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The Juror
This is a psychological thriller about a young woman threatened by the Mafia who must return a verdict of 'not guilty' to ensure the safety of her son. The book has been turned into a movie, featuring Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
About the author
George Dawes Green
8 books251 followersGeorge Dawes Green is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of the Moth. His first novel, The Caveman's Valentine, won an Edgar Award and became a motion picture starring Samuel L. Jackson. The Juror was a bestseller in more than 20 languages and the basis for the motion picture starring Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin. Ravens was chosen as one of the best books of the year by the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Green grew up in Georgia and now lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
December 1, 2020
I love me a legal thriller and this one had what I adore most of all..Juries!
I am fascinated by the whole Jury process and always have been. So this seemed a good pick.
While I enjoyed "The Juror" it was not a book I was crazy about. It was less about the jury than about one single Juror.
This juror is also a young and struggling mother and has no idea what she is getting into when she is ask ed to serve on this Jury. Because some of the people involved in this case are..really really bad people! And they will stop at nothing to get the verdict they want.
FYI..,,,This is also a movie. I thought it was OK but as I said I didn't love it. The tension was ramped up in this one to a very high degree which made it frustrating just trying to relax and en joy the story!
I have also read books/sen movies with plots such as this so my interest meter was not turned to high. I really wanted a book that focused more on the juries as a whole. I wanted a book like Grisham's Runway Jury! So if anybody knows of any..please feel free to recommend!
At the end f the day, I'd give this a three. I may just not be the right audience for it.
I am fascinated by the whole Jury process and always have been. So this seemed a good pick.
While I enjoyed "The Juror" it was not a book I was crazy about. It was less about the jury than about one single Juror.
This juror is also a young and struggling mother and has no idea what she is getting into when she is ask ed to serve on this Jury. Because some of the people involved in this case are..really really bad people! And they will stop at nothing to get the verdict they want.
FYI..,,,This is also a movie. I thought it was OK but as I said I didn't love it. The tension was ramped up in this one to a very high degree which made it frustrating just trying to relax and en joy the story!
I have also read books/sen movies with plots such as this so my interest meter was not turned to high. I really wanted a book that focused more on the juries as a whole. I wanted a book like Grisham's Runway Jury! So if anybody knows of any..please feel free to recommend!
At the end f the day, I'd give this a three. I may just not be the right audience for it.
December 30, 2018
This book actually surprised me. I felt like I’d not like it because I’ve almost burnt myself out on law thrillers. It is fast paced and has likeable characters, while also being a great page turner, but not much more than that. Good quick read.
Goosie Scale Rating: 4/10
There were several scenes that had hair standing effects, but not many.
First Sentence Rating: 2/10
“Eddie, in the speculator’s gallery, leans forward.”
Adding the second sentence would’ve helped this rating tremendously, but that’s not how this rating works :) There’s just nothing captivating or catchy about this opener.
Goosie Scale Rating: 4/10
There were several scenes that had hair standing effects, but not many.
First Sentence Rating: 2/10
“Eddie, in the speculator’s gallery, leans forward.”
Adding the second sentence would’ve helped this rating tremendously, but that’s not how this rating works :) There’s just nothing captivating or catchy about this opener.
March 25, 2020
Terminé de leelo esperando una mejora que nunca llegó. Está escrito a varias voces, con un continúo intercambio de personajes. Sin embargo, en lugar de darle dinamismo a la historia crea confusión porque ese recurso no está bien llevado.
Por otro lado, los diálogos son malos además de surrealistas, en mitad de una conversación salían con algún comentario con cierto componente sexual que no venía a cuento (lo del candado fue... Pero pasó más de una vez). De verdad, habría hecho las delicias de Freud.
Además, los personajes no hay por donde cogerlos, a ninguno. Claro que lo mismo debería haberlo visto venir con tanto comentario que no venía al caso y todos por el mismo lado. Y el Profesor, qué puedo decir de ese personaje sobre el que recae toda la trama, esa persona tan sumamente inteligente que los lleva a todos de la nariz... Pues que es simplemente un pirado. De hecho, al final llegué a la conclusión de que todos lo seguían porque reconocían su supremacía, es decir, estaba más pirado que todos los demás juntos, que ya es decir, porque todos parecían tocados de alguna u otra manera. Y no voy a entrar en las decisiones que se toman ni en la resolución del asunto porque entonces no termino.
