Tag / The Runaway Jury

by jim

Book 7 (of 52) – The Testament

The Testament - John Grisham

The Testament – John Grisham

As I mentioned last year when I read The Runaway Jury, it had been quite a while since I had read any John Grisham novels.  That didn’t necessarily stop me from buying them, though, as, judging by the embossed message on the front, this edition was the first time that the book had seen print in paperback.  That means that the book has been sitting in my to-read drawer for about 13 years or so.

The Testament revolves around the late Troy Phelan, the 10th-richest man in America, and the legal fight of his children as they fight over the inheritance that has been denied them and instead left to their mysterious half-sister, who has dropped out of sight and is a missionary in South America.  As the excluded heirs fight for what they believe is due to them, a disgraced attorney fights to first find, and then protect the interests of the true heir.

I enjoyed the book, but not as much as I enjoyed The Runaway Jury last year.  I’m starting to see how I could have gotten burned out on Grisham’s work 15 years ago or so.  I did like the parts in the South American jungle more than the standard legal parts.  The Pantanal seems like a wondrous place to visit, even if you do have to worry about malaria or dengue fever.  I might need to take a longer break before my next look in on Grisham’s work, but I will most likely take that look.

by admin

Book 22 (of 52) – The Runaway Jury

The_Runaway_Jury_John_Grisham

The Runaway Jury – John Grisham

In the early 1990s, John Grisham was at the top of the bestsellers lists and I was along for the ride.  Starting with The Firm in 1993 and continuing through The Rainmaker in 1996, I had plowed through four* of his first six novels in four years time.  But then, for some reason, I stopped.  The Runaway Jury was book number seven for Grisham, and, by all accounts, it has been sitting in my To Read drawer for quite some time.  Some 16 years after its release, it was time to give it a chance.

*Although my records indicate otherwise, I’m pretty sure that I read The Client too.  That would put me at five out of six in the same four year time period.

My time away from Grisham seems to have done me well, as I was thouroughly engrossed by this book, the tale of a tobacco trial, the defense operatives trying to ensure a verdict through any means necessary, and the jury led by a man who has a hidden agenda.  Grisham tells an interesting tale of deceit and lawlessness in showing how the tobacco industry will go to any lengths necessary to keep all judgments on their side.  One has to wonder how much of this is truly fiction and if the judicial process can be so easily manipulated.

The Runaway Jury was a fun read and I’ve already moved the movie adaptation to the top of my Netflix queue so I can revisit this story and its characters soon.  I have a strong feeling that it will not be another 16 years before I pick up a John Grisham book again.