Search - The Last Juror

In "The Last Juror" Grisham returns to Clanton Mississippi, the setting for "A Time To Kill." When a young widow is brutally raped and murdered, she names her assailant with her last dying breath: Danny Padgitt, a son of the dangerous and powerful crime family that seems to own Clanton. Willie Traynor, the young reporter who buys the local newspaper when it falls into bankruptcy, covers the case in the paper and befriends Miss Callie, the matriarch of the amazing Ruffin family and the first black woman juror in Ford County. Danny is tried and found guilty, but he receives life imprisonment instead of the death penalty. When he is released on parole after only nine years and returns to Clanton, the jurors who convicted him begin to die one by one, and the remaining jurors fear for their lives... This novel features not only the setting of Grisham's earliest novel, but also the reappearance of its lawyers Lucien Wilbanks and Harry Rex Vonner. It covers some of the same issues of race and criminal justice. But if you are expecting this story to be similar to its predecessor, you might be disappointed. For one thing, the protagonist here is Willie Traynor rather than a lawyer. The story does contain some tense courtroom drama, but that comprises only part of the novel. Instead we see the gentler and softer-hearted Grisham as represented in some of his latest works such as "Bleachers" and "Skipping Christmas." After the fast-paced trial and while Danny is in prison, the story changes direction to indulge in some good old-fashioned Southern storytelling.

Through the voice of newspaper owner Traynor, a northerner who views the town with the eyes of an outsider but who comes to care for its inhabitants, Grisham shows his affection for Southern small town life. Grisham's descriptions and characterizations are so lovingly crafted that I felt I had attended a goat barbecue, sampled some powerful moonshine, sat on the balcony above the town square gossiping with and about the locals, played poker in the backwoods, visited every church in the county, and had lunch on Miss Callie's porch. The story is peppered with humor and folk wisdom. The ending, although sad, is satisfying. I strongly recommend this novel for readers who appreciate both the vintage and newer Grisham works.

I read some heinous reviews of this book on Amazon, prior to my reading it- so I didn't expect much. I found this to be one of my favorite John Grisham novels- ranking with The Rainmaker and The Pelican Brief. The characters are written so that you actually care about them- and the "mystery" portion of the book is interesting as well. The killer is a tad obvious- and in truth this book is really the Grisham version of To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite novel, so if you enjoyed that, you will enjoy the Last Juror.

John Grisham to me is the master of courtroom drama, he paints the picture nobody els can, as always the book is better than the movie

In 1970, Danny Padgitt was tried for a brutal rape and murder and nine years later managed to get himself paroled. Returning home, the retribution to the jury begins.

Wow! This one is a Favorite of mine!

The plot was interesting and the writing good. Several of the characters are mentioned in A Time To Kill also.

This book is VERY VERY hard to put down, it is a must read!!!!

Another page-turner from John Grisham, I wish I could have been in the actual court room!

From the cover:

In 1970, Willie Traynor came to Clanton, Mississippi, in a Triumph Spitfire and a fog of vague ambitions. Within a year, the twenty-three-year-old found himself the owner of Ford County's only newspaper, famous for its well-crafted obituaries. While the rest of America was in the grips of turmoil, Clanton lived on the edge of another age - until the brutal murder of a young mother rocked the town and thrust Willie into the center of a storm.

Daring to report the true horrors of the crime, Willie made as many friends as enemies in Clanton, and over the next decade he would sometimes wonder how he had gotten there in the first place. But he could never escape the crime that had shattered his innocence or the criminal whose evil had left an indelible strain. Because as the ghosts of the South's past gather around Willie, as tension swirls around Clanton,men and women who served on a jury nine years ago are starting to die one by one - as a killer exacts the ultimate revenge...

Good book.

not his best work

Grisham is always a fun read! It's a great way to spend some down time!

In Mississippi in 1970, a young mother was brutally raped and murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt family. He was tried before a packed courthouse in Clanton, MS. He was found guilty & sentenced to life in prison. Nine years later he was paroled and returned for retribution. True Grisham form -- suspenseful!

Another great Grisham novel. Enjoyed it.

a very good read. worth your time. enjoy.

Another great read from this author.