En definitiva, hay tantas cosas mal que no hay manera posible de redención. Lo único bueno que puedo decir del libro es que tiene una premisa, y sobre todo, una sinopsis que pintan muy bien. Lamentablemente es solo humo y detrás no hay nada salvo una gran perdida de tiempo.
Por otro lado, los diálogos son malos además de surrealistas, en mitad de una conversación salían con algún comentario con cierto componente sexual que no venía a cuento (lo del candado fue... Pero pasó más de una vez). De verdad, habría hecho las delicias de Freud.
Además, los personajes no hay por donde cogerlos, a ninguno. Claro que lo mismo debería haberlo visto venir con tanto comentario que no venía al caso y todos por el mismo lado. Y el Profesor, qué puedo decir de ese personaje sobre el que recae toda la trama, esa persona tan sumamente inteligente que los lleva a todos de la nariz... Pues que es simplemente un pirado. De hecho, al final llegué a la conclusión de que todos lo seguían porque reconocían su supremacía, es decir, estaba más pirado que todos los demás juntos, que ya es decir, porque todos parecían tocados de alguna u otra manera. Y no voy a entrar en las decisiones que se toman ni en la resolución del asunto porque entonces no termino.
En definitiva, hay tantas cosas mal que no hay manera posible de redención. Lo único bueno que puedo decir del libro es que tiene una premisa, y sobre todo, una sinopsis que pintan muy bien. Lamentablemente es solo humo y detrás no hay nada salvo una gran perdida de tiempo.
July 26, 2009
Synopsis:
Single mother, struggling sculptor, and newly selected juror Annie Laird doesn't realize her danger when she agrees to participate in the murder trial of mob boss Louie Buffano. This changes quickly enough when Annie meets "the Teacher," a handsome, dangerous and volatile member of Buffano's familia. The Teacher makes it immediately apparent that if she agrees to cooperate, he can help make her career. If she refuses to do so, her life and that of her son may be forfeit. The tension rises as Annie struggles to find a way to save her family without giving in to the Teacher's increasing demands.
Review:
If the plot sounds vaguely familiar, you may have watched the 1996 movie version with Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin. The audiobook is equally fast paced and absorbing without the strength of Alec Baldwin's portrayal of the Teacher and the weaknesses of Demi Moore's Annie Laird. Overall, The Juror is action packed, suspenseful and highly entertaining."
Single mother, struggling sculptor, and newly selected juror Annie Laird doesn't realize her danger when she agrees to participate in the murder trial of mob boss Louie Buffano. This changes quickly enough when Annie meets "the Teacher," a handsome, dangerous and volatile member of Buffano's familia. The Teacher makes it immediately apparent that if she agrees to cooperate, he can help make her career. If she refuses to do so, her life and that of her son may be forfeit. The tension rises as Annie struggles to find a way to save her family without giving in to the Teacher's increasing demands.
Review:
If the plot sounds vaguely familiar, you may have watched the 1996 movie version with Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin. The audiobook is equally fast paced and absorbing without the strength of Alec Baldwin's portrayal of the Teacher and the weaknesses of Demi Moore's Annie Laird. Overall, The Juror is action packed, suspenseful and highly entertaining."
August 27, 2022
4,25 sterren- Nederlandse paperback
Aantekening in agrnda:
Het verhaal begint langzaam, zoals gewoonlijk bij thrillers. Maar dit boek moet je gewoon even lezen.
Het verhaal gaat over een rustige, eenzame maar toch best wel een pittige alleenstaande moeder.
Die het enige en belangrijkste in haar leven heeft: Oliver (haar zoon). Die in gevaar wordt gebracht als zij niet meewerkt met de plannetjes van de professor.
Tandenknarsen dus.
Aantekening in agrnda:
Het verhaal begint langzaam, zoals gewoonlijk bij thrillers. Maar dit boek moet je gewoon even lezen.
Het verhaal gaat over een rustige, eenzame maar toch best wel een pittige alleenstaande moeder.
