The Guardians

The book opens with the voice of Cullen Post, the book’s first-person limited point of view narrator, stating: “Duke Russell is not guilty of the unspeakable crimes for which he was convicted” (1). Post, who goes by his last name, is the pro bono lawyer who is trying to help exonerate Duke, a man on death row in Alabama who is set to be executed on that day. In the book’s opening scene, Post is sitting with Russell in “the Death Room” (3) while they wait to learn if the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals will issue a stay, keeping Duke alive. Duke is already eating his last meal when Post gets the phone call informing him that a stay has been issued. Post has more time to get the evidence he needs to free his client.

Duke is accused of raping and murdering a young woman named Emily Broone 11 years ago. Post knows Duke is innocent. He also suspects who the real murderer is: Mark Carter. Post reveals a small-town prosecutor, Chad Falwright, as “the architect of Duke’s wrongful conviction” (7). Falwright was determined to lock someone up quickly for the crime and used flimsy evidence, like the testimony of known jailhouse snitch Lucky Skelton, to lock Duke up.