator revisits the case that has haunted her for decades and sets out on a deeply personal quest to sort truth from lies. "Beautifully written."--Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Blood in the Water
In 1990, Ellen McGarrahan was a young reporter for the Miami Herald when she covered the execution of Jesse Tafero, a man convicted of murdering two police officers. When it later emerged that Tafero may have been innocent, McGarrahan was appalled by her unquestioning acceptance of the state's version of events. The revelation propelled her into a new career as a private investigator.
Decades later, McGarrahan finally decides to find out the truth of what really happened in Florida. Her investigation plunges her back into the Miami of the 1960s and 1970s, a dangerous world of nightclubs, speed boats, and cartels, all awash in violence. She combs through stacks of court files and interviews everyone involved in the case. But even as McGarrahan circles closer to the truth, the story of guilt and innocence becomes more complex, and she gradually discovers that she hasn't been alone in her need for closure. Because whenever a human life is forcibly taken--by bullet, or by electric chair--the reckoning is long and difficult for all.
A fascinating glimpse into the mind of a private investigator, Two Truths and a Lie is ultimately a deeply personal exploration of one woman's quest to find answers in a chaotic world.
Synopsis
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE - In this "spellbinding memoir" (The Washington Post), a private investigator revisits the case that has haunted her for decades and sets out on a deeply personal quest to sort truth from lies. "Beautifully written."--Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Blood in the Water
In 1990, Ellen McGarrahan was a young reporter for the Miami Herald when she covered the execution of Jesse Tafero, a man convicted of murdering two police officers. When it later emerged that Tafero may have been innocent, McGarrahan was appalled by her unquestioning acceptance of the state's version of events. The revelation propelled her into a new career as a private investigator.
Decades later, McGarrahan finally decides to find out the truth of what really happened in Florida. Her investigation plunges her back into the Miami of the 1960s and 1970s, a dangerous world of nightclubs, speed boats, and cartels, all awash in violence. She combs through stacks of court files and interviews everyone involved in the case. But even as McGarrahan circles closer to the truth, the story of guilt and innocence becomes more complex, and she gradually discovers that she hasn't been alone in her need for closure. Because whenever a human life is forcibly taken--by bullet, or by electric chair--the reckoning is long and difficult for all.
A fascinating glimpse into the mind of a private investigator, Two Truths and a Lie is ultimately a deeply personal exploration of one woman's quest to find answers in a chaotic world.
Synopsis
EDGAR AWARD FINALIST - A private investigator revisits the case that has haunted her for decades and sets out on a deeply personal quest to sort truth from lies. " A] haunting memoir, which also unfolds as a gripping true-crime narrative . . . This is a powerful, unsettling story, told with bracing honesty and skill."--The Washington Post
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice - One of Marie Claire's Ten Best True Crime Books of the Year
Ellen McGarrahan was a young journalist for The Miami Herald in 1990 when she witnessed the botched execution of convicted killer Jesse Tafero: flames and smoke and three jolts of the electric chair. When evidence later emerged casting doubt on Tafero's guilt, McGarrahan found herself haunted by his fiery death. Had she witnessed the execution of an innocent man?
Decades later, McGarrahan, now a successful private investigator, is still gripped by the mystery and infamy of the Tafero case, and decides she must investigate it herself. Her quest will take her around the world and deep into the harrowing heart of obsession, and as questions of guilt and innocence become more complex, McGarrahan discovers she is not alone in her need for closure. For whenever a human life is taken by violence, the reckoning is long and difficult for all.
A rare and vivid account of a private investigator's real life and a classic true-crime tale, Two Truths and a Lie is ultimately a profound meditation on truth, grief, complicity, and justice.