Rating: 
Summary: The Jury Is No Longer Out
Review: A thriller should thrill. This book is so besotted with its politically correct agenda that it forgets to entertain and is a great yawn instead. First, a disclaimer: this is the first time that I've ever bought a new Grisham (based on a good review I read) and thought that I might happily rest my mind with a few hours of diversion. Unfortunately, the first murder after the opening event does not take place for almost 200 pages. In the mean time we are subjected to endless blather on race relations in the South of the 1970s, the Viet Nam war, the death penalty, and Richard Nixon. Grisham's views on all of the above are just as predictable as the novel's ending. His characters are either so perfect or so villainous that the stereotyping becomes quite grating. All the "action" takes place in the last 40 pages; the solution is completely predictable and as unsatisfying as anything else you will find here including the bite-sized sentences and paragraphs. I won't make this mistake again.
Rating: 
Summary: The Last Juror -exellent John Grisham
Review: I have to admit the last few books from John Grisham didn't exactly "grab my attention" to put it mildly. But this book made me have faith in Mr. Grisham's ability to get to an audience once again.Set in a small town in Clanton, Mississipi, Willie Traynor is not at first accepted by the townspeople. After a while, though, he is accepted by both the white and black population. But through one of his editorials, he does a human interest story on a black woman and her seven children that all obtained Phds. While doing an interview with this woman, they become the closest of friends. The book centers around the rape and murder of a young widow and mother. The crime was committed by Danny Padgitt, the Padgitt family that lives on an island and can literally get away with murder. But Danny is the first Padgitt actually convicted of a crime. After the trial is over and he is finally found guilty, he threatens the jury and tells them that he is going to get each and every one of them. The jury has a choice, death or life in prison. After much debate, they decide life in prison. Most people don't understand that "Life" in Clanton usually means ten years. Danny is released after nine years, and it seems as though he is carrying through with his threats. This is where the books takes a surprising turn. There are several deaths, is Danny carrying out his threats? I thorougly enjoyed this book and would recommend it. What got to me most was the ending. Recommend to anyone
Rating: 
Summary: couldn't even finish it
Review: I'm a big fan of John Grisham early works... Runaway Jury, Time to Kill etc. But this story and The Summons sucked. I read the The Summons all the way through and I never felt the suspense and after I got to the ending I felt stupid for forcing myself through the book. This story I decided not to even finish. The stories susposed to be about a man coming back and killing the jurors after he gets out of the jail. So I'm thinking that theres going to be about a 100 or so pages leading up to the man getting out of jail then there would be the killings. I got over halfway through the book which was very boring and I was still reading about the time surrounding the trial. I couldn't figure out the point of all this extra info. So I gave up. Don't waste your time if you're a fan of the early John Grisham.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful storytelling
Review: Small town Mississippi a few decades back. A secretive gangster family, corrupt politicians and a young widow just trying to get on with her life - until it is rudely terminated in gruesome rape and murder. A young man buys the local newspaper and propels himself into the soul of this yahoo paradise.
The prosecution of the accused is told through the newspaper editor's eyes. Along the way he is befriended by an African-American woman of remarkable character, who becomes the first black woman to serve on a jury.
The story is slow-paced, but thoroughly enjoyable. Several stories run concurrently, all of them seamlessly welded together into an enjoyable whole.
It's not a page-turner, but like a fine wine or good scotch, a book to be taken in leisurely sips. The characters are well developed and interesting people. The plot moves nicely and the ending leaves you questioning whether it's contrived or not. There's doubt because you know for yourself that crazier things have happened.
All in all, a fine read. Jerry
Rating:
Summary: He just doesn't have the touch anymore...
Review: Really frustrating to spend all this time reading a book that juts goes nowhere. I just can't believe this was the same author who wrote the runaway jury, a time to kill and the firm. This book was basically like a "painted house" with a sprinkle of suspense. Disappointing!
Rating:
Summary: Great development, but no "mystery"
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Juror. Grisham successfully changes things up by writing in first person. The character development is great, with several endearing Southern personalities. The category of "mystery" would not be accurate for this book, though. While the ending was fairly predictable, I was so infatuated with the characters by the end of the book that I did not care.
