After his last two books, which were - quite frankly - abysmal, to say the least, Grisham to returns to what he knows best: the legal thriller.
The characters, plot and writing are reminiscent of his earlier books and it was a joy finding that Grisham's talent is not entirely gone. A few circumstances sort "fell into the plot" to make it move faster, granted, but overall I enjoyed the story and found it worthy of all five stars.
If you're a fan of old Grisham, then this is the book for you.
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Publication dateOctober 15, 2019
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Terrific…affecting…Grisham has done it again. Such creative longevity is not that unusual in the suspense genre, but what is rare is Grisham’s feat of keeping up the pace of producing, on average, a novel a year without a notable diminishment of ingenuity or literary quality.”—Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post
“Grisham again delivers a suspenseful thriller mixed with powerful themes such as false incarceration, the death penalty and how the legal system shows prejudice. The Guardian team of characters is first-rate.”– Associated Press
“With his début, 1989’s A Time to Kill, Grisham established himself as a skilled storyteller, a writer who can nimbly portray complex characters who overcome their fears and flaws to pursue justice. Thirty years later, his authorial prowess glows again in this riveting tale.”—Fredericksburg Free Lance Star
“[Grisham] has created a powerful no-nonsense protagonist that you cannot help rooting for in a story stocked with tension and flavor that will have you flipping the pages to a very satisfying ending.”—Florida Times-Union
“Grisham’s colorful prose is riveting, and the issue is a timely one that can be too easily overlooked…His fictional legal happenings convey a loud and clear ring of veracity.”–Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“The Guardians, the newest legal thriller from John Grisham, a true wizard of the form, is certainly not going to disappoint. Fans of the author are going to find it wholly satisfying.”–Anniston Star
“Grisham again delivers a suspenseful thriller mixed with powerful themes such as false incarceration, the death penalty and how the legal system shows prejudice. The Guardian team of characters is first-rate.”– Associated Press
“With his début, 1989’s A Time to Kill, Grisham established himself as a skilled storyteller, a writer who can nimbly portray complex characters who overcome their fears and flaws to pursue justice. Thirty years later, his authorial prowess glows again in this riveting tale.”—Fredericksburg Free Lance Star
“[Grisham] has created a powerful no-nonsense protagonist that you cannot help rooting for in a story stocked with tension and flavor that will have you flipping the pages to a very satisfying ending.”—Florida Times-Union
“Grisham’s colorful prose is riveting, and the issue is a timely one that can be too easily overlooked…His fictional legal happenings convey a loud and clear ring of veracity.”–Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“The Guardians, the newest legal thriller from John Grisham, a true wizard of the form, is certainly not going to disappoint. Fans of the author are going to find it wholly satisfying.”–Anniston Star
About the Author
JOHN GRISHAM is the author of thirty-three novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and six novels for young readers.
--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
1
Duke Russell is not guilty of the unspeakable crimes for which he was convicted; nonetheless, he is scheduled to be executed for them in one hour and forty‑four minutes. As always during these dreadful nights, the clock seems to tick faster as the final hour approaches. I’ve suffered through two of these countdowns in other states. One went full cycle and my man uttered his final words. The other was waved off in a miracle finish.
Tick away—it’s not going to happen, not tonight anyway. The folks who run Alabama may one day succeed in serving Duke his last meal before sticking a needle in his arm, but not tonight. He’s been on death row for only nine years. The average in this state is fifteen. Twenty is not unusual. There is an appeal bouncing around somewhere in the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta, and when it lands on the desk of the right law clerk within the hour this execution will be stayed. Duke will return to the horrors of solitary confinement and live to die another day.
He’s been my client for the past four years. His team includes a mammoth firm in Chicago, which has committed thousands of pro bono hours, and an anti-death penalty group out of Birmingham that is spread pretty thin. Four years ago, when I became convinced he was innocent, I signed on as the point man. Currently I have five cases, all wrongful convictions, at least in my opinion.
I’ve watched one of my clients die. I still believe he was innocent. I just couldn’t prove it in time. One is enough.
For the third time today, I enter Alabama’s death row and stop at the metal detector blocking the front door where two frowning guards are protecting their turf. One holds a clipboard and stares at me as if he’s forgotten my name since my last visit two hours ago.