Die het enige en belangrijkste in haar leven heeft: Oliver (haar zoon). Die in gevaar wordt gebracht als zij niet meewerkt met de plannetjes van de professor.
Tandenknarsen dus.
October 17, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
August 10, 2020
Page turning thriller about a juror on a murder trial and a perfectly evil villain whose mission is to effect a non-guilty verdict.
February 28, 2021
So…. I’m still baffled by how only one juror is subjected to this merry-go-round and none of the others were…. If you are this big, mob boss wouldn’t you be threatening ALL of the jurors involved in this trial? What good is threatening only one of them? Did I miss something here?
Anyway…. Published in 1995, “The Juror” was George Dawes Green’s second novel and was immediately adapted to film, starring Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin. I’m not a big fan of either of those actors so I skipped the movie so it wouldn’t ruin the book for me. Do you ever find yourself avoiding films that you know were adaptations of books that you have not read yet but have interest in doing so eventually – cause I do that regularly. Especially if I think there’s a chance the film will stay on-point with the plotline of the book. There’s nothing worse than reading a story, 400 pages in length, and knowing what’s going to happen around every corner. I did that with “Pet Sematary” and had to smoke a J during every reading session just to get through it because there was ZERO suspense because I had seen the movie too many times. The original film followed the book to the T.
“The Juror”, although sounds like it could be a complex story, is actually pretty straight forward. It’s about a hot, young blonde bombshell named Annie Laird, who responds to her jury duty notice and ends up being selected as a juror for the murder trial of a notorious mob boss named Louie Buffano. Obviously, Louie isn’t going to just sit back while the justice system does its thing and sends his ass to prison for the rest of his life, so he has his goons help tilt the odds in his favor by threatening juror #224, a.k.a. Annie the D-cup smoke-show…..
Upon confronting Annie about their desire and necessity to keep Louie out of prison, Loui’s men are pretty persuasive and threaten to decapitate her son and play a game of soccer with his severed head if she doesn’t give-in to their demands. Although she is not the brightest bulb or the most loving parent, she certainly doesn’t want harm to come to her son or any of her friends so she is left riding a roller coaster, alone, until the matter is settled.
“The Juror” was not quite what I expected…. I started reading this novel having no plot insight other than skimming through the synopsis listed on the dustjacket flap. With that being said, very little of the book actually takes place inside a courthouse. I expected a lot of courtroom dialogue, cross examining, and a need to pay strict attention to detail while waiting for some mystery to unravel and subsequent courtroom verdict to be decided. Instead, it was more of an action-thriller novel of events that take place outside the courtroom. I’m not by any means saying that is a bad thing…. It was just unexpected.
This book has mixed reviews and I can understand why. It’s not for everyone…. The story leaves a lot of questions left unanswered and certain moments are completely unrealistic…. The homicides start to add up a nonsensical rate painting the picture that the mob kills everyone and anything for any reason, yet there seems to be no police activity thereafter. The state troopers and federal agents seem utterly useless in this book.
The characters are also not very likeable. A lot of them were very one-dimensional…. Even the protagonist, although lovely in my mind, is somewhat of a cold-hearted bitch that you want to slap some sense into periodically. You have a chick who’s this honest, goody two-shoes who feels compelled to do the right thing at all times by fulfilling her jury duty commitment because it’s “the right thing to do”, yet thinks nothing of doing all kinds of sketchy things thereafter – including treating her own son like he’s some kind of nuisance that she has been forced to take care of for the last twelve years. The character that is portrayed in the beginning of the novel is not consistent with the character she evolves into over a short period of time…. Someone with values and hardcore beliefs do not change that easily.
To be honest, my favorite character was “The Teacher” – which happens to be the antagonist. I liked the coldness and disturbing robotic nature of his character. He reminded me of Richard Kuklinski, also known as “The Iceman”. He’s a stud who women can’t stay away from with the ability to cut ties with anyone and anything without thinking twice about it. That’s a fascinating (and psychotic) quality right there….
I will also mention that the books ending was a very “80’s hero / villain” cliché’ and not realistic by any stretch of the imagination. The conclusion was very abrupt as well for that kind of progression. I think an Epilogue would have been a more suitable way to close out this kind of story.
