Rating: 
Summary: A Tantalizing Thriller
Review: You have to admit that the mere mention of the name John Grisham seems to invoke a love or hate reaction among bibliophiles. You either vigorously defend his writing style or you dismiss it as "schlock" writing.Candidly, I have to admit that I am always seduced when Grisham publishes a new book, and very rarely I have been disappointed.
His latest foray, The Last Juror, although perhaps not as exciting as, A Time to Kill, The Pelican Brief or The Firm, none- the- less says a great deal for a 355 page novel, if you can complete its reading on a 4 hour plane ride. Generally, with all good intentions, whenever I begin reading a book on a plane, I have a tendency to fall asleep. Such was not the case with The Last Juror. The latest of Grisham's novels is set in Clanton, Mississippi, where a young twenty three year old college dropout, Willie Traynor, purchases the town's bankrupt newspaper, The Ford County Times.
Traynor has little experience in running a newspaper, let alone being a journalist. His claim to fame has been his experience of writing obituaries for the newspaper prior to its bankruptcy. Timing they say is just about everything when it comes to making the best of opportunities, and fortunately for Traynor, he was at the right place at the right time when an horrendous crime was committed in the town of Clanton.
A young widow was brutally raped and murdered in front of her two young children by one of the town's outcasts, Danny Padgitt, who is a member of a powerful and politically influential local crime family.
There are suggestions that the family would be able to tamper with the jury by either threatening them or bribing them. Given the opportunity to cover the trial, Traynor makes the best of it and propels the newspaper's circulation to heights it never previously attained. However, in so doing he brings about the wrath of the Padgitt family. Prior to this hideous crime and subsequent trial, Traynor befriended a Miss. Callie Ruffin while he was researching a feature about her remarkable family.
It turns out that Callie is named as one of the jurors and the only black member.
The result brings out the best and worst in people in a town that is trying to come to terms with the politics of the civil rights movement of the 60s, the Vietnam war and urban development. Grisham never loses sight of his characters and their idiosyncrasies, as well as their ancestry, customs and beliefs. All of this is cleverly intertwined in a tightly plotted and riveting narrative. It is the kind of a book that you may want to read twice; once for its thrilling aspect, and again for the way Grisham plays around with time and place to give dramatic and tantalizing effect. Norm Goldman Editor Bookpleasures
Rating: 
Summary: Marginal
Review: This isn't one of Grisham's best, but it did keep my attention. It does start out slow, but Grisham does a good job of making you sympathize with his characters
Rating:
Summary: Very Good, But Story Not Firm Enough For Most Readers!!!
Review: First of all, let me state the obvious, so that any potential reader of this novel will have a good chance of grasping what he is (or is not) dealing with: The Last Juror, John Grisham's latest legal novel, is very good, but it's not like The Firm. This point is so important that at the risk of insulting your intelligence, I'm going to say it again: THE LAST JUROR IS VERY GOOD, BUT IT'S NOT THE FIRM!!! Most fans of Grisham love what I'm going to call "the Grisham formula": taut, edgy, plot; vividly drawn, but memorable characters; a fantasy situation guaranteed to keep them on the edge of their seats, fabulous, mouthwatering scenes of fattening Southern-style feasts (very much in the manner of James Bond author Ian Fleming), somewhat leftist politics, and finally, the young and (usually) male leading character sailing off into the sunset (usually the Carribean) with fistfuls of cash and plenty of time on his hands. So what's different about The Last Juror? The hero, 23-year old aspiring journalist-turned newspaper-owner Willie Traylor, who borrows money from his wealthy grandmother to buy The Ford County Times and save it from bankuptcy? Nope. The fascinating, larger than life characters, like something from the Italian Commedia D'ell Arte stock shows? Nope. The last juror herself, Calia Ruffin, the imposing, yet soft-hearted matriarch of Clanton's most successful black family, is one of the most luminous characters Grisham has ever created, and the southern soul feasts she prepares are certainly juicy enough to set any reader's mouth watering. The chance for the hero to make lots of money? Nope, this happens as well, as Traynor makes the Times a phenomenal success, enough to entertain a very lucrative buyout offer. The politics? Not there either, as Grisham takes a very thinly-veiled (and VERY dated) jab at the Wal Mart chain, and opposes the war in Vietnam. No, it seems the primary reason that many fans of "The Formula" will feel cheated by the Last Juror is the fact that the (mostly) excellent plot is hurredly jammed into about 100 or so of the books 350+ pages. Danny Padgett, scion of a very corrupt local family, brutally rapes and murders a young single mother, is sentenced to life in prison instead of receiving the death penalty, vows revenge on all the jurors, and is parolled after just serving ten years. However, the majority of the book does not concern the plot, but instead focuses on the character of Willie Traynor and how he grows from a wet-behind-the-ears college kid into a responsible adult. Thus, the story of this book has more in common with the relaxed tone of Bleachers or perhaps A Painted House rather than the edgy, frenetic pace of The Firm or A Time To Kill (which was also set in Clanton). Grisham is still growing and improving as a writer as he ages, therefore he simply cannot write the exact same type of books as he wrote fifteen years ago; there are important, mature changes in pace and time, and for the most part, the changes work, particularly in the scenes involving Miss Callie and her lovely brood of children-turned-college professors. The scenes with lawyer Harry Rex are also excellent for comic relief and Willie's goal of visiting every church in town provides a wonderfully unexpected subplot. Still, for such a relaxed pace, the ending feels very rushed and the reader almost feels cheated out of a proper denoument; Grisham could have taken another dozen or so pages and made a much smoother ending, this one feels as if it were written on deadline. (For that matter, a personal gripe: Where, oh where, is The Grisham Female, that delicious blend of sass, smarts, and sophistication notably absent from the last few novels. Think Darby Shaw, Ellen Roark, or Gabrielle from The Runaway Jury, and you get the idea. Ginger, the female love intrest in this book, appears in a mere dozen pages.) Still, the resolute, compassionate character of Miss Callie is worth the price of the book alone; this black-white, mother-son-like relationship will warm your heart and the plot, though rushed, does end in a nice twist. Get The Last Juror, for while it's not A Time To Kill, or even The Rainmaker, it's delights are very real and certainly firm enough for many readers, even if the plot seems a bit too flimsy for devotees of the famous "Grisham Formula".
