“The Last Juror” by John Grisham Spoiler Free Book-Talk

The Last Juror by John Grisham Book-Talk

Title: The Last Juror

Author: John Grisham

Genre: Legal Thriller

Page Count: 355

Published: February 3, 2004 by Doubleday

Summary:

Taking place in Mississippi in the year 1970, The Last Juror follows twenty-three year old college drop-out and journalist, Willie Traynor. After the paper he works at, The Ford Country Times, goes bankrupt, Willie buys the paper himself using a loan. His first major story shakes the entire town: a mother is horrifically assaulted and killed. The prime suspect named by the victim in her final moments is a man who belongs to a family of criminals and bootleggers. At the trial, the suspect even threatens the jury if they convict him.

Willie grows his paper as he follows the developing story closely. 

My Thoughts:

This book was my first introduction to John Grisham’s work. I fell in love at the very first page. John Grisham’s books are written in a way where they make you feel smarter while you are reading them. His stories are easy to follow and filled with incredible detail to help immerse you into the story. The scenes that take place in the court rooms for the trials are my favorite. Grisham raises the stakes with every passing page. I had a hard time putting this book down until I got to the resolution. 

I am a huge fan of books where the plot centers around crime and reporters. This story was fascinating from the first page to the last page. The Last Juror reminds me of the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Though set forty years apart and in different states, they have similar themes of justice and life in the southern United States. I found this book easier to read due to the more modern setting and dialect. 

As a forewarning, this book deals with violence and sexual assault. If that is something that bothers you or that you find triggering, I would recommend erring on the side of caution and choosing a different book. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown has a similar structure of a mystery unfolding and a clean and academic writing style. 

I would give this book a 10/10 and highly recommend it to anybody 15 and older. 

Have you read The Last Juror? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!