Rating: 
Summary: A COMPLEX AND COMPELLING THRILLER = FINE LISTENING
Review: Accomplished audio book reader Sandra Burr always suits her voice to the story, whether it be comedy, drama or romance. She can be old, young, happy, frightened, all with equal skill. Once more she vocally captures the essence of a protagonist in this courtroom thriller. Shelley Trotter is a fine lawyer with a troubled past. She's a child's rights advocate/activist. When Alex, a former client of hers in the Children's Advocacy Project, is accused of murder she immediately stands to defend the 17-year-old. So great is her desire to prove the boy innocent that she overlooks asking some very important questions. Her mind set is also affected by her past - as a young girl she was a rape victim, and became pregnant. In addition, her relationship with her father, the governor, is a bit tenuous.
Quite obviously Shelley's legal training and experience has not prepared her for the battle she faces in criminal court, especially when Alex is accused of killing a policeman. Author Ellis weaves these threads together to form a complex and compelling thriller. No wonder he's an Edgar winner! - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: A COMPLEX AND COMPELLING THRILLER = FINE LISTENING
Review: Accomplished audio book reader Sandra Burr always suits her voice to the story, whether it be comedy, drama or romance. She can be old, young, happy, frightened, all with equal skill. Once more she vocally captures the essence of a protagonist in this courtroom thriller. Shelley Trotter is a fine lawyer with a troubled past. She's a child's rights advocate/activist. When Alex, a former client of hers in the Children's Advocacy Project, is accused of murder she immediately stands to defend the 17-year-old. So great is her desire to prove the boy innocent that she overlooks asking some very important questions. Her mind set is also affected by her past - as a young girl she was a rape victim, and became pregnant. In addition, her relationship with her father, the governor, is a bit tenuous.
Quite obviously Shelley's legal training and experience has not prepared her for the battle she faces in criminal court, especially when Alex is accused of killing a policeman. Author Ellis weaves these threads together to form a complex and compelling thriller. No wonder he's an Edgar winner! - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular!!!!
Review: Dave Ellis has done it again - creating intriguing characters along twisting and winding plot lines - to create another masterpiece. Better than the last four Grisham books - this one belongs on the NYT bestseller list!
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular!!!!
Review: Dave Ellis has done it again - creating intriguing characters along twisting and winding plot lines - to create another masterpiece. Better than the last four Grisham books - this one belongs on the NYT bestseller list!
Rating: 
Summary: A Powerful Courtroom Drama
Review: David Ellis has a well-deserved reputation for writing innovative legal thrillers with rich, inventive plots. In Jury of One he has created an exceptional story featuring the difficulties that defense attorneys face in representing their clients. I recommend that you NOT read the jacket copy. It gives away a little too much of the plot. Also be careful of what reviews you read, some are bound to give spoilers that will reduce your pleasure in this marvelous story. Shelly Trotter is a heroine who will attract you. She is an advocate for children who are about to be bounced from the public schools. She tries to get them another chance . . . a chance that will help keep them off the streets. One of her clients is arrested and charged with murdering a police officer. While attempting to defend him, she's drawn into trying to find an experienced defense attorney to handle this capital case. When no one will take on her client, she reluctantly does. In the case, she finds herself challenged to the limits of her strength and talents. The book is organized around an opening episode that reveals part of the events that led up to the police officer's death. You are then placed in the role of trying to find out what really happened. At the same time, there are flashbacks into Ms. Trotter's life that give you more perspective on who she is and why she does what she does. Both narratives are full of fascinating twists and turns that are hard to totally anticipate. So the suspense is quite interesting. The book's main weakness is that you will feel like it is very predictable in the first 200 pages. Then, the story takes off on you to places you hadn't expected. I graded the book down one star for that "ho-hum" beginning.
Rating:
Summary: A Powerful Courtroom Drama
Review: David Ellis has a well-deserved reputation for writing innovative legal thrillers with rich, inventive plots. In Jury of One he has created an exceptional story featuring the difficulties that defense attorneys face in representing their clients. I recommend that you NOT read the jacket copy. It gives away a little too much of the plot. Also be careful of what reviews you read, some are bound to give spoilers that will reduce your pleasure in this marvelous story. Shelly Trotter is a heroine who will attract you. She is an advocate for children who are about to be bounced from the public schools. She tries to get them another chance . . . a chance that will help keep them off the streets. One of her clients is arrested and charged with murdering a police officer. While attempting to defend him, she's drawn into trying to find an experienced defense attorney to handle this capital case. When no one will take on her client, she reluctantly does. In the case, she finds herself challenged to the limits of her strength and talents. The book is organized around an opening episode that reveals part of the events that led up to the police officer's death. You are then placed in the role of trying to find out what really happened. At the same time, there are flashbacks into Ms. Trotter's life that give you more perspective on who she is and why she does what she does. Both narratives are full of fascinating twists and turns that are hard to totally anticipate. So the suspense is quite interesting. The book's main weakness is that you will feel like it is very predictable in the first 200 pages. Then, the story takes off on you to places you hadn't expected. I graded the book down one star for that "ho-hum" beginning.