“Post, Cullen Post,” I say to the dunce. “For Duke Russell.”
He scans his clipboard as if it holds vital information, finds what he wants, and nods to a plastic basket on a short conveyor belt. In it, I place my briefcase and cell phone, same as before.
“Watch and belt?” I ask like a real smart‑ass.
“No,” he grunts with an effort. I step through the detector, get cleared, and once again an innocence lawyer manages to properly enter death row without weaponry. I grab my briefcase and cell phone and follow the other guard down a sterile hallway to a wall of bars. He nods, switches click and clang, the bars slide open, and we hike down another hallway, trudging deeper into this miserable building. Around a corner, some men are waiting outside a windowless steel door. Four are in uniform, two in suits. One of the latter is the warden.
He looks gravely at me and steps over. “Got a minute?”
“Not many,” I reply. We move away from the group for a private chat. He’s not a bad guy, just doing his job, which he’s new at and thus he’s never pulled off an execution. He’s also the enemy, and whatever he wants he will not get from me.
We huddle up like pals and he whispers, “What’s it look like?”
I glance around as if to evaluate the situation and say, “Gee, I don’t know. Looks like an execution to me.”
“Come on, Post. Our lawyers are saying it’s a go.”
“Your lawyers are idiots. We’ve already had this conversation.”
“Come on, Post. What are the odds right now?”
“Fifty‑fifty,” I say, lying.
This puzzles him and he’s not sure how to respond. “I’d like to see my client,” I say.
“Sure,” he says louder as if frustrated. He can’t be viewed as cooperating with me, so he storms off. The guards step back as one of them opens the door.
Inside the Death Room, Duke is lying on a cot with his eyes closed. For the festivities, the rules allow him a small color television so he can watch whatever he wants. It’s on mute with cable news giddy over wildfires out west. His countdown is not a big story on the national front.
At execution time, every death state has its own silly rituals, all designed to create as much drama as possible. Here, they allow full‑contact visits with close family members in a large visitation room. At 10:00 p.m., they move the condemned man to the Death Room, which is next door to the Death Chamber where he’ll be killed. A chaplain and a lawyer are permitted to sit with him, but no one else. His last meal is served around 10:30, and he can order whatever he wants, except for alcohol.
“How you doing?” I ask as he sits up and smiles.
“Never felt better. Any news?”
“Not yet, but I’m still optimistic. We should hear something soon.”
Duke is thirty‑eight and white, and before getting arrested for rape and murder his criminal record consisted of two DUIs and a bunch of speeding tickets. No violence whatsoever. He was a party boy and hell‑raiser in his younger days, but after nine years in solitary he has settled down considerably. My job is to set him free, which, at the moment, seems like a crazy dream.
I take the remote and change channels to one from Birmingham, but I leave it on mute.
“You seem awfully confident,” he says.
“I can afford to. I’m not getting the needle.”
“You’re a funny man, Post.”
“Relax, Duke.”
“Relax?” He swings his feet to the floor and smiles again. He does indeed look rather relaxed, given the circumstances. He laughs and says, “Do you remember Lucky Skelton?”
“No.”
“They finally got him, about five years ago, but not before serving him three last meals. Three times he walked the gangplank before getting the shove. Sausage pizza and a cherry Coke.”
“And what did you order?”
“Steak and fries, with a six‑pack of beer.”
“I wouldn’t count on the beer.”
“Are you gonna get me outta here, Post?”
“Not tonight, but I’m working on it.”
“If I get out I’m going straight to a bar and drinking cold beer until I pass out.”
“I’ll go with you. Here’s the Governor.” He appears on‑screen and I hit the volume.
