Customer Reviews

The 13th Juror

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My boss was reading this book and I picked it up one day out of curiosity (she had been talking about how good it was). I read the first page, then the second, and the next thing I knew I had read the entire prologue. Very compelling and chilling - in those few pages, Lescroart delves into the mind of a battered woman and gives real insight into her psyche. Here and throughout the book, he answers the often-asked naive question "Why doesn't she just leave him?" I then bought my own copy of the book (my boss had passed her copy on to her husband). Lescroart takes his time and carefully constructs his characters; the drama builds steadily as the murder trial looms and Hardy tries to convince his client to help herself. When the trial begins, the story starts to race as new evidence comes to light and the plot takes some wild turns (the analogy of a roller coaster comes to mind - trite, but true). This is more than a simple courtroom drama or whodunit - Lescroart really gets into what makes his characters who they are and why they do what they do. I actually found myself forgetting to try to figure out who the killer really was (although until the climax of the book there remains a shadow of a doubt as to whether the wife really did it or not - she's not exactly a warm, lovable gal and she certainly had plenty of reasons to off the guy). This is an intricate, multi-layered story that goes way beyond the basics - there's a lot more to it than the central theme of justice prevailing over injustice. Lescroart explores the grey areas of ethics and morality as his characters interact and their own stories intertwine. This is a fascinating and engrossing book.

It is stretching it a bit to call this book a legal "thriller." The dual murders occur before page one. Most of the book involves the legal wranglings of an over-eager assistant DA, who just happens to be running for political office; a flamboyant, high-profile defense attorney, who has taken on ex cop and prosecutor Dismas Hardy as his assistant; and a helmet-haired, no-nonsense female judge. First one, then the other side, seems to have the upper hand in the evidence, testimony, and gamesmanship. And there is the constant speculation as to whether the accused, Jennifer Witt, did or could have killed her abusive husband along with her only son with Hardy doing most of the wondering while balancing a faltering home situation.

Beyond the trial, Dismas works on the "other dude" theory: someone else did it. The list of suspects is hardly compelling: Jennifer's abusive family members, a family who blames Jennifer's husband for a botched abortion, and those involved in a sleazy financial deal involving the husband's medical facility. The end is not necessarily predictable, but one may rightly feel that the last minute realization could have come much earlier and easier. At times the book becomes a bit laborious, but overall it is okay - not quite four stars.

I bought this three-year-old legal thriller while on vacation in Uruguay because it was the least objectionable book in English I could find. I'm glad I discovered it--even at $11 for a paperback. The book is not as slick as Grisham and probably longer than should be but it's an easy read and quite engrossing. It's a nice look inside the legal system, a story about a cop-turned-attorney and his first murder trial. The lawyer is likeable, the client not so much, which makes it all the more fun. I hate to even hint at the ending because I get angry at reviews that do. I'll just say, I wasn't disappointed

I really feel this book should be reviewed in two parts. The first half of the book (before the trial opens) is rather slow and I was left wondering if the story would ever get off the ground. However, the second half of the book is everything a great legal thriller should be and I found myself unable to tear myself away from it. The ending comes as a surprise and yet pulls all the loose ends together beautifully. The suspense does not let up and proceeds at an every-quickening pace. Re-edit the first half of the book and I would give it 5 stars.

Jennifer Witt has been arrested for the murder of her husband and child. The evidence against her is overwhelming, but she steadfastly claims to be innocent. Her attorney, Dismas Hardy, faces a seemingly impossible task, but gradually finds that things are not exactly as they seem. He becomes convinced that she is innocent, but how to prove it? The author takes you, step by step, through the preparation and conduct of this murder trial, and you see the price it extracts from the lives of all concerned. I am not a fan of novels about attorneys, but this one held my attention throughout.

Lescroart is one of the best popular writers out there -- certainly equal to if not better than my those in my short pantheon of writing wizards: Michael Connelly, Crais, Griffen, and a few others. Not only is this a gripping legal procedural, it gives sharp insight into the mind of domestic abusers and abusees. His courtroom dialogs especially are unsurpassed and reek of realism. Lescroart's plots are usually fairly predictible -- he always pulls something out of his sleeve at the end of the story -- and this is no exception. But that does not take away one iota from the enjoyment and excitement of his work. This is one of his best, and I've read them all.

Lescroart writes and plots with amazing precision and clarity. Others have gone into detail about content, so let me just say that once I finished reading The 13th Juror I jumped right into A Certain Justice (don't start that one before going to bed) and now The Hearing. I'll be reading everything John Lescroart has written or will write. Although there are multiple threads in each book, Lescroart does not ever leave the reader at loose ends. The settings are described in enough detail to bring them alive, but without excess. Characters are strong -- maybe not "larger than life," but some of them about as large as life gets. And he carefully researches the details.

Enough. Buy his books. Read them. If you like legal/crime/suspense you will be pleased.

Keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole book. It's hard to put down! Characters are believable. You want to shake Jennifer Witt, and make her admit she's a battered woman. And you also want to force her into counseling (with a woman, please -- you'll understand if you read the book!). The book also makes you want to hug Jennifer and her mother, Nancy, and tell them how beautiful and worthwhile they are, and that they deserve better men than the ones they choose.

A VERY good description of the mind of the battered woman who loves her husband, and the desperate lady who falls in love with the wrong man, very wrong, deadly wrong. Captures deep emotion.

The lawyers are very believable. I've met lawyers just as heartless as David Freeman and just as giving, loving and determined as Dismas Hardy.

Of course, Hardy is the character you fall in love with in the book, loving husband and father, determined defense attorney.

The 13th Juror is shocking, with a great surprise ending you will never guess. Hardy lucked out -- I'm afraid in real life, this woman would have gotten the death penalty.

A fast read, MUST READ for anyone interested in crime and courtroom drama. Anyone who knows a battered woman or who has been battered should read this powerful book.

In fiction, genius lies in great characters. John Lescroart's characters are three dimensional. They laugh, they cry, they fail, they triumph; and they move the story along through complicated twists and turns of the plot. I read this the first of my John Lescroart's (pronounced Less-kwah)books in one sitting. I began on a Monday around 6:00 a.m. Nothing got done in my house. No cooking, no cleaning, no answering the telephone. When I finished THE 13TH JUROR around 12 midnight, I finally went to sleep only to awaken early to call my friend of 55 years, Rheta; made a beeline for her house, made a gift of THE 13TH JUROR; returned home, and ordered all the rest of Lescroart's books still in print along with another copy of THE 13TH JUROR for my private library.

The story line is carried by the characters. There is a tender and romantic love story between Dismas Hardy and his wife. There is a surpise ending, but I can guarantee JUSTICE. Rheta loved it too.

Just started reading the Dismas Hardy character books. I have a hard time putting these books down. They keep you on the edge of your seat, but with a little home/personal life issues involved with Dismas and his family. I plan to read them all.