| Twisted
Hattiesburg
attorney’s legal tale is a mystery
The Book of Luke by Don Medley
RA Publishing, $24.95  Hattiesburg attorney Don Medley (JD 81) has written his first crime-fiction novel. The Book of Luke is a tale of unprincipled small-town politics, corruption and murder.
Set in the fictional Southern town of Hampton, which bears a striking resemblance to Hattiesburg, the novel is packed with legal precision and courtroom drama. It tells the story of Luke Daniels, a successful attorney whose life takes an ugly turn after he learns that a potential client was killed the night after he met her. Daniels was the last person known to have seen Susan Weeks alive.
Weeks had already taken Daniels beyond ethical and professional boundaries—and into the bedroom. What Daniels didn’t know was that the woman who had mesmerized him was trapped in a web of indiscretion, blackmail and murder.
Fueled by a power-hungry district attorney, the local grapevine begins to indict Daniels in spite of his sterling reputation, an inadequate criminal investigation and a lack of evidence. Unscrupulous political motivations overpower due process as Daniels realizes that not only his profession but his life is in jeopardy.
Medley’s work is frequently compared to that of his law school classmate, author John Grisham.
“Book of Luke is an excellent book,” wrote reviewer Vanessa Cranford, a south Mississippi paralegal who reviewed the book on Barnesandnoble.com. “The book is well-written and the story line is awesome. This book is as good or better than any Grisham novel.” The Web site’s reviewers gave The Book of Luke a rating of 41/4 out of five stars.
 Don Medley grew up on a farm in Monroe County. He passed time caring for animals and reading. Books allowed Medley to delve into the world beyond the country life of north Mississippi.
After high school, Medley joined the Air Force, where he trained as a Korean linguist. His service took him to Japan and Korea.
“While I did not pick the Korean program myself, the experience of living among the Korean people and speaking with them fluently was an opportunity that I will always treasure,” Medley said.
When his service ended, he returned to Mississippi and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi. He then enrolled in the UM Law School where he and author John Grisham (JD 81) and former Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (JD 81) were classmates.
Medley has had a successful legal career and has been recognized by the Mississippi Bar for pro bono work. He is currently working on his second novel, Three Women—the story of a woman who finds out her husband is having an affair and kills him to make it look like an accident.—Kezia Pigford
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Young alum upholds fine, old law school
tradition—publishing a novel
No Ceremony by John Taylor Moses
RA Publishing, $23.95  UM Law School alumnus John Taylor Moses (JD 03) has published his first novel, No Ceremony, a love story based in Greece.
No Ceremony is the story of two young adults from different cultures who have both suffered the first tragedies of their lives. Cole Morgan is a recent college graduate from the American South who feels connected to the woods, fields and waters of his native land.
One summer afternoon, after a day on the lake with friends, an automobile accident that results in a best friend’s death forever changes how he views the world around him. Seeking to help him recover from the loss, Morgan’s parents send him to stay with family friends on a remote Greek island in the Ionian Sea. In Kefalonia, Morgan meets Maria Girgiou, a British-educated young Greek woman who is dealing with a recent loss of her own. Together they embark on a significant lesson in healing, friendship and potential love.
RA Publishing praises Moses’s book as a slam-dunk for the company. A company press release states: “John creates a new voice in Southern as well as American literature. RA Publishing is confident that this will be well-appreciated within the industry and by audiences throughout his media and book signing tours.”
 National Book Critics Circle member Thurman Boykin has nothing but praise for Moses’s debut novel. “The reader becomes absorbed into one of the most appealing and evocative books this writer has ever read,” said Boykin in his review. “The author is gifted.”
Moses is a native of Brownsville, Tenn. He attended high school in Memphis and later came to The University of Mississippi, where he received his undergraduate and law degrees. In May 2000, he traveled to Kefalonia and spent a month visiting family and friends.
“My experience was nothing like that recounted in the book,” Moses said. “It allowed me a great opportunity to learn about the culture and provide a setting for my book.”
Moses became interested in writing after publishing a few short stories as an undergraduate. “I published a few things for some literary magazines in college and wanted to try my hand at a full-length piece,” he said.
The book tour for No Ceremony kicked off at Oxford’s Square Books and continued throughout the South.
Moses currently resides in Memphis, Tenn., where he is an attorney for Glankler Brown. —Kezia Pigford
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