He’s standing in front of a bank of microphones with camera lights glaring at him. Dark suit, paisley tie, white shirt, every tinted hair gelled with precision. A walking campaign ad. Sufficiently burdened, he says, “I have thoroughly reviewed Mr. Russell’s case and discussed it at length with my investigators. I’ve also met with the family of Emily Broone, the victim of Mr. Russell’s crimes, and the family is very much opposed to the idea of clemency. After considering all aspects of this case, I have decided to allow his conviction to stand. The court order will remain in place, and the execution will go forward. The people have spoken. Clemency for Mr. Russell is therefore denied.” He announces this with as much drama as he can muster, then bows and slowly backs away from the cameras, his grand performance complete. Elvis has left the building. Three days ago, he found the time to grant me an audience for fifteen minutes, after which he discussed our “private” meeting with his favorite reporters.
If his review had been so thorough, he would know that Duke Russell had nothing to do with the rape and murder of Emily Broone eleven years ago. I hit the mute again and say, “No surprise there.”
“Has he ever granted clemency?” Duke asks.
“Of course not.”
There is a loud knock on the door and it swings open. Two guards enter and one is pushing a cart with the last meal. They leave it and disappear. Duke stares at the steak and fries and a rather slim slice of chocolate cake, and says, “No beer.”
“Enjoy your iced tea.”
He sits on the cot and begins to eat. The food smells deli‑ cious and it hits me that I have not eaten in at least twenty‑four hours. “Want some fries?” he asks.
“No thanks.”
“I can’t eat all this. For some reason I don’t have much of an appetite.”
“How was your mom?”
He stuffs in a large chunk of steak and chews slowly. “Not too good, as you might expect. A lot of tears. It was pretty awful.”
The cell phone in my pocket vibrates and I grab it. I look at the caller ID and say, “Here it is.” I smile at Duke and say hello. It’s the law clerk at the Eleventh Circuit, a guy I know pretty well, and he informs me that his boss has just signed an order staying the execution on the grounds that more time is needed to determine whether Duke Russell received a fair trial. I ask him when the stay will be announced and he says immediately.
I look at my client and say, “You got a stay. No needle tonight. How long will it take to finish that steak?”
“Five minutes,” he says with a wide smile as he carves more beef.
“Can you give me ten minutes?” I ask the clerk. “My client would like to finish his last meal.” We go back and forth and finally agree on seven minutes. I thank him, end the call, and punch another number. “Eat fast,” I say. He has suddenly found his appetite and is as happy as a pig at the trough.
The architect of Duke’s wrongful conviction is a small‑town prosecutor named Chad Falwright. Right now he’s waiting in the prison’s administration building half a mile away, poised for the proudest moment of his career. He thinks that at 11:30 he’ll be escorted to a prison van, along with the Broone family and the local sheriff, and driven here to death row where they’ll be led to a small room with a large glass window that’s covered with a curtain. Once situated there, Chad thinks, they’ll wait for the moment when Duke is strapped to the gurney with needles in his arms and the curtain will be pulled back in dramatic fashion.
For a prosecutor, there is no greater sense of accomplishment than to witness an execution for which he is responsible.
Chad, though, will be denied the thrill. I punch his number and he answers quickly. “It’s Post,” I say. “Over here on death row with some bad news. The Eleventh Circuit just issued a stay. Looks like you’ll crawl back to Verona with your tail between your legs.”
He stutters and manages to say, “What the hell?”
“You heard me, Chad. Your bogus conviction is unraveling and this is as close as you’ll ever get to Duke’s scalp, which, I must say, is pretty damned close. The Eleventh Circuit has doubts about the trivial notion of a fair trial, so they’re sending it back. It’s over, Chad. Sorry to ruin your big moment.”
“Is this a joke, Post?”
“Oh sure. Nothing but laughs over here on death row. You’ve had fun talking to the reporters all day, now have some fun with this.” To say I loathe this guy would be a tremendous understatement.
I end the call and look at Duke, who’s feasting away. With his mouth full he asks, “Can you call my mother?”
“No. Only lawyers can use cell phones in here, but she’ll know soon enough. Hurry up.” He washes it down with tea and attacks the chocolate cake. I take the remote and turn up the volume. As he scrapes his plate, a breathless reporter appears somewhere on the prison grounds and, stuttering, tells us that a stay has been granted. He looks bewildered and confused, and there is confusion all around him.
Within seconds there is a knock on the door and the warden enters. He sees the television and says, “So I guess you’ve heard?”
“Right, Warden, sorry to ruin the party. Tell your boys to stand down and please call the van for me.”
