John Katzenbach’s Just Cause (1992) is a tightly-woven psychological and legal thriller that, among other things, questions the concepts of guilt and innocence and also the harm that one can suffer if one pursues the truth in a world where justice is usually distorted by power and fear. The protagonist is Matt Cowart, a Miami newspaper editor. Matt's disillusionment with journalism grows and yet when investigating the case of Bobby Earl Ferguson, a death-row inmate who claims he was wrongfully convicted of rape and murder, his disillusionment turns into obsession. As a result, what starts as a simple investigation soon spirals down a confusing maze of deceit, moral ambiguity, and brutal violence.
Matt got a letter from Bobby Earl. He said that he was forced to make a false confession and that the police had fabricated the evidence to get a conviction. For a start, Matt doesn't really believe the story; nevertheless, after witnessing the shoddy work in the investigation of the case, he cannot resist getting involved in the case - and here we see poor or even fake forensic work, a very eager detective, and the terrible fact that racism and poverty might have influenced the prosecution more than the actual facts. The public, assisted by Matt's written works, which bring to light the injustices and increase the people's wrath, compel the release of Bobby Earl. The reporter who had doubted the power of his profession to do good changes momentarily into a hero of justice.
Unfortunately, the plot turns grim when Bobby Earl returns to the outside world. Instead of living a peaceful life, he chooses to behave strangely but, at the same time, in a very thoughtful and deliberate way. Matt discovers with a fright that he perhaps has played a part in liberating a man who is not only guilty but also capable of heinous acts. As a result of a fresh series of brutal crimes coming to light whose nature is the same as that of the previous one, it is becoming evident that the person who committed the murder may be the one to have deceived Matt and the justice system, thus utilizing sympathies and legal jargon as a disguise to hide his nefarious actions.
On the other hand, police forces are not sitting idly by waiting for what may happen next but instead they are working hard in order to find the mistakes they did before in their work. The detective who has to solve the case of Bobby Earl turns into Matt's adversary. That is to say, while Matt is able to see the oppression of the system, the detective can see only a reporter who is interfering in a matter that is beyond his abilities. Their dispute mirrors the novel’s pinpointed struggle between power of institutions and individual ethical ideas. Before they find out the whole truth, both of them actually have to deal with the effects of their false assumptions and the part played by people in such situations.
The turning point in the story makes Matt face off with Bobby Earl. The latter's cleverness and charm for sociopathy help one see how effortlessly those who know where the cracks in the system lie can manipulate the system. Acknowledging that, Matt admits that the quest for a "just cause" was in fact fogged by his own ego and idealism - his instinct to reveal the corruption overshadowed the need to recognize the complexity of human nature. Matt has made such a blunder that he has let loose a power that he cannot govern and the novel turns into a reflection on the border between being reckless and searching for justice which is very thin.
The novel, in the end, deals with justice as a precarious and indistinct goal. Katzenbach points to the imperfections of legal systems, portrays journalism as a double-edged tool, and shows that those who seek the truth risk their lives. It doesn't settle the matter and leaves a huge question mark looming over justice - it is not merely a matter of evidence and procedure but rather a delicate dance between human frailty, institutional failure, and the possibility of deceit. Matt Cowart's ethical journey is a perfect example of this disturbing reality - in trying to do the right thing, he ends up confronting an evil that is much craftier than he had thought.