So with all these issues how come my book rating is so high, you ask? Well, it held my attention from start to finish, for one…. There was NEVER a point in the story where I was bored. I always ended my reading session wishing I had more time to keep reading. The pace of the story progressed at an increasing rate, which is exactly how I like it. There were a couple plot twists here and there that I also rather enjoyed. It’s always fun when a main character is executed, is it not? Especially when they are a pussy-whipped, whining crybaby.
George Dawes Green has a wonderful way with words and is a great story teller. I especially liked how the scenes were broken up in the story. The only problem I had with his writing style is that there are two characters who have alias’ (one of them has four or five!) and these alias’ are not easy to pick-up on (or keep track of). It’s real easy to confuse the characters if you are not paying attention. Aside from that, the plot is very straightforward and easy to follow. I will definitely be checking out another one of Green’s novels down the road. “The Caveman’s Valentine” looks very interesting….
FINAL VERDICT: I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. The book had a lot of flaws, no doubt…. I certainly expected a lot more courtroom material. Surely, a murder trial of this magnitude would last longer than a few days to reach a verdict…. But, “The Juror” held my attention from start to finish and my overall enjoyment allowed me to overlook the flaws mentioned above. I would recommend this book to anyone who is fan of mob stories and some courtroom drama.
Anyway…. Published in 1995, “The Juror” was George Dawes Green’s second novel and was immediately adapted to film, starring Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin. I’m not a big fan of either of those actors so I skipped the movie so it wouldn’t ruin the book for me. Do you ever find yourself avoiding films that you know were adaptations of books that you have not read yet but have interest in doing so eventually – cause I do that regularly. Especially if I think there’s a chance the film will stay on-point with the plotline of the book. There’s nothing worse than reading a story, 400 pages in length, and knowing what’s going to happen around every corner. I did that with “Pet Sematary” and had to smoke a J during every reading session just to get through it because there was ZERO suspense because I had seen the movie too many times. The original film followed the book to the T.
“The Juror”, although sounds like it could be a complex story, is actually pretty straight forward. It’s about a hot, young blonde bombshell named Annie Laird, who responds to her jury duty notice and ends up being selected as a juror for the murder trial of a notorious mob boss named Louie Buffano. Obviously, Louie isn’t going to just sit back while the justice system does its thing and sends his ass to prison for the rest of his life, so he has his goons help tilt the odds in his favor by threatening juror #224, a.k.a. Annie the D-cup smoke-show…..
Upon confronting Annie about their desire and necessity to keep Louie out of prison, Loui’s men are pretty persuasive and threaten to decapitate her son and play a game of soccer with his severed head if she doesn’t give-in to their demands. Although she is not the brightest bulb or the most loving parent, she certainly doesn’t want harm to come to her son or any of her friends so she is left riding a roller coaster, alone, until the matter is settled.
“The Juror” was not quite what I expected…. I started reading this novel having no plot insight other than skimming through the synopsis listed on the dustjacket flap. With that being said, very little of the book actually takes place inside a courthouse. I expected a lot of courtroom dialogue, cross examining, and a need to pay strict attention to detail while waiting for some mystery to unravel and subsequent courtroom verdict to be decided. Instead, it was more of an action-thriller novel of events that take place outside the courtroom. I’m not by any means saying that is a bad thing…. It was just unexpected.
This book has mixed reviews and I can understand why. It’s not for everyone…. The story leaves a lot of questions left unanswered and certain moments are completely unrealistic…. The homicides start to add up a nonsensical rate painting the picture that the mob kills everyone and anything for any reason, yet there seems to be no police activity thereafter. The state troopers and federal agents seem utterly useless in this book.
The characters are also not very likeable. A lot of them were very one-dimensional…. Even the protagonist, although lovely in my mind, is somewhat of a cold-hearted bitch that you want to slap some sense into periodically. You have a chick who’s this honest, goody two-shoes who feels compelled to do the right thing at all times by fulfilling her jury duty commitment because it’s “the right thing to do”, yet thinks nothing of doing all kinds of sketchy things thereafter – including treating her own son like he’s some kind of nuisance that she has been forced to take care of for the last twelve years. The character that is portrayed in the beginning of the novel is not consistent with the character she evolves into over a short period of time…. Someone with values and hardcore beliefs do not change that easily.