Duke wipes his mouth with a sleeve, starts laughing and says, “Don’t look so disappointed, Warden.”
“No, actually I’m relieved,” he says, but the truth is obvious. He, too, has spent the day talking to reporters and savoring the spotlight. Suddenly, though, his exciting broken‑field run has ended with a fumble at the goal line.
“I’m out of here,” I say as I shake Duke’s hand.
“Thanks Post,” he says.
“I’ll be in touch.” I head for the door and say to the warden, “Please give my regards to the Governor.”
I’m escorted outside the building where the cool air hits hard and feels exhilarating. A guard leads me to an unmarked prison van a few feet away. I get in and he closes the door. “The front gate,” I say to the driver.
As I ride through the sprawl of Holman Correctional Facility, I am hit with fatigue and hunger. And relief. I close my eyes, breathe deeply, and absorb the miracle that Duke will live to see another day. I’ve saved his life for now. Securing his freedom will take another miracle.
For reasons known only to the people who run this place, it has been on lockdown for the past five hours, as if angry inmates might organize into a Bastille‑like mob and storm death row to rescue Duke. Now the lockdown is subsiding; the excitement is over. The extra manpower brought in to maintain order is withdrawing, and all I want is to get out of here. I’m parked in a small lot near the front gate, where the TV crews are unplugging and going home. I thank the driver, get in my little Ford SUV, and leave in a hurry. Two miles down the highway I stop at a closed country store to make a call.
His name is Mark Carter. White male, age thirty‑three, lives in a small rental house in the town of Bayliss, ten miles from Verona. In my files I have photos of his house and truck and current live‑in girlfriend. Eleven years ago, Carter raped and murdered Emily Broone, and now all I have to do is prove it. Using a burner, I call the number of his cell phone, a number I’m not supposed to have. After five rings he says, “Hello.”
“Is this Mark Carter?”
“Who wants to know?”
“You don’t know me, Carter, but I’m calling from the prison. Duke Russell just got a stay, so I’m sorry to inform you that the case is still alive. Are you watching television?”
“Who is this?”
“I’m sure you’re watching the TV, Carter, sitting there on your fat ass with your fat girlfriend hoping and praying that the State finally kills Duke for your crime. You’re a scumbag Carter, willing to watch him die for something you did. What a coward.”
“Say it to my face.”
“Oh, I will Carter, one day in a courtroom. I’ll find the evidence and before long Duke will get out. You’ll take his place. I’m coming your way, Carter.”
I end the call before he can say anything else. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
Product details
- ASIN : B07MYLK9FP
- Publisher : Dell (October 15, 2019)
- Publication date : October 15, 2019
- Language : English
- File size : 3708 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 386 pages
- Lending : Not Enabled
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Best Sellers Rank:
#1,571 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #20 in Legal Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- #120 in Crime Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- #240 in American Literature (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
23,854 global ratings
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Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2019
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566 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2019
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Grisham hits it out of the park with this one. When a trial weary attorney suffers a breakdown and leaves the practice of law for seminary, the novel sets the scene for the exoneration for wrongful imprisonments of many innocent people. Based on a true story, this one is Grisham at his finest.
319 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2019
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This is John Grisham's 33d novel and he is still going strong as a legal novelist. While this latest legal thriller is not a "page turner" like "The Firm," which kept me awake until I finished it, it is a good solid craftsman effort that has many interesting rewards. I have noticed, and discuss in other Grisham reviews, that he is now inclined to use his stories not only to entertain but also to inform. That is, recently he has used his novels to explain and explore a number of key legal developments--including mass torts, death penalty cases, public interest law firms, and state lawyer disciplinary boards-by building them into his novels. I think this only enhances the enjoyment of his legal fiction.
Here, he is at it again invoking private jails, prisons as profit centers for their communities, how "snitches" can be bribed into testifying for prosecutors, the abuse of expert witnesses, FBI investigations, blood stain analysis and experts, and DEA investigative techniques. His central character in the novel, both an Episcopalian priest and lawyer (that collar does come in handy in getting into prisons), works for a small public interest law firm whose mission is to exonerate prisoners who have been wrongfully convicted. It is a small version of the well known Innocence Project. Two million folks are incarcerated, one million employees tend to their needs, and $80 billion is the price tag on all this. An estimated 10% of all prisoners are actually innocent of the crimes for which they were convicted. So it is good that Grisham is bringing these important legal actors to our attention.
