Synopsis
The story begins with the demise of a small-town newspaper, the Ford County Times, in 1970. Willie Traynor, 23-year-old former cub reporter for the paper, takes it over with money from his grandmother. The paper it creaks along until success comes with its first big story--the rape and murder of a young widow by Danny Padgitt, member of a local bootlegging family. Convicted, given a life sentence, and still utterly remorseless, Padgitt swears vengeance against the jurors who declared him guilty. When he is paroled nine years later, jurors begin to die. John Grisham began work on THE LAST JUROR in the late '80s, wanting to write novels set in fictional Ford County, Mississippi, but he was interrupted by the success of THE FIRM. THE LAST JUROR breaks out of the mold of Grisham's usual legal thrillers into a story about the growth of Willie Traynor from a callow young man to an older and wiser one.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 2004-02-01 | | Series: | GRISHAM, JOHN |
| Size | | Length: | 355 pages | | Height: | 9.8 in | | Width: | 6.8 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 22.4 oz |
Publisher's Note
In 1970, one of Mississippi's more colorful weekly newspapers, The Ford County Times, went bankrupt. To the surprise and dismay of many, ownership was assumed by a 23 year-old college dropout, named Willie Traynor. The future of the paper looked grim until a young mother was brutally raped and murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt family. Willie Traynor reported all the gruesome details, and his newspaper began to prosper.
The murderer, Danny Padgitt, was tried before a packed courthouse in Clanton, Mississippi. The trial came to a startling and dramatic end when the defendant threatened revenge against the jurors if they convicted him. Nevertheless, they found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
But in Mississippi in 1970, "life" didn't necessarily mean "life," and nine years later Danny Padgitt managed to get himself paroled. He returned to Ford County, and the retribution began.
Industry Reviews
"[This book has] the crispness, streamlined energy and self-deprecating charm that Mr. Grisham brings to his best efforts....THE LAST JUROR does not need to coast on its author's megapopularity. It's a reminder of how the Grisham juggernaut began."
New York Times - Janet Maslin (02/02/2004)
"The novel is heartfelt, wise, suspenseful and funny, one of the best Grishams ever."
Publishers Weekly (02/02/2004)
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