"Silhouette of Virtue" Blog Tour

It is 1973. A small college town in Southern Illinois is terrorized by a spree of sadistic assaults. The rapist tells the victims--all Asian women--that he is making them pay for American's betrayal in Vietnam. When the only other black faculty member is accused of the crimes, African-American philosophy professor Nathan "Ribs" Rivers struggles to suspend his doubt about his colleague's innocence. Rivers reluctantly yields to the urgings of his students and takes up leadership of a campus coalition formed to advocate for a fair trial.

In SILHOUETTE OF VIRTUE Professor Rivers embarks on a vision quest for the truth that is as much about his character as it is about the crimes--a quest that threatens to topple his family and career, ignites a spiritual crisis and plunges him headlong toward lethal unknowns.

SILHOUETTE OF VIRTUE is based, in part, on actual crimes that occurred on a university campus during the mid-1970s, and is also informed by experiences gained by the author while studying and teaching African literature in West Africa later in the decade.

JAY RICHARDS, Ph.D. is a forensic psychologist whose specialty is the evaluation and treatment of violent offenders, such as homicide perpetrators, mentally ill killers, and sexually violent predators. In the field of criminal psychology, he is known for ground-breaking research, innovative and provocative theoretical papers, and evocative and insightful case studies of psychopaths and other mentally disordered offenders. 

With more than three decades of experience diagnosing and studying psychopaths and sex offenders, Richards, offers and authentic portrayal of complex characters. His exploration of moral dilemmas, choices, and character motivations results in a psychological thriller that weaves together the culture and politics of the era with racial tension, mystery, and suspense.

Praise for Jay Richards...

"Jay Richards' crackling prose style sends philosophy singing off the page."~~ Charles Johnson, author of Dreamer.

"A wonderful book with a dramatic ending. It was hard to put down, even for a few hours. I was immersed again in the ambiance of the art world and campus life during the Watergate years."~~ Pam Berns, Chicago Life Magazine.

"Masterfully written. Sinister and sympathetic characters come alive in this thrilling, can't miss novel that kept me in suspend through the last sentence." ~~ Larry Gossett, Seattle politician and former Black Power Movement activist.

This book was provided to me by the publisher for this Blog Tour.