A Rainy Night in Georgia
A Lawman's Brutal Murder, a Rogue Southern Sheriff, and a Prosecutor's Quest for Justice
By: J. Tom Morgan
Narrator: J. Tom Morgan
Contributor: John Capouya
ISBN:9798349169885
Publisher: Dreamscape Media Publication Date: 09/15/2026
Format:Audio
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (ALC)
"A sheriff-elect was murdered. I was next on the hit list." —J.Tom Morgan
In December 2000, Derwin Brown, the newly elected sheriff of DeKalb County, Georgia, was ambushed and murdered in his own driveway just days before taking office. He had run on reform—promising to clean up corruption and restore integrity to the sheriff's department—defeating the powerful incumbent in a bitter runoff.
The case fell to J.Tom Morgan, then the county's elected District Attorney. Working alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement, Morgan pursued the case through months of dead ends, mounting pressure, and intense public scrutiny. It became a national media sensation, combining political intrigue with revelations of government corruption, murder-for-hire plots, and a never-before-tried legal strategy in the Georgia criminal justice system. Then the case became personal: Morgan learned that his own name was next on the killer's hit list.
In A Rainy Night in Georgia, Morgan gives listeners something almost no one else can—a first-person account of power, danger, and integrity from inside the justice system. What began as a baffling, unsolved murder evolved into one of the most extraordinary political assassination cases in modern American history after a shocking discovery.
Part true-crime thriller, part memoir of public service under fire, this gripping book reveals what it truly costs to hold powerful people accountable.
My Review
When the Justice System Fights Back: Inside the DeKalb County Assassination
Intro
When a newly elected official is assassinated on his own driveway, a community is shaken to its core. In A Rainy Night in Georgia, former District Attorney J. Tom Morgan delivers a chilling, first-person account of one of the most shocking political assassination cases in modern American history.
The Hook
"A sheriff-elect was murdered. I was next on the hit list."
Elevator Pitch
In December 2000, newly elected DeKalb County Sheriff Derwin Brown was brutally ambushed and killed just days before taking office. Written by the very District Attorney who prosecuted the case, this book chronicles the grueling investigation into government corruption, murder-for-hire plots, and the terrifying moment the prosecutor realized he was the assassin's next target.
Setting
DeKalb County, Georgia (suburban Atlanta) during the rain-slicked winter of 2000.
Vibe
Gritty, tense, and deeply atmospheric. It balances the procedural precision of a legal thriller with the raw, emotional weight of a personal memoir.
Genre
True Crime / Memoir / Criminology / Murder & Mayhem True Accounts
Themes
~Systemic Corruption: The dangerous lengths entrenched powers will go to protect illicit networks.
~The Cost of Integrity: The heavy personal and professional price of public service under fire.
~Justice and Perseverance: Navigating months of dead ends and intense public scrutiny to uncover the truth.
Standout Characters
~J. Tom Morgan: The author, narrator, and relentless District Attorney driving the prosecution.
~Derwin Brown: The tragic, reform-minded sheriff-elect who paid the ultimate price for promising to clean up the department.
~Sidney Dorsey: The powerful incumbent sheriff whose administration was riddled with corruption allegations.
Author Writing Standout
Morgan's unique perspective provides an unrivaled inside look at the justice system. Rather than a detached journalistic overview, his writing is infused with genuine urgency and emotional depth, making readers feel the claustrophobic dread of a man working a high-stakes case while looking over his own shoulder.
Takeaway
Holding powerful people accountable requires immense courage, a flawless legal strategy, and a willingness to confront absolute danger.
Title Significance
The title refers directly to the fateful, dreary night in December 2000 when Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown arrived home on a quiet street carrying birthday roses for his wife, only to be assassinated in his own driveway before morning.
Metaphor
The "rainy night" serves as a metaphor for the cloud of corruption and uncertainty that rolled over DeKalb County's law enforcement—a darkness that could only be cleared by exposing the truth to the light of the courtroom.
Why You Should Read
This is a rare true-crime saga narrated by the man who actually lived it through every fascinating twist, turn, and legal breakthrough. If you love political intrigue, courtroom drama, and true stories with impossibly high stakes, this is a must-read.
My Thoughts
What makes this book unforgettable is its emotional core. It brilliantly avoids being a dry breakdown of court filings, choosing instead to emphasize the profound impact on the victims' families, the community, and the investigators who risked their lives to secure a conviction.
”A propulsive true-crime standout that transitions flawlessly from a bleak, unsolved mystery into a high-stakes legal showdown. It tracks a massive historical milestone: the first time a Georgia politician was convicted under the anti-corruption RICO Act. A satisfying victory of law over absolute corruption."
