Crime thriller Descent into Doubt highlights a matter of public concern: Since #MeToo advanced justice in 2017, only eight celebrities who were wrongfully accused, have successfully cleared their names and remained beloved by millions. The new fiction book challenges them to take a stand
Weekend Publisher officially launches the new literary crime thriller Descent into Doubt, which tells the fictional story of Cayden, a well-liked 33-year-old TV news reporter. According to the back cover, “After online flirting with a 32-year-old woman named Jade leads to a shared night of racy passion, he’s blindsided when she accuses him of sexual assault. Certain of his innocence, Cayden believes this is her retaliation for his refusal to see her again.”
On page 274 of Descent into Doubt (out of 334), readers discover that Cayden is surprised to find out about a new social media campaign, which calls on several high-profile celebrities to lend their support to his case, drawing parallels between Cayden’s fictional plight and their real-life experiences.
JD Caron, the owner of Weekend Publisher, explained that while Descent into Doubt is a work of fiction, this particular chapter is grounded in a detailed analysis carried out specifically to inform the book. “The in-depth exploration examined hundreds of real-life cases since #MeToo advanced justice in 2017, and identified these eight celebrities as the only public figures who successfully cleared their names and remained beloved by millions,” Caron stated. He added that Weekend Publisher decided to visualize this specific chapter, and created a powerful 6-minute video, which reveals the names of these eight celebrities as mentioned in the book’s text, making it the real campaign for the book itself.
JD Caron further explained the trailblazing nature of the campaign: “Yes, it’s a real campaign for a fictional character, but even though Cayden is not a real person—and maybe even because he’s not a real person—we believe that some of these celebrities may respond. Their own words highlight the importance they place on this issue. As cited in both the book and the video, one celebrity tweeted: ‘False accusations do tremendous damage to victims of actual assault,’ while another stated: ‘I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others.'”
In the comments on the Facebook video of the campaign, which was pre-released last month and has already garnered 0.5 million views, some critics have remarked that ‘Cayden is just a fictional character in a fiction book.’ JD Caron, however, counters: “Literary stories can, quite literally, spark meaningful conversations and challenge perceptions, especially when addressing important and controversial issues such as false #MeToo accusations.”
