#52.5 - The Last Juror

Again, The Last Juror by John Grisham isn't really the book I'd read anywhere other than maybe, and let's just say maybe, on a beach in Mexico because I'd finished all of my other books and it's the only thing left lying around the room. That said, it makes a truly engaging audio book, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it.

All tolled, it took most of my time in the car for the last week to get through it, but as it finally ended, I sat in the car for about five minutes listening to the end before going in to the office.

The sprawling story of Willie Traynor, a small-town newspaper owner who befriends Miss Callie, the matron of a large black family in Mississippi, The Last Juror opens with a violent murder, one that has the entire community of Clanton up in arms. As the next ten years unfold, the story of the paper, and of its owner, Traynor, comes to life beside the story of Miss Callie and her incredible family. The trial of the murderer, Danny Padgitt, becomes the focal point for the meat and potatoes of the book. The story sprawls like an old plantation porch, filling in the lively details of country, small-town life, and I suppose it'll be made into a movie at some point (isn't that a Grisham pre-requisite?).

And I'd give it one and a half solid thumbs up in terms of keeping you awake on a long drive. One thing's for certain, you'll be drawling in your sleep and longing for a cup of sweet tea before the book's finished.