I always enjoy Grisham when he is writing about his southern homeland and its legal systems. The novel runs 370 pages, and I certainly enjoyed it, as well as all his other novels. But as the reader nears the conclusion, while interesting, there is no pounding need to keep reading in search of the big Grisham finish as used to be the case. Perhaps this just reflects Grisham's growing stature as a novelist; he doesn't need people jumping out of skyscraper windows and similar devices to hold his readers' interest. A good, solid Grisham legal mystery and informative as well.
Here, he is at it again invoking private jails, prisons as profit centers for their communities, how "snitches" can be bribed into testifying for prosecutors, the abuse of expert witnesses, FBI investigations, blood stain analysis and experts, and DEA investigative techniques. His central character in the novel, both an Episcopalian priest and lawyer (that collar does come in handy in getting into prisons), works for a small public interest law firm whose mission is to exonerate prisoners who have been wrongfully convicted. It is a small version of the well known Innocence Project. Two million folks are incarcerated, one million employees tend to their needs, and $80 billion is the price tag on all this. An estimated 10% of all prisoners are actually innocent of the crimes for which they were convicted. So it is good that Grisham is bringing these important legal actors to our attention.
I always enjoy Grisham when he is writing about his southern homeland and its legal systems. The novel runs 370 pages, and I certainly enjoyed it, as well as all his other novels. But as the reader nears the conclusion, while interesting, there is no pounding need to keep reading in search of the big Grisham finish as used to be the case. Perhaps this just reflects Grisham's growing stature as a novelist; he doesn't need people jumping out of skyscraper windows and similar devices to hold his readers' interest. A good, solid Grisham legal mystery and informative as well.
282 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2019
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I have read this book and it's fantastic! I do like John G's books but this one really knocks it out of the park. It is the proverbial page-turner. READ THIS BOOK!!!! And then Google Centurion the organization he based his character on.
201 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2019
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Because of The Rooster Bar and Reckoning I had reservations on The Guardians. I am glad that I did buy the book because I really enjoyed it.
199 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2019
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I received this book from Amazon and read it in 2 days. It would have been sooner; however, I do have life to live.
The plot, characters, and action of this novel are simply perfect. They merely needed John Grisham to bring them to life as a legal thriller. How exciting can a novel about death row convicts regaining their freedom and being declared innocent be? In this instance, it can all be pretty exciting and enlightening. The novel is a page-turner from the beginning; and it never lets up. We readers see a number of death row inmates reclaim their freedom, while we get a intensive look into our American justice system's failures in assuring that the innocent go free and the guilty face justice. Thank God for organizations like Centurian and the Innocence Project. Justice would not work without them!
Other reviewers have commented that other Grisham novels have not been up to par; but I have found his novels remarkably consistent in quality, although varying in legal topics. Each is a lesson in what the American Judicial System really is and how it works in the real world. That is a unique service that Grisham provides for us all.
My congratulations on another stunning achievement for John Grisham; and I personally hope to be reading many more of his novels to come. Can the movie of this one be far behind????
The plot, characters, and action of this novel are simply perfect. They merely needed John Grisham to bring them to life as a legal thriller. How exciting can a novel about death row convicts regaining their freedom and being declared innocent be? In this instance, it can all be pretty exciting and enlightening. The novel is a page-turner from the beginning; and it never lets up. We readers see a number of death row inmates reclaim their freedom, while we get a intensive look into our American justice system's failures in assuring that the innocent go free and the guilty face justice. Thank God for organizations like Centurian and the Innocence Project. Justice would not work without them!
Other reviewers have commented that other Grisham novels have not been up to par; but I have found his novels remarkably consistent in quality, although varying in legal topics. Each is a lesson in what the American Judicial System really is and how it works in the real world. That is a unique service that Grisham provides for us all.