Audiobook 🎧 Standout
"The audiobook is a cinematic experience narrated directly by the author, J. Tom Morgan. Hearing the story in Morgan's authentic, gravelly Southern drawl completely transforms the text. When he recounts the chilling moment investigators found his own name on the hitlist, the raw gravity gives you goosebumps."
Recs or read alikes
~Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
~The Book of Murder: A Prosecutor's Journey Through Love and Death by Matt Murphy.
~Mr. Prosecutor: 25 Years Fighting Crime in the South: A Memoir: Former Prosecuting Attorney in the 4th Judicial District of Arkansas by Terry Jones.
~Blue Line Rogue: Corruption in Georgia by John Masters
~Peculiar Tribe of People: Murder And Madness In The Heart Of Georgia by Richard Jay Hutto.
Verdict: 4.5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟✨
"A gripping, unputdownable masterpiece of Southern true crime."
Special thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for sharing an advance listening copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Sept 15, 2026
My Rating. 4.5 Stars
Sept 2026 Must-Read Books
Praise
“Gripping…Morgan turns the ins and outs of the case into a propulsive page-turner. It’s tough to put down.”
-- Publishers Weekly
"This engrossing tale of corruption and murder, told by an insider to the investigation, will be a welcome addition to most public libraries' true-crime collections." -
- Library Journal
“Some criminal cases just stick with you, and this case sticks with me more than most. A Rainy Night in Georgia is J.Tom’s recount of both the personal risk and professional challenge of seeing justice served in this shocking and headline-making case. This book is a page-turner, a riveting tale not only about a crime and the investigation to follow but also about the importance of the First Amendment and the critical role reporters play. It is a reminder: The same greed, corruption and lust for power that made headlines in 2000 remain an issue today.” -
- Deborah Norville, New York Times bestselling author and Emmy Award-winning television journalist
“J.Tom’s account of corruption and murder is gripping and full of surprises. His fight for accountability brought a tear to my eye. But as shocking as the crimes were—including the threats to J.Tom himself—the book also contains lighter moments that made me laugh. A modern-day To Kill a Mockingbird.”
-- Norman Eisen, CNN legal analyst, Senior Fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, co-founder States United Democracy Center, author, lawyer
“J.Tom's compelling account is both chilling and satisfying, as you see justice being delivered upon a killer.”
-- Richard Deane, Past President, American College of Trial Lawyers and former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia
“A Rainy Night In Georgia gives us many things: a thrilling read of a horrific crime; a tale of corruption and the chilling danger of facing it; and a plot as gripping as a good novel that
familiarizes the reader with the authentic workings of the justice system. It is the inspiring first-hand account of a district attorney willing to put his own life at risk to assure that justice is done."
-- Diane McPhail, author of The Abolitionist’s Daughter, The Seamstress of New Orleans, and Follow the Stars Home
“A fresh, fast-moving take. How the crime unfolded and the greedy, power-hungry motives behind it are as shocking today as the headlines were at the time. Mixing memoir with a compelling true crime story, J.Tom joins an illustrious group of attorneys-turned-authors whose page-turning prose keeps the reader as engaged as the jurors who once listened to their courtroom oratory.”
-- Melita Easters, panelist at The Georgia Gang, Executive Director and Founding Chair at Georgia WIN List
“Combining J.Tom Morgan’s roles as prosecutor and shocked member of society, this is an unbelievable tale—one that was all too true. A riveting inside look at the unfolding investigation of an outrageous and bizarre assassination.” -
- Bill Torpy, Metro columnist, Atlanta Journal Constitution
“The public's confidence in justice was in the balance in the summer of 2000, and J.Tom never blinked. His decision to prosecute the murderers of Derwin Brown stands as the most courageous and consequential act I’ve witnessed in my 40-year career. A fascinating and original telling of his story."
-- Dale Cardwell, former investigative reporter, WSB-TV
About the Author
J.Tom Morgan served as the elected District Attorney of DeKalb County, GA, from 1992-2004. He was the first recipient from the United States to be awarded the Special Achievement Award from the International Association of Prosecutors in 2003. Prior to his time as DA, Morgan served as an Assistant District Attorney in DeKalb County for nine years and was the first prosecutor in Georgia--and one of the first in the nation--to specialize in the prosecution of crimes against children. As a nationally recognized expert on criminal justice, he has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, CNN, Court TV, and 48 Hours, among others. Morgan has lectured to prosecutors and law enforcement officials in more than 30 states, Puerto Rico, and Europe, and served on the faculty of the National College of District Attorneys.
John Capouya has written and edited for publications including the New York Times, Newsweek, SmartMoney, and Sport, among others, over his 25-year career in journalism. He taught journalism and nonfiction writing at the University of Tampa, and his developmental editing clients include New York Times bestselling authors. He is the author of Gorgeous George: The Outrageous Bad-Boy Wrestler Who Created American Pop Culture, among other books on yoga and music.
