The Last Juror by John Grisham | Book Review

Author John Grisham‘s thrillers have been popular with readers for many decades now. He brings to life the world of lawyers and courtrooms, but also the social and cultural life of the southern states of USA. We have read and discussed a few of his works here at Thinkerviews :

• The Testament
• The Summons
• The Brethren
• Skipping Christmas
• Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer series

Recently, we read The Last Juror, a book set in the aftermath of a vicious crime that explores the path of justice and retribution through a young, local reporter’s eyes.

And here are our views on this book on behalf of Team Thinkerviews.

Book Cover:

Let us take a look at the cover page of this book.

The cover page of this book was simple when it was published first. The designer has tried matching it with the other books of John Grisham. Eventually, as the time progresses, each new edition came up with a little different and sometimes better cover page.

We’ve included some of them in this review article.

The one you see above shows a jury bench (empty) where the prominent seat is in focus. The designer is trying to emphasize on the most important person of the tale here. In the subsequent cover pages, it is represented differently.

Overall, I found the cover page really faithful to the book and attractive as well.

Storyline:

After decades of patient mismanagement and loving neglect, The Ford County Times went bankrupt in 1970.

And from this adversity arises an opportunity for young Willie Traynor who has drifted through a few years of journalism at college to land into the world of local papers. His interest in the Ford County Times becomes very serious when through a combination of luck and timing he becomes an owner of this local paper with subscription trailing under the two thousand mark.

With a loan from a generous grandmother BeeBee, Willie embarks on this adventure. In his own words, he is young, inexperienced and rather reckless. Soon after he becomes in-charge of the Times, the Ford County is rocked on its heels by brutal murder of Rhoda Kassellaw, in her own home, in front of her very young children.

The heinous crime was committed by Danny Padgitt, who belongs to a very powerful local clan who live on an island where no authorities from outer world are allowed. The Padgitts have money and influence and in spite of being known crime lords, no Padgitt has ever been charged.

With Willie’s detailed coverage and ample evidence, however, it is not looking good for Danny Padgitt. As we witness his trial and conviction, it all ends with him threatening the members of his jury, that he will go after all of them, the moment he got a chance.

That chance comes almost ten years down the line when Danny Padgitt is released on parole. One after another, his jurors start dying of fatal gunshot wounds. Over the same decade, Willie has purchased and built a home in Ford County, made friends and witnessed tragic as well as comic facts of county life. He has an offer on table to sell his now successful paper and walk away with no need to work any more.

But will Danny Padgitt’s return and the murder threats will change that? How many people will die before this tragic saga comes to a conclusion?

Views and Reviews:

First published in 2004, this book provides readers with an easygoing journey through the bygone era of 1970s. When a combination of luck and chance sees Willie Traynor finding home in the Ford County, he can hardly foresee the political, social and legal experiences life has in store for him. As he learns to run the local newspaper by projecting the image of a hardcore, reckless young man from outer world, the Ford County slowly accepts him for what he is.

The second prominent character is easily Miss Callie. Her extraordinary heritage, her excellent Southern hospitality and her family filled with highly educated children make a good story for a young reporter, but more than that, he finds a friendship that becomes a lifelong association. Through her, the author shows us the social conflict and struggle of the African Americans of the time. The desegregation of schools take place in the narrative and we see the reactions around it.

Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause.

The book starts with a brutal murder and the legal proceeding stemming from this murder drives the narrative of the novel. Through the court trial, where Miss Callie becomes one of the first Black women to sit on a jury, through to the imprisonment, the parole system and the end of sentencing which starts another spree of murders. All these keeps the reader interested in what-happens-next..

In these years, the town grows and shrinks. A bargain supermarket announced the end of an era for the market square of the small town, the Vietnam war divides the nation and small communities alike. And I think that’s another strong point in favor of the book. It paints the picture of the Ford County, of this corner of USA, its small town economy, its inhabitants including the law-abiding and the lawless, the gun-wielding, the local politicians, the celebrations and the sorrows. It is a community that comes alive on the pages of this novel and will keep you interested in reading it.

And we see it all through the small local paper’s lens:

On controversial issues and events, letters to the editor stoked the fires and got folks upset. And they sold newspapers, because that’s the only place they could be printed.

Summary:

An entertaining thriller set in the 1970s that will take you on a journey through a bygone era as we see the legal battle for justice play out…

ThinkerViews Rating:

Around 7.5 stars out of 10.

Quick Purchase Links:

• Buy - The Last Juror by John Grisham - Paperback - Amazon IN
• Buy - The Last Juror by John Grisham - Kindle EBook - Amazon IN
• Buy - The Last Juror by John Grisham - Audiobook - Amazon IN
• Buy - The Last Juror by John Grisham - Paperback - Amazon US
• Buy - The Last Juror by John Grisham - Audiobook - Amazon US

Over To You:

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