My congratulations on another stunning achievement for John Grisham; and I personally hope to be reading many more of his novels to come. Can the movie of this one be far behind????
110 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2019
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This is the most disappointingly, inaccurate piece of crap I have ever read by a person with a law degree and, as a lawyer,I have read some pretty outlandish submissions by attorneys! It mischaracterizes our justice system in a dangerous and irresponsible manner. It is clear that selling books has reached an all new low. I am a prosecutor with twenty years of experience and am astounded at the lack of understanding of the ethical responsibilities that nearly all prosecutors adopt and strive to fulfill. In my world, we often have to ensure that accused are adequately represented by their often unqualified attorneys. I have enjoyed many of Mr. Grisham’s novels, but I will never waste my money on another. I couldn’t even make it through this one! I gave it one star for looking like it would be a good book enough to sucker me into buying it.
111 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2019
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Never read a John Grisham novel that I didn't love. His books are always well researched and extremely well written.
118 people found this helpful
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monxton13
4.0 out of 5 stars
Restitution Of Freedom
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2019Verified Purchase
It's not often I spend £10.99 on a Kindle book but I always do to buy the latest Grisham. Yes he turns one out every year and frankly the quality of that offering has been variable of late. He is back to full on legal process and as usual he is well researched and credible. However I found the novel, although very readable to be somewhat tedious in it's early pages content and repetitive as he jumps from one innocent prisoner's situation to another. However on balance if you like legal novels then this is certainly worth a read and no doubt will be available at a lower price point after launch. By about 45% read it does start to gain that unique Grisham momentum!
31 people found this helpful
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Robert
5.0 out of 5 stars
Masterly
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2019Verified Purchase
Difficult for the non-lawyers but masterly none the same. If the American legal system is as corrupt as described it is horrendous. Well done John Grisham for describing its flaws.
29 people found this helpful
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Jim J-R
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dry, but more engaging than I expected from the blurb
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2020Verified Purchase
I was worried when I started reading this Grisham novel that it was just going to be the same again - he’s written the story of a man on death row over and over again - but it managed to retain my interest and tell an interesting story from a slightly different angle.
It does feel though like this is a bit cookie cutter - Grisham can clearly output legal thrillers almost with his eyes shut now, and his other works seem to be the ones that have more interesting characters and plots, exploring other genres. The narrative here is perfunctory and dry - the classic Grisham move of sticking to fact fact fact, and not adding emotion or colour - it does read a bit like it’s being narrated by a neutral lawyer rather than someone passionate.
An enjoyable read, but not particularly anything special - and I am beginning to wonder whether I want to keep investing my time in reading Grisham’s output.
It does feel though like this is a bit cookie cutter - Grisham can clearly output legal thrillers almost with his eyes shut now, and his other works seem to be the ones that have more interesting characters and plots, exploring other genres. The narrative here is perfunctory and dry - the classic Grisham move of sticking to fact fact fact, and not adding emotion or colour - it does read a bit like it’s being narrated by a neutral lawyer rather than someone passionate.
An enjoyable read, but not particularly anything special - and I am beginning to wonder whether I want to keep investing my time in reading Grisham’s output.
10 people found this helpful
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Taking it Easy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2020Verified Purchase
This is an excellent read and one of John Grisham's best novels of late. He has always been one of my favourite authors, particularly his legal tales.
The Guardians are a small organisation dedicated to freeing those languishing in jail following a wrongful conviction. They are always short of money and run the risk of retribution from organised crime gangs.
Classic Grisham and well worth a read!
The Guardians are a small organisation dedicated to freeing those languishing in jail following a wrongful conviction. They are always short of money and run the risk of retribution from organised crime gangs.
Classic Grisham and well worth a read!

5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2020
This is an excellent read and one of John Grisham's best novels of late. He has always been one of my favourite authors, particularly his legal tales.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2020
The Guardians are a small organisation dedicated to freeing those languishing in jail following a wrongful conviction. They are always short of money and run the risk of retribution from organised crime gangs.
Classic Grisham and well worth a read!
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Simon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2019Verified Purchase
Some iffy dialogue but a cracking unputdownable story in the classic Grisham style. The fact that it’s based on a true story is the kicker.
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