To be honest, my favorite character was “The Teacher” – which happens to be the antagonist. I liked the coldness and disturbing robotic nature of his character. He reminded me of Richard Kuklinski, also known as “The Iceman”. He’s a stud who women can’t stay away from with the ability to cut ties with anyone and anything without thinking twice about it. That’s a fascinating (and psychotic) quality right there….
I will also mention that the books ending was a very “80’s hero / villain” cliché’ and not realistic by any stretch of the imagination. The conclusion was very abrupt as well for that kind of progression. I think an Epilogue would have been a more suitable way to close out this kind of story.
So with all these issues how come my book rating is so high, you ask? Well, it held my attention from start to finish, for one…. There was NEVER a point in the story where I was bored. I always ended my reading session wishing I had more time to keep reading. The pace of the story progressed at an increasing rate, which is exactly how I like it. There were a couple plot twists here and there that I also rather enjoyed. It’s always fun when a main character is executed, is it not? Especially when they are a pussy-whipped, whining crybaby.
George Dawes Green has a wonderful way with words and is a great story teller. I especially liked how the scenes were broken up in the story. The only problem I had with his writing style is that there are two characters who have alias’ (one of them has four or five!) and these alias’ are not easy to pick-up on (or keep track of). It’s real easy to confuse the characters if you are not paying attention. Aside from that, the plot is very straightforward and easy to follow. I will definitely be checking out another one of Green’s novels down the road. “The Caveman’s Valentine” looks very interesting….
FINAL VERDICT: I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. The book had a lot of flaws, no doubt…. I certainly expected a lot more courtroom material. Surely, a murder trial of this magnitude would last longer than a few days to reach a verdict…. But, “The Juror” held my attention from start to finish and my overall enjoyment allowed me to overlook the flaws mentioned above. I would recommend this book to anyone who is fan of mob stories and some courtroom drama.
July 5, 2018
una historia que promete mucho pero se termina alargando mas de la cuenta e innesesariamente, la trama original cumple con todo, suspenso, drama, romance y erotismo, policial, algo muy completo, pero una vez que se termina esto, los ultimos capitulos fueron muy forzados y se alargaba y alargaba mas la historia sin ningun sentido hasta llegar a un final muy sencillo y predecible.
es por la ultima parte de la novela que no alcanza una buena puntuacion, ya que descompone todo lo bueno que se presenta en un principio, con una amplia variedad de personajes que d euna u otra manera estan entrelazados entre todos, de manera muy breve te explica su estilo d evida de cada uno y entiendes su papel en la obra, sin profundizar muhco, solo lo necesario, al igual en al descripcion d elso escenarios, es muy basico, no se enrolla y deja que los mismos personajes describan las situaciones y el escenario donde ocurren los hechos, lo que le permite a la obra tener un gran ritmo, muy rapido, mucho dialogo que te facilita la obra, no hay descripciones fastidiosas d elos hechos o las cosas, pero todo esto que digo se descompone en la ultima aprte del libro, el autor quizo emter un genro que no es el suyo, o al menos no en esta obra, quiere meterse en el mundo d ela accion, lo cual le quedo muy mal, acciones y decisiones muy forzadas, situaciones que no tienen ninguna salida para los protagonistas y misteriosamente hay soluciones milagrosas que los sacan de los problemas, carece de congruencia y ritmo, (solo por poner un ejemplo, la protagonista viaja a guatemala y nadie le entiende el ingles en el aeropuerto, pero resulta que en un pueblo mas de la sierra, se puede comunicar perfectamente con los infdigenas y hasta consigue un avion, algo ilogico que en un aeropuerto no hablen ingles y en una aldea si) de ese tipo de incongruencias se presentan al final d ela obra, lo que reduce mucho su nivel que se venia mostrando.
si la novela hubiera terminado 100 paginas antes, hubiera estado satisfecho y tendria mejor calificacion, pero na cabe duda que se lee muy rapido, me hizo pasar un buen rato agradable y en cuanto a la trama y suspenso, muy bien desarrollada, pero la accion policial, un fiasco.
