VIVIAN@TheFifthLetter.Com“What does the movie “Roots” have in common with the 21st century decisions of the United States Supreme Court?
“What common ground, if any, exists among lobbyists, media, Congress and radical left and right wing organizations?
“What influence do past decisions of one’s family have on the decisions of their children, now in a position of power, to change the course of history?
“Finally, are there any hidden secrets or skeletons in one’s closet that survive the passage of time?
“The answers to these questions and more are found in Vivian Carpenter’s riveting, intriguing and shocking novel about the inner workings of the United States Supreme Court and those insiders and outsiders seeking to shape the Court’s opinions.
“From the beginning chapter as Katherine Helena Ross is summoned to meet with the President of the United States to the final words, “power of the people in America for two hundred years'” this novel is as compelling a page-turner as the best of John Grisham’s epics. Like crackerjacks or Lay’s potato chips, just one chapter at a time is not enough. At the end, with the characters so delicately and painstakingly drawn with their strengths, weaknesses, temptations, love interests and foibles, you will not be satisfied until you see this story come to life on the big screen.
“So much has the book gathered my attention, that were I a Hollywood film producer, I would negotiate now for the careen rights.
“Oprah, Denzel, Barabra, Steve or Clint — want to make your day?
“Whether you are a history buff, law student, budding politician, entrepreneur, activist, judge, arm-chair Walter Mitty or a beginning student in a civics class, this book is for you. As well as your grandma, grandpa and Aunt Matilda.”
Lee V. Bakunin
April 29, 2015
“Frequently political novels are a genre for truth telling. Dr. Vivian Carpenter’s description of inside Washington rings true. The Fifth Letter takes us forward to a United States Supreme Court foreshadowed by the current Court’s personalities and political tilt. This novel will engage and educate its readers.”
Former U.S. Senator Bob Graham of Florida
Former Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee
“The Fifth Letter” is a remarkable first novel… The past informs the present in this contemplative, sophisticated judicial thriller. The moral/legal conundrum at the center hooked me and never let go. In this court of public appeal… a clear victory.
Gregory Allen Howard
Screenwriter “Ali” “Remember The Titans”
“The Fifth Letter is a fine new addition to the field of legal fiction. But we’ve never had one like this before, because it’s about judges, not lawyers, and not just any judges. The Fifth Letter takes us into the chambers of the Supreme Court and brings to vivid fictional life the men and women who in so many ways determine our national destiny. Vivian Carpenter gives us a fascinating view of how business gets done in the Court and on Capitol Hill while also delivering a novel of big political ideas, a riveting study of race in America, and a tale of buried secrets, lost loves, and page-turning suspense. — William Martin, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Lost Constitution and The Lincoln Letter
“The Fifth Letter has it all – suspense, intrigue, history, humor, romance, tragedy and redemption. Entertaining, informative, and moving!”
Becky Armour, Dallas Texas
“The Fifth Letter is the kind of book that keeps you reading all night to see what happens next. The novel begins with a brilliant attorney named Katherine Helena Ross becoming the first black female on the US Supreme Court. It quickly becomes a thrill-a-minute ride down some highly dangerous roads.
“Ross must decide whether to join her colleagues in moving to unseat John Galt, the only black male on the U.S. Supreme Court, on the grounds that he is no longer capable of doing his job. Meanwhile, all kinds of people try to influence her, including her mother, a powerful former boyfriend and unscrupulous political operatives.
“The Fifth Letter blends fact and fiction, but you’ll have no trouble guessing who some of the characters partially represent. It also includes rockets thrown through windows, a foreign invasion, pirates with a history of helping to defend America, murderous corporate interests, paid demonstrators meant to be massacred and a man who kills himself with a 10-inch chef’s blade.
“Yet author Vivian Carpenter holds it all together. Katherine Ross remains a woman with integrity, and flashbacks to her family’s struggles in old Jim Crow Georgia give the book humanity and depth.”
Betty DeRamus,
Author