Rating:
Summary: Outsanding-a work that can be read on many levels
Review: In a Midwestern city, attorney Shelly Trotter works for the Child Advocacy Project by representing troubled students in court. Because she has never worked a capital case, Shelly asks Paul Riley to defend Alex Baniewicz, accused of killing police officer Raymond Miroballi. Paul prefers Shelly lead the defense, which she reluctantly agrees to do. Already having doubts that she can provide an adequate defense, Shelly learns that Baniewicz may be the son she gave up for adoption following a rape. Made public that revelation could destroy her conservative father's reelection for state governor. The case turns even more complex when federal agents inform Shelly that Alex was working undercover for them trying to find evidence that martyred heroic cop Miroballi sold drugs. As she continues to develop the defense, Shelly investigates the link between her client and a vicious gang of reported drug dealers, the Cannibals. Her probe leads to Alex's friend Ronnie Masters, who not only may be a cop killer, but seems more likely the infant that she gave away. The twists in this incredible superb legal thriller are amazing (there are plenty more to come than what was described above) yet each one feels right though the megatons are at hydrogen bomb level revelations. That along with a solid cast makes for a terrific terse tale that will make David Ellis a household name. Even the street punks come across as real making a JURY OF ONE the must sub-genre read of the year so far. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Outsanding-a work that can be read on many levels
Review: In a Midwestern city, attorney Shelly Trotter works for the Child Advocacy Project by representing troubled students in court. Because she has never worked a capital case, Shelly asks Paul Riley to defend Alex Baniewicz, accused of killing police officer Raymond Miroballi. Paul prefers Shelly lead the defense, which she reluctantly agrees to do. Already having doubts that she can provide an adequate defense, Shelly learns that Baniewicz may be the son she gave up for adoption following a rape. Made public that revelation could destroy her conservative father's reelection for state governor. The case turns even more complex when federal agents inform Shelly that Alex was working undercover for them trying to find evidence that martyred heroic cop Miroballi sold drugs. As she continues to develop the defense, Shelly investigates the link between her client and a vicious gang of reported drug dealers, the Cannibals. Her probe leads to Alex's friend Ronnie Masters, who not only may be a cop killer, but seems more likely the infant that she gave away. The twists in this incredible superb legal thriller are amazing (there are plenty more to come than what was described above) yet each one feels right though the megatons are at hydrogen bomb level revelations. That along with a solid cast makes for a terrific terse tale that will make David Ellis a household name. Even the street punks come across as real making a JURY OF ONE the must sub-genre read of the year so far. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: What a disappointment!
Review: This is the third David Ellis book and, in my opinion, it is far more uneven than the first two. A child's advocate is drawn into a criminal case when a student she had previously represented in a misdemeanor case is accused of killing a police officer. The book twists and turns but in ways that are totally absurd. Does she find out the identity of the child she gave aware after becoming pregnant as a teenager? Well, you think so but then she's wrong. Does one of the facts that she and a private investigator reenact when they visit the crime scene turn out to be a critical clue? Well, it seems that they forget what they discussed in an alley. Do the references and inclusion of characters and events from the first book add anything to this story? In my opinion, no. I think he is a very capable writer but none of his three books has lived up to his abilities. If he ever puts everything together, he could rise to the top of the heap.
Rating:
Summary: What a disappointment!
Review: This is the third David Ellis book and, in my opinion, it is far more uneven than the first two. A child's advocate is drawn into a criminal case when a student she had previously represented in a misdemeanor case is accused of killing a police officer. The book twists and turns but in ways that are totally absurd. Does she find out the identity of the child she gave aware after becoming pregnant as a teenager? Well, you think so but then she's wrong. Does one of the facts that she and a private investigator reenact when they visit the crime scene turn out to be a critical clue? Well, it seems that they forget what they discussed in an alley. Do the references and inclusion of characters and events from the first book add anything to this story? In my opinion, no. I think he is a very capable writer but none of his three books has lived up to his abilities. If he ever puts everything together, he could rise to the top of the heap.
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