MENDACITY

JODI ARIAS: Secret Witness

By: Lisa Wilson, Nick van der Leek

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

“The horror of Jodi Arias is that by murdering Travis she discovered her true self, she became the fully formed chameleon that was crawling in the shadows, and once the spotlight of the court and media fell on her, it didn’t feel like the cold light of truth, but something to warm herself under..." MENDACITY is a follow-up to the bestselling AUDACITY. Beyond Jodi’s failures it deals with the failures of Juror 17 to be honest not only towards her fellow jurors, but likely, even towards herself. MENDACITY’s interrogation of Juror 17 exposes the woman who single-handedly bungled the conclusion of a 7 year case that cost $3.2 million. “One juror said #17 called the death penalty a ‘form of revenge’…” But wasn’t that Juror 17’s motive in being a holdout? Did Juror 17 want payback for the prosecutor who sentenced her husband to jail? True Crime writer Lisa Wilson travels to Phoenix to find Jodi, follow the jurors and pursue Justice for Travis, but these prove to be elusive. Meanwhile, South African photojournalist Nick van der Leek does detective work in a whole new field: MENDACITY. Why do they lie? Once again, both authors' interrogations will surprise and terrify the reader. MENDACITY focuses almost entirely on the Penalty Phase of the jaw-dropping Jodi Arias trial. Many new dialogues between Travis and Jodi are brought to light, dissected and analyzed. The reader can expect plenty of surprises, and more than a few awkward moments, when the lessons learned about Jodi and Travis are turned and reflected - sharply – at ourselves. Note from the authors: "One of the things that differentiates our narratives from the many that are out there is besides interrogating the criminals, we also try to understand the victim’s story, and then we turn those same interrogations back to society and ourselves. If we can’t – or won’t – do that, then these horrible crimes (and their perpetrators) are doomed to repeat themselves. What if, by paying attention, we can heal ourselves and our societies?" Extract from the final chapter: "The mere attention of the world – even if it’s cynical, gloating or accusatory – is satisfying [for Jodi], because it is far better than what preceded it. Rejection. Insignificance. Finitude. ...”