This May, in time for National Police Week and Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15, 2025, Intelligentsia Books will publish A SECOND SHOT: The Pursuit of Justice in Maryland’s Oldest Cold Case Murder by Michael F. Weisberg, M.D.—a gripping true crime narrative that uncovers the remarkable story behind the decades-long investigation into the 1971 murder of Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff James Tappen Hall.
Hall, a respected law enforcement officer, was found face down in a parking lot at the Manor Country Club in Rockville, Maryland, around 10:40 p.m. on October 23, 1971. He had been shot in the head. He was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries three days later. Despite a full-scale investigation, no one was arrested. The crime stunned the local community, and Hall’s family was left without answers for over 50 years.
In A Second Shot, Weisberg dives deep into the chilling details of the case, chronicling both the initial investigation and the extraordinary breakthrough that finally brought resolution decades later. The book’s title references not only the literal second bullet fired by the killer—a fact never made public until the suspect’s 2021 confession—but also the renewed efforts by Maryland cold case detectives to bring long-overdue justice to Hall’s family.
This is not just a tale of murder and mystery. It is a powerful exploration of persistence, faith, and the tireless work of law enforcement professionals who refused to let the case go cold. Readers are introduced to the Hall family, whose dignity and determination never wavered, and to the dogged investigators who, half a century later, still believed justice was possible.
Author Michael Weisberg, M.D., is a practicing physician and gifted storyteller whose background in science lends analytical precision to the narrative. But it’s his humanistic approach—his keen attention to emotion, character, and motivation—that elevates A Second Shot above the average true crime account. Weisberg writes with the eye of a clinician and the heart of someone profoundly moved by the Hall family’s enduring grief and resilience.
The book unfolds like a courtroom drama crossed with a police procedural. The early chapters capture the initial investigation in the 1970s: the dead ends, the frustrating lack of evidence, and the sense of a community haunted by the unsolved crime. Weisberg introduces readers to key figures from both the original investigation and the modern-day cold case unit. Their commitment is nothing short of heroic. It’s rare to find a narrative that so effectively conveys both the technical complexities of forensic work and the emotional toll that justice delayed can take on a family.
In a particularly riveting section, Weisberg recounts how the cold case detectives secured a confession from the long-suspected killer—who, during questioning, revealed that Hall had been shot not once, but twice. This previously undisclosed detail confirmed to investigators that the man they had in custody was the true perpetrator. It was the moment when decades of waiting, working, and wondering finally led to truth.
But A Second Shot is also a story about the author himself. During the writing process, Weisberg faced a serious and unexpected medical crisis. The experience of nearly losing his own life gave him a deeper appreciation for the fragility of time and the preciousness of second chances. That perspective permeates the book, infusing it with urgency, reverence, and empathy.
With the approach of National Police Week and Peace Officers Memorial Day—an annual observance honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of public safety—A Second Shot arrives at a particularly poignant time. It serves not only as a memorial to Deputy Hall’s life and service but also as a tribute to the many officers who continue to pursue justice, no matter how cold the trail becomes.
For those who love true crime, A Second Shot delivers all the genre’s most compelling elements: an unsolved mystery, a determined family, meticulous investigators, and a dramatic confession. But it also asks deeper questions—about the nature of justice, the passage of time, and what it means to honor the fallen. As Weisberg writes, sometimes justice isn’t swift. But when it comes, it matters all the more.
Michael F. Weisberg, M.D., is the author of two previous novels and a widely respected physician who brings both intellect and heart to the page. With A Second Shot, he has created a moving and suspenseful account that will appeal to fans of The Innocent Man by John Grisham, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara, and Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe.
A Second Shot: The Pursuit of Justice in Maryland’s Oldest Cold Case Murder will be available May 5, 2025, in trade paperback and eBook formats. It can be purchased at Amazon, Apple Books, Kindle, and other major retailers.
Published by Joseph T.
