In the heart of “flyover country,” Camden County, Missouri, and the Lake of the Ozarks seem like a sleepy backwater. But beneath that calm surface churns an unruly world of drunks, predators, murderers, and eccentric locals. Join J. Caleb Cunningham, an outsider risen to prosecutor, standing on the front lines of justice in rural America—where the distinction between the absurd and the tragic is razor thin. In The State Rests, Cunningham dissects real cases with a prosecutor’s precision and a storyteller’s wit, pulling back the curtain on the theatrics of crime and punishment at the Lake of the Ozarks. More than a collection of cases, this is a deeply human story, where colleagues become family amid the constant demands of community, revealing the power and politics, and the true burdens of public office. As Cunningham’s path builds toward a high-stakes election, the question looms: What does justice really mean—and who are we trusting to deliver it?

From the Publisher Hardcover The Real Lake of the Ozarks - From the Prosecutor Who Lived It An Alabama outsider became the head prosecutor of Camden County, Missouri. He lived the cases most people only read about. A double murderer on trial. Wolves loose in a small town. A criminal's reign of terror comes to an end. Funny, dark, and unflinching — the true story behind the vacation postcard. Available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle. Critics Agree: A True Crime Debut that Delivers "Cunningham's prose is consistently compelling." — Kirkus Reviews "An authoritative, often sobering portrait of legal practice far removed from the polished corridors of urban courtrooms... Cunningham refuses to perform impartiality." — Foreword Clarion Reviews "Cunningham's storytelling gifts lift this above the typical prosecutor memoir... consistently engaging and genuinely moving." — BlueInk Review Written by the man who lived the cases Perfect for readers of true crime, legal memoir, and rural America nonfiction Each chapter opens with an original pen-and-ink illustration