Rating: 
Summary: Wake up the editor
Review: This is the type of story you'd see on a TV news magazine show. Instead of taking a break during the story and going to a commercial in between, Grisham has to fill up space. I don't know if it was because he had to fill up pages, or because it allows him to express his own politcial views (D), but Grisham goes all out. Readers can tell that he is trying to talk about Wal-Mart and what it does coming to town (as he sees it), and he uses Vietnam to point out his feelings on Iraq. It's not enough just to point these out, he has to include the editorials and speeches in the text. Why do we have to read through this? This was an interesting story, but it stretched far too long. Where was the editor when this manuscript came in? Did they just let him ramble because they know it will be a bestseller? Just stick with the story. I don't care how short it is. Maybe put two together if you have to. I enjoyed the personal impact ending, as opposed to the plot ending, which was a bit lame.
Rating:
Summary: More of a relationship book...
Review: When I picked up the book, I was expecting a legal thriller like so many of Grisham's previous books. This is not a legal thriller. Actually the main focus on this story isn't about the trial but about the main character's friendship with one of the jurors. It's not a bad book...but if you were looking for a legal thriller...this wasn't it. Wait for paperback if you really feel like buying the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Grisham is Back!
Review: Grisham is back and in top form. I really enjoyed this book--its a quick, interesting read. Like most Grisham novels, The Last Juror is set in the south. But unlink most other Grisham novels, this isn't in the viewpoint of a lawyer, judge or client--despite the title. The view from the editor/jouralist looking at a grisley rape/murder over many years is unique. The one criticism I have is some of the plot twists (away from the rape/murder case which is the focus of the book) you could see a mile a way. Grisham is at his best when dealing with crime and the law. Not so much with everyday human life and relationships.
Rating: 
Summary: HAS GRISHAM LOST HIS TOUCH?
Review: Not since The Firm has Grisham managed to reach the same level of intensity. The Last Juror is awkward, predictable, and at times awfully dull. The Client and The Partner were close, but it seems to me that Grisham has succumbed to his fame and perhaps thinks people will like anything he writes. A Painted House, Bleachers, Skipping Christmas; yuck. I knew who the killer in this book was long before he was supposed to be, or should have been, exposed. If you feel you must buy this book simply because the author is Grisham, do yourself a favor and wait for the paperback.
Rating:
Summary: Good, But not Great
Review: Grisham's latest book is suspenseful and filled with memorable characters. Unlike his other legal thrillers, this one only has a few court scenes. It is about Willie Traynor, a college dropout who buys a local newspaper. A terrible murder occurs in the town and Willie covers it in his newspaper. The murderer threatens to seek revenge on the jury that convicts him. The plot continues as Padgitt, the murderer is released from prison. The jurors begin to die, one by one. Overall, this novel is adequate, but not nearly as exciting or intriguing as Grisham's early works. The unique characters such as Miss Callie, and her family make the novel worthwhile.
Rating:
Summary: All over the place
Review: Well, the reviews are all over the place for this latest Grisham work. I suppose the only thing worse than being talked about badly is not being talked about at all, and in this case, Grisham has nothing to worry about. That aside, I absolutely loved THE LAST JUROR and fully realize that I'm in the 50 percentile here. I'd imagine this book will do better with those who are first-time Grisham comers (is there such a thing?) or those who liked A PAINTED HOUSE or SKIPPING CHRISTMAS. But the book is really a combination of all that's come before. Sorry for those who didn't like it, but I thought it was his best effort yet. Also recommended: McCrae's THE BARK OF THE DOGWOOD- A Tour of Southern Homes and Gardens
Rating:
Summary: Grisham at His Best!
Review: The Last Juror is so disgustingly Grisham, it is ridiculus! This is one of his best so far!
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