Lake City Reporter - January 27, 2007
Local Attorney Recounts Friend’s Ordeal in Novel
Pierce Kelley, a local attorney, released his third novel, A Plenary Indulgence, three weeks ago. It is based on a true story that occurred in Tampa when a restaurant owner who was robbed at gunpoint chased the robber in his car and the robber died after the car came in contact with the robber.
After investigating the incident for many months, the Hillsborough County State Attorney charged the restaurant owner with vehicular manslaughter.
“I met the man, who owned a Thai restaurant not far from where I worked, while working at a large law firm in downtown Tampa. Every week or so I ate there and over time we became friendly. One night while watching the news I learned of his arrest. I called him the next day and offered what assistance I could without becoming a witness myself.”
Kelley said the man told him many things that didn’t pertain to the crime itself, such as the nightmares he experienced and how the robber would come back and try to kill him in his dreams.
“He probably won’t get that man or that incident out of his head for the rest of his life. This story was front page news in Tampa. The headline from the last article written about read ‘Restaurant owner acquitted, his life sentence begins.
“Although the book was written before the case was tried, I waited until the case was concluded before submitting it for publication. The epilogue to the book lets readers know what happened to the person on whom the book is based. I like to write books on things that could actually happen to people, as this situation did. I like to think my books are more realistic and less sensational than what is written by others in my genre.
The title of the book is a term coming from the Catholic Church. In the middle ages, plenary indulgences, or “complete forgiveness” for sins, were bought, meaning people could “buy” there way to heaven.
“I created an ending that I hope readers will find interesting. It is an unusual ending, and it is pure fiction. It is, however, based on a true story.