McCracken Poston Jr

McCracken Poston Jr.

Zenith Man

Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom

Purchase

Zenith man

AJC Article

‘Zenith Man’ gets late-in-life hug from Ga. town that once feared him

Zenith man

Nominated for Crime Book of the Year

CrimeCon’s Clue Awards, to be Hosted by Ashleigh Banfield

Zenith man

"Like a nonfiction John Grisham thriller with echoes of Rainman, Just Mercy, and a captivating smalltown Southern setting, this is the fascinating true story—sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking—of an idealistic young lawyer determined to free an innocent neurodivergent man accused of murdering the wife no one knew he had."

Zenith man

True Crime Legends Speak

"A case that simply defies belief. You can't make something like this up!"

- Paul Dowling, Executive Producer, with Vince Sherry, Senior Producer, Forensic Files

"Was this a case of murder - or a most unusual love story?"

- Bill Kurtis, A&E's American Justice

ALL REVIEWS

Join the community

Newsletter to get in touch

McCracken Poston is a good storyteller and has a good story to tell, with the kinds of twists and turns that will make readers think it’s great fiction—except it all happened.

Jon Meacham

New York Times bestselling author, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

Poston found himself defending a guy everyone thought was guilty in what appeared to be a slam-dunk murder case. But the amazing truth in this true crime drama is there was no crime at all. It’s one hell of a story.

Jonathan Karl

author of Betrayal, Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News

Poston is a natural storyteller in the great Southern Gothic tradition. He sees the pain, but finds the humor, too, and ultimately the humanity, turning a tale of murder into a remarkable story of love, friendship and justice.

Rory Kennedy

Emmy Award‑winning documentary filmmaker

McCracken King Poston Jr.’s skillful account in Zenith Man is a warning about prejudice, a rush to judgment, and how Americans who are different can be swept up unfairly in our justice system. An inspiring tale about courage and how both lawyer and client helped each other find redemption. A must-read.

Pete Earley

New York Times bestselling author of The Hot House, Crazy, and No Human Contact

Poston's unique voice has brought to life two fascinating characters thrown into a case that challenges our basic assumptions about law enforcement, the courts, and the media. You won't be able to put down The Zenith Man until the very last word.

Charles Bosworth, Jr, and Joel Schwartz

authors of Bone Deep

McCracken King Poston Jr, is a criminal defense attorney and former state legislator in the Georgia House of Representatives. He gained national attention for his handling of several notable cases that were featured on CNN Presents, Dateline NBC, A&E’s American Justice and Forensic Files.

Amazon Bio

Book Clubs

McCracken Poston Jr. is scheduling Book Clubs for private appearances! Depending on location and availability, the session could be in person or virtual!

Book Now!

McCracken Poston Jr and Alvin Ridley, 2023.

LATEST NEWS

McCracken Poston Jr

McCracken Poston Jr. Follow

https://t.co/ZlxkkhLEKG, I wrote a book about a strange murder trial. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."-Maya Angelou

McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

10 Oct

The artist's credit and photo, framed by Ringgold Art & Frame, went up yesterday in Caffeine Addicts Coffee.

Reply on Twitter 1844337409657553078 Retweet on Twitter 1844337409657553078 Like on Twitter 1844337409657553078 7 Twitter 1844337409657553078

McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

9 Oct

THE LADIES OF THE BLACK CREEK BOOK CLUB from the beautiful Black Creek community just west of Chattanooga put on a fun author event last night! I knew this would be fun when a hang glider soared overhead as I walked into the clubhouse. Since everyone had read or listened to the…

Reply on Twitter 1843935208497693179 Retweet on Twitter 1843935208497693179 Like on Twitter 1843935208497693179 Twitter 1843935208497693179

McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

4 Oct

I've been on a "blog book tour" this week, sharing Alvin's story with the world. It is not as fun as an actual book tour, but it is easier on the gas tank and just as effective, if not more, in reaching people who want to read a good story.
Back to the fun again as I'm going to…

Reply on Twitter 1842172891166634336 Retweet on Twitter 1842172891166634336 Like on Twitter 1842172891166634336 3 Twitter 1842172891166634336

McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

3 Oct

I'm always humbled by the reception of this book outside of our community and far away from Georgia and Tennessee. Please tell your distant friends and family about this story. It was an important one before I even ventured to write it.
And I hope to see you at the Decatur Book…

Reply on Twitter 1841865703546040615 Retweet on Twitter 1841865703546040615 Like on Twitter 1841865703546040615 Twitter 1841865703546040615

McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

27 Sep

That neck brace! It was Alvin's signature look. But forgetting it on the first day of trial created the risk of him bolting from the courtroom! Thanks to Eddie Test Medical Supply, then in the building where Southern Charm is today, we got back on track!

Reply on Twitter 1839615219015803142 Retweet on Twitter 1839615219015803142 Like on Twitter 1839615219015803142 1 Twitter 1839615219015803142

McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

26 Sep

Thanks to all who have reviewed my book! Book reviews can trigger another algorithm that informs booksellers what to stock and promote, which leads to more people reading it. You can write a review on most sites that sell books.

Reply on Twitter 1839273631341240370 Retweet on Twitter 1839273631341240370 Like on Twitter 1839273631341240370 1 Twitter 1839273631341240370

McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

11 Sep

The Monarch Music and Arts Community in Louisville, Kentucky is an amazing space. Jim White and I did a music/literary show there this year and got in this ad!

Reply on Twitter 1833925268177654070 Retweet on Twitter 1833925268177654070 Like on Twitter 1833925268177654070 1 Twitter 1833925268177654070

McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

19 Aug

AN OLD FRIEND IS BACK!
This sign extended over the sidewalk in front of Alvin’s shop from the early 1970s until the building had to come down over 20 years ago. It has been in storage since.
Double-sided, the side emphasizing the word “COLOR” faced toward the courthouse. Now, it…

Reply on Twitter 1825562523778863611 Retweet on Twitter 1825562523778863611 1 Like on Twitter 1825562523778863611 7 Twitter 1825562523778863611

McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

19 Aug

Since Alvin's late life diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, I'm still learning. And it turns out that there is a very high correlation between Alvin's somatization (psychological belief that physical ailments are real physiological issues), diagnosed in 1998 by the state…

Reply on Twitter 1825468845026353602 Retweet on Twitter 1825468845026353602 Like on Twitter 1825468845026353602 4 Twitter 1825468845026353602

McCracken Poston Jr. @realzenithman ·

12 Aug

PLEASE SHARE - KINDLE DEAL ONLY - LIMITED TIME ONLY!
This is Alvin Ridley, in 1999, standing in his dilapidated and shuttered Zenith TV shop. Accused in 1998 of holding his wife in their basement for three decades, and then killing her, he was in trouble.
I was his lawyer, and…