TRELL

..

In1988,TrellTaylorwasathreemontholdbabylivingwithhermother,
Shey,andfather,Romero,inatinyapartmentaboveastoreintheRoxbury
neighborhoodofBoston.Onehotsummernight,andjustdownthestreet,a
13yearoldgirlsocializingwithfriendsandsittingonabluemailboxwasfatally
shotinastreetgangdisputegoneawry.Thekilling,andthegangviolencebehindit,
causedoutrage.SomeneighborhoodleadersinsistedtheNationalGuardwasneeded
torestorelawandordertothecity.Bostonpoliceandthedistrictattorneywere
undergreatpressuretosolvethemurderoftheGirlontheBlueMailbox.Withina
week,TrellsfatherRomero,whompoliceknewasafreelancedrugdealer,was
charged.Hewasconvictedattrialofmurderandsentencedtolifeinprison.

Trellgrewupwithherfatherinprison,visitinghimweeklyandalways
convincedofhisinnocence.Whenyoucominhome?wasthequestionthegirl
alwaysaskedattheendofeachandeveryprisonvisit.

Whenthebookopens,Trellisnow13,thesameageasthegirltragically
murderedin1988,andthestorytrackshersummerlongcrusadetogetherDaddy
outofprison.Herfavoritebookis

TrueGrit,andTrellpossessesthesame
independentspiritandtruegritasMattieRoss,herfavoritecharacterinthenovel.
TrellsclosingwordsattheendofherprisonvisitswithherDaddyhaseven
changedinthepastyear.Nowits,Imgonnagetyououtaprison.

Trellworkswithhermotherandthefamilysattorney,ayounganddogged
lawyernamedNoraWalsh,topreparealegalappeal.Whenthatfails,andwhenthe
lawyersaystheyneedtodigupnewevidenceshowingthatRomeroTaylorwas
framed,Trellteamsupwithaburnedout,fiftysomethingnewspaperreporter
namedClemensBittner.TrelllearnsthatBittnerwasonceregardedasthebest
investigativereporterinBoston,butformorethanadecadehasbeenimprisonedby
grief;BittnersyoungsondiedtragicallyofReyessyndrome;hismarriagebrokeup,
andBittnernowworksthegraveyardshift(midnightto8am)atthepaperwhile
spendinghisdaysinatiny,darkenedapartmentthatresemblesajailcell.

TrellrousesBittneroutofhisBigSleep,andtogethertheyworkBostons
meanstreetstouncovertheevidencethattheDistrictAttorneyhadcorruptly
convictedherfatherbyforcingyoungwitnessestoincriminateRomero.Bittner
comesaliveagain,dustingoffhisformidableandtoughreportingskills.Their
investigationispackedwithsuspenseanddanger,asitleadsthemtothepowerful
streetgangleaderLamarThumperParish,whoisatoncetherealkilleroftheGirl
ontheBlueMailboxandaninformantthedistrictattorneyhasprotected.

Intheend,theirquestforjusticesucceeds.ThestoryclimaxeswithRomero
Taylorsexoneration.YoungTrellTaylorhasactuallysavedthelivesoftwomen
freeingherfatherfromprison,andClemensBittnerfromhisgrief.