Rating:
Summary: Grisham is getting old
Review: The ending is was a total let down.
Rating:
Summary: Grisham Was Never Better
Review: I have read almost all of John Grisham's novels and I have enjoyed them in varying degrees. Until I bought this book I had considered A Time To Kill to be his best, even though it was his first and even though others were best sellers. Grisham is a Son of Missisippi and he does his best writing when he return to his roots. Both of the novels I have just refered to are set in Ford County and the author knows that place like the back of his hand. The people are real, the town is real and by the time you finish the book you figure you could find your way around there,too. Willie Traynor is the narrator for this ride. He is a Yankee who went to Syracuse University, dropped out and found his way to The Ford County Times. It is a family owned weekly that has found it's niche by writing the best obituaries of all of its citizens that one can imagine,white or black. Including blacks is the idea of the current owner and as good as he is at writing obits, he is in no sense a businessman and the paper is forced into involuntary banckruptcy. Willie has a rich grandma who cares about him and he convinces her to loan him $50,000 to buy the paper. Thus, in his early 20's, Willie takes charge of the local weekly. Soon thereafter, a local woman is raped and murderd. The cirsumstances are terrifying and the accused is arrested with the victims blood on his shirt. The accused is a member of a local clan who live on an island just of the coast and whose lawless ways are well known. Willie gets very involved in the trial and it's coverage. Previously he has befriended a black woman who ends up on the jury. The accused is convicted, but spared the death penalty by the same jury and is sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Thats the good news. The bad news is that in Mississippi, life means 10 years. Th worse news is that somehow the consecutive terms have been made concurrent. This particular murderer has had the bad judgement to tell the jury that "If you convict me. I will kill you all." Neverthe less he will be up for parole in less than ten years. Nine year later, with the convicted felon out on parole, jurors start being killed and the town is in turmoil. That is as far as I go with the story line. You need to read the rest to see how it comes out. I deduced the outcome about 20 pages from the end and you may or may not, but the important thing to remember is that this is Grisham at his best. Talking about the people he knows about and a town he understands. In so doing he draws us all into a better understanding of each other. This is a truly wonderful story. I hope you read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Story - But not the one advertised
Review: When I decided to read this book about two weeks ago and bought it from my local B&N store - the main reason was the summary I read on the cover recanting what seemed to be an exciting tale of a defendant being spared his life yet seeking revenge on the jury that convicted then sentenced him to life in prison. What I found the real story to be is following a young gumshoe news reporter and his experiences with the people in a small southern town. Yes, it begins with a murder and there is a significant plot surrounding it - but don't be fooled into thinking this is a legal courtroom thriller by any stretch of the imagination. It more so narrates a small towns activities and how a community reacts to rather big events such as the previously mentioned murder trial mixing in their traditions with politics, people and work. And although I thought that the book's ending could have had a surprise or two instead of putt-putting to the end (which is the reason why this book for me gets 3 instead of 4 stars). (The only 5 star book i have read in the last few months was the Di Vinci Code). I would say that this was an enjoyable read. I would recommend this book to those of you who would like a good general story about people - not necessarily about a courtroom drama
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: Here's the problem: Long-time fans of Grisham have never really gotten over his (temporary) abandonment of the "thriller" genre. And those who liked A PAINTED HOUSE might not care for his courtroom stuff. But what most people don't realize is that regardless of his choice of genres, he's a brilliant writer with a lot to say. Okay, he's trying (quite successfully) to combine his styles and locations, but what's wrong with that? It works, and THE LAST JUROR is the culmination of years of successful Grisham writing. THE LAST JUROR is not a whiz-bang, car chase, like Brown's DA VINCI CODE, nor it is Southern literature, like McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD. Rather, it is a combination of everything that has gone before. The story is set in the South, like PAINTED HOUSE, yet it makes use of the courtroom, (think, THE FIRM). What more could his readers want? Overall I loved this book--it gave me the many sides of John Grisham and I can only hope he continues in this vein. Kudos, Mr.Grisham, for the best book yet.
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