From the Bookshelves: A Hate Crime in Brooklyn by David Secular (2024)

Here is a press release about a book that ImmigrationProf readers may find of interest.

A Hate Crime in Brooklyn Highlights Historical Oppression of Women, Racial Injustice, and Offers Hope for Resolutions

BROOKLYN, NY, Jan. 7, 2025 — When Sofia Hushemi, a sheltered Albanian immigrant, carelessly collides with Sylvester Stanley on her way home from Prospect Park, both escape injury. Upon discovering the loss of her precious ring, gifted to her by Victor, the feared kingpin of the Albanian American Mafia, she frantically presumes Sylvester, a Black man, was not a jogger, but a culprit. Hours later, Sylvester is attacked in broad daylight, leaving Sofia facing life behind bars for allegedly ordering the attack. Can justice prevail in a city torn by hate?

Fans of John Grisham and Jodi Picoult will find plenty of contemporary societal issues to think about and discuss in A Hate Crime in Brooklyn, the gripping new legal thriller from attorney and author David G. Secular.

“I wrote the novel because I wanted to convey the interaction between people of starkly different backgrounds that could only take place in the community where I was born and most often worked, Brooklyn, New York,” Secular explained. “I also wanted to address the prejudice that exists deep inside everyone, that is so often hidden and unrecognized while holding out a vision that it can be overcome.”

Secular’s intimate familiarity with courtroom proceedings is on full display, as he depicts a tension-filled trial that is full of surprises. Can Sofia escape conviction for the racially motivated crime that has polarized New York?

Gripping, thought-provoking and moving, A Hate Crime in Brooklyn is much more than a story of yet another presumptuous attempt to kill a Black man solely because of the color of his skin. It is a tale of understanding and forgiveness for our troubled times as well as an unforgettable love story, which will mesmerize and delight readers of all ages.

A Hate Crime in Brooklyn

Publisher: Central Park South Publishing

ISBN-13: 978-1956452648

Hardcover available from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com and Waterstones.com

Also available in paperback and eBook

KJ