A Murder in Music City

July 24, 2017
Bishop, a sales executive, proves a surprisingly effective amateur sleuth in this gripping examination of a 1964 slaying in Nashville that was apparently solved at the time. In 1997, after agreeing to help a friend research a history of major crimes committed in that city, Bishop found a file on the murder of college student Paula Herring, who was babysitting her younger brother in their home when she was killed, and became fascinated by the case. His review of the public records and interviews with local residents bolstered his suspicions that John Randolph Clarke was wrongfully convicted for the killing. By doggedly following every lead and using a salesman’s skills to gain the trust of the witnesses he interviewed, Bishop uncovers evidence that Clarke was framed, and, in so doing, builds a plausible and chilling theory as to the identity of the actual murderer. His first-person account of the steps he took to ascertain the truth gives the narrative a sense of immediacy.