Krishna
John Grisham is a regular in these reviews. See some earlier reviews of his books here ; see The Street Lawyer or The Chamber, or The King of Torts for a sample.
This is one of his better books and races from the beginning to the end seamlessly. Let us look at the story.
Nicholas Easter is fully investigated before being chosen as a juror potential. Rankin Fitch who has hired the agency is a terror. The opposition is also busy analyzing potential Jurors by investigating them personally with detectives, just as these are doing. At stake is millions of dollars in settlement. He seems to be representing tobacco companies at the point where popular opinion was turning against smoking and the harm it does to society.
Wendall Rohr, the plaintiff’s lawyer, made his fortune (the second time, after losing his first one) as a brawler for the poor. He meets the cigarette victim Jacob Wood’s wife Celeste and decides to make this a class action litigation.
The jury selection includes Nicholas, who had tried to get to the jury in the previous case in another city with a different disguise and he is thrilled to have finally made it. He creates a ruckus when on the first day the food (supposed to have been delivered from a Deli) is delayed by a mysterious call that asked them to ‘deliver the food at 1:30 pm and not before’.
He makes a big fuss about plates next day but also sends a secret message to the defense attorney saying what dress he will wear the next day. He knows they actually got into his apartment and searched it while he was at jury duty.
He skillfully manipulates Firch and Rohr through a girl whom no one can trace. He gets the Jury sequestered but after warning Fitch that his goon who inspected Easton’s apartment has been recorded and getting him out of the city in a hurry.
Easton gets another juror rattled by getting her tailed in a strange town and then showing her how much the person knows. He uses his girlfriend for these acts and she is the same one who has been dropping hints to both the lawyers (in prep for bargaining for a favourable verdict).
The defense brings a man who speaks artificially due to voice box being destroyed by smoking.
Fitch finds out about Marlee and her real name. She finds out through a careless mistake the investigator made and warns Fitch off. Fitch is almost certain that she will deliver so he decides to pay up.
There are multiple side stories of how many of the jurors are ‘persuaded’ to vote for the defence or prosecution through the carrots of money or a company position or by threats.
Finally Marlee shows her cards and puts in an ingenious plan for him to pay ten million dollars for a verdict, with enough safeguards to tip the verdict the other way should he renege. Nice. She even knows about the ultra secret Slush Funds. But it appears she has a past that she wants desperately to protect and has been successful so far.
The cat and mouse game continues. Marlee finds out about the blackmail of the real estate agent Hoppy, first catching him in incriminating conversation and then using it posing as FBi agent. When they are exposed by Nicholas and Marlee, he is in a rage!
An even bigger bombshell occurs when Fitch gets finally to track Marlee to her origins and gets a shock of his life. In a series of twists that keeps you turning pages, the author describes the machinations of that genius mind.
Not even the fees demanded by her was the ultimate prize; that is something else and even in pure money, the way she multiplies it is spellbinding. A great set of, say 30 pages that makes the story suddenly race. Good work, that.
The ending has another twist and makes the story complete. A very good book, among John Grisham’s best. Nice.
8/10
– – Krishna