| Sam Cayhall is to be tried for the third time for the murders of two young men who were killed when he allegedly bombed their father's law office. The first two trials resulted in a hung jury. He stays there for years to come until his grandson tries to get him off of death row.This time, twelve years after the event, the prosecution feels more confident. The jury is not all white.
Cayhall was a member of the Ku Klux Klan and the time and place were the south in the days where racism was rife. Adam Hall is a young lawyer working for the firm that acts for Cayhall. He asks for the case and, bleak as the outlook seems, does his best for his client. He brings with him some family secrets. He is Cayhall's grandson. Grisham as usual presents his readers with a dilemma, time is running out for Cayhall and he is heading for the gas chamber. So, apart from the touchy subject of racism, is the even more controversial one of capital punishment. He tries also to have this old arrogant man showing his feelings and admitting his own and others' responsibilities for racist crimes committed in the eleven years ago. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - very upbeat - How difficult to spot villain? - Story partially from villain's perspective Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Legal Thriller Yes Legal Plotlets Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Profession/status: Eccentric: Yes Motive of antagonist - revenge The antagonists are: - lawyer creatures How sensitive is this character? Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters Setting City? Yes Misc setting - prison Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths A lot of techno jargon? Yes Unusual forms of death - exploded into bits Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - little dialog |
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