Books
Trading Innocence
NEW RELEASE
Trading Innocence is the third book in the Matt Jamison courtroom legal thriller series. Matt Jamison and his investigators are confronted with protecting two young girls from the dark world of international sex trafficking. After escaping from their captors, the girls face a web of vicious criminals who are determined to exploit them for money and pleasure. Can Jamison and his investigators keep them safe? Full of unexpected twists and turns, Trading Innocence delves into the darker side of life, exploring how money, power, and depravity can combine and fuel sinister acts against vulnerable children. A captivating tale of innocence lost, Jamison fights to protect the lives of the young victims and to help them find justice.
Finalist in the Thriller/Crime category of the 2022 American Fiction Awards
Honorable Mention in the General Fiction category of the 2022 Paris Book Festival Awards
Reviews Trading Innocence
- “A great continuation of the Matt Jamison series. This one tugged at a variety of emotions as the case got deeper and deeper. Twists and turns will keep you off balance – an enjoyable read.” -Amazon Reviews
Hands Through Stone
Hands Through Stone reveals the true story behind the Fran’s Market murders and their mastermind, Clarence Ray Allen, the last man executed in California. This book gives the reader an insider’s view of the investigation that brought Allen to justice. A true crime story that reads like an intricate mystery novel, Hands Through Stone dramatizes chilling scenes of murder, dogged investigation, and a gallery of quirky real-life characters: cops, witnesses, villains, and Clarence Ray Allen—the man who ordered the vicious killings from behind the walls of Folsom Prison.
“A terrifying look at the mind of evil and the lengths it can go. Hands Through Stone is a fine addition to any true crime collection focusing on California.” -California Bookwatch
Reviews Hands Through Stone
- “A terrifying look at the mind of evil and the lengths it can go. Hands Through Stone is a fine addition to any true crime collection focusing on California.” -California Bookwatch
- “In this true-crime investigation, written in narrative style, Ardaiz brings general readers along as he builds his case piece by piece from the investigation to the eventual trial.” -Reference and Research Book News
- “Hands Through Stone tells a frightening story with all the tension and color of a first-class mystery novel … a revealing insider’s view of the investigation.” -www.CrimeMagazine.com
- “Goes inside the room at Fran’s Market and gives not only the events on the infamous night but the feelings of the horror of the seasoned investigators. A must read for readers and writers of mystery books. Highly recommended!” -The Poison Pen
- “A fascinating and engrossing book. Ardaiz handles the story sensitively and with a gentleness one doesn’t expect from a hard-nosed prosecutor. I highly recommend reading it.” -Kings River Life
- “A riveting true crime account any California library will find engrossing!” -Midwest Book Review
- “Ardaiz’s writing about police work is in depth … The final chapter was thought-provoking and put a different perspective on the death penalty for me … had me thinking about the book long after I had finished it.” -TrueCrimeReader.com
- “Hands Through Stone unravels the evil web wrapped around the gruesome crime known as the Fran’s Market murders, a crime so horrible and inconceivable there is no doubt it is true … This book is reminiscent of In Cold Blood; it is that eloquent and engrossing. But where Capote showed his affinity for the killers, this author, James Ardaiz, shows his reverence and compassion for the victims and their families. He witnessed Allen’s execution and wrote of it with gentleness and respect. Truman Capote’s anti-death penalty opinion is clear in his book. Ardaiz does not try to persuade his reader to either side of the death penalty argument. However, Ardaiz does have a strong opinion of justice delayed. It is simply wrong.” -Amazon Reviews
Tears of Honor
Tears of Honor tells a story based upon actual events torn from the pages of American history. A sweeping novel of history, war, and courage in the face of injustice, Tears of Honor depicts a dark moment in American history of Japanese Americans sending their sons to fight against Nazi tyranny in Europe while they remained imprisoned by the American government.
Using hundreds of hours of interviews and research, this book describes actual events based upon historical documents and the memory of those who were there. The story of the detentions of Japanese Americans, the actions of the government, and the heroism of young men who left American internment camps to fight for their country are woven together to allow the reader to see through the lens of those who lived during this moment in history.
“Emotionally charged with a fine blend of military clashes, history, and insights into prejudice and redemption in a gripping saga that is hard to put down and realistic in its roots.”- The Bookwatch
2022 Silver Medalist for National Historical Novel of the Year by the American Association of Independent Publishers
Reviews Tears of Honor
- “Emotionally charged with a fine blend of military clashes, history, and insights into prejudice and redemption in a gripping saga that is hard to put down and realistic in its roots.” -The Bookwatch
- “The meticulous research of the author, James Ardaiz, is apparent on every page of this wonderful book … The book offers insight into why the historical figures, both civilian and military, made the monumentally horrific decision to imprison American citizens based solely on their race.” -Amazon Reviews
- “There’s a lot to unpack here – racism, heroism, love, friendship, fear, hope, courage and honor. The book is well worth reading.” -Amazon Reviews
Fractured Justice
Fractured Justice is the first book in the Matt Jamison series—a courtroom legal thriller series in which a young prosecutor steps out from the black-and-white world of law school to explore the concept of justice in the shades-of-gray criminal justice system.
Assistant District Attorney Matt Jamison gets his first major case. He is confronted by a meticulously staged crime scene—a dead woman scrubbed of all forensic evidence, laid out on a canal bank in rural Central California. Jamison must cope with a sophisticated and elusive killer, mounting pressure to win a high-profile case, and his own conscience. A gripping, fast-paced, and coldly realistic thriller that tracks a killer from the crime scene to the courtroom and to a devastating aftermath.
“This authentic, intelligent and gripping novel of courtroom suspense dares to profoundly examine the elusiveness of truth—legally, psychologically, morally—in order to explore the meaning of justice for terrifying crimes. The reader is kept off-balance to the last pages and pondering far beyond that.” -Joseph Wambaugh, Author: The Onion Field, The New Centurions
Reviews Fractured Justice
- “Decidedly and unreservedly recommended.” -Midwest Book Review
- “This authentic, intelligent and gripping novel of courtroom suspense dares to profoundly examine the elusiveness of truth—legally, psychologically, morally—in order to explore the meaning of justice for terrifying crimes. The reader is kept off-balance to the last pages and pondering far beyond that.” -Joseph Wambaugh, Author: The Onion Field, The New Centurions
- “Good Reads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Start by marking Fractured Justice as a want to read.” -Good Reads Reviews
Shades of Truth
Shades of Truth is the second book in the Matt Jamison courtroom legal thriller series. A cold murder case is reopened and exposes disturbing secrets. The child who identified the murderer is now an adult and recanting her testimony. The attorney for the man convicted is demanding a new trial. As Jamison retraces the original investigation, he finds evidence of corruption in the District Attorney’s office. He is faced with a question that will shatter his lifelong relationships, endanger his career, and threaten his faith in the justice system: Is exposing the truth worth the damage?
“Characters are well drawn, their motivations and personal demons haunting enough to draw in even reluctant readers. It’s an easy book to sink into … a well-crafted cold case legal thriller.” -Kings River Life
Reviews Shades of Truth
- “Characters are well drawn, their motivations and personal demons haunting enough to draw in even reluctant readers. It’s an easy book to sink into … a well-crafted cold case legal thriller.” -Kings River Life