no la odio ni la amo.
es por la ultima parte de la novela que no alcanza una buena puntuacion, ya que descompone todo lo bueno que se presenta en un principio, con una amplia variedad de personajes que d euna u otra manera estan entrelazados entre todos, de manera muy breve te explica su estilo d evida de cada uno y entiendes su papel en la obra, sin profundizar muhco, solo lo necesario, al igual en al descripcion d elso escenarios, es muy basico, no se enrolla y deja que los mismos personajes describan las situaciones y el escenario donde ocurren los hechos, lo que le permite a la obra tener un gran ritmo, muy rapido, mucho dialogo que te facilita la obra, no hay descripciones fastidiosas d elos hechos o las cosas, pero todo esto que digo se descompone en la ultima aprte del libro, el autor quizo emter un genro que no es el suyo, o al menos no en esta obra, quiere meterse en el mundo d ela accion, lo cual le quedo muy mal, acciones y decisiones muy forzadas, situaciones que no tienen ninguna salida para los protagonistas y misteriosamente hay soluciones milagrosas que los sacan de los problemas, carece de congruencia y ritmo, (solo por poner un ejemplo, la protagonista viaja a guatemala y nadie le entiende el ingles en el aeropuerto, pero resulta que en un pueblo mas de la sierra, se puede comunicar perfectamente con los infdigenas y hasta consigue un avion, algo ilogico que en un aeropuerto no hablen ingles y en una aldea si) de ese tipo de incongruencias se presentan al final d ela obra, lo que reduce mucho su nivel que se venia mostrando.
si la novela hubiera terminado 100 paginas antes, hubiera estado satisfecho y tendria mejor calificacion, pero na cabe duda que se lee muy rapido, me hizo pasar un buen rato agradable y en cuanto a la trama y suspenso, muy bien desarrollada, pero la accion policial, un fiasco.
no la odio ni la amo.
July 16, 2022
4.5 stars ⭐️
This book has it all: excels with writing style, characters, story, dialogue, the works! (it's even written in third-person)
I've put this book off for so long. I'd watched the movie, so preferred to go into something else blind. If you've watched the movie, this book is still definitely worth reading.
Great movie, better book (which is very rare--only The Silence Of The Lambs comes to mind where both movie and book were excellent).
This book has it all: excels with writing style, characters, story, dialogue, the works! (it's even written in third-person)
I've put this book off for so long. I'd watched the movie, so preferred to go into something else blind. If you've watched the movie, this book is still definitely worth reading.
Great movie, better book (which is very rare--only The Silence Of The Lambs comes to mind where both movie and book were excellent).
August 25, 2020
This is not the type of book I usually read. But it was a good thriller. The characters could have been developed more fully. But the difficulty of reacting to a cold blooded killer is clear.
August 20, 2022
Hurjan jännä!!
July 7, 2017
Terribly slow and unbelievable. This is the first book I did not finish in years. I paid $1 for the hard cover at the library surplus and was way more than the book was worth.
Threw it in the trash rather than taking a chance someone else might pick it up.
Besides being slow the language was crude and totally unnecessary in most cases and the sex scenes more like the fantasies of teenage boy.
Threw it in the trash rather than taking a chance someone else might pick it up.
Besides being slow the language was crude and totally unnecessary in most cases and the sex scenes more like the fantasies of teenage boy.
Read
July 3, 2010Alain Badiou
February 4, 2018
Plodding, formulaic, hard to get through.
September 16, 2019
I read to page 112 and could not continue.
November 2, 2021
Gets a little slow in between, the ending is also a bit much. Overall a good read on a lazy day.
February 7, 2022
Stupid! Author has a habit of repeating dialogue throughout the book. Very stupid ending!!!
February 25, 2023
Annie, single mother with a day job as data entry clerk and in her off time a sculptress, gets selected for jury duty in an ugly and potentially dangerous (to her) trial of a mafia hitman. Given her circumstances, the judge offers to release her from jury duty, but she refuses the offer. How she is targetted by the defence, and how she defends her son and herself forms the story.
'The Juror' is a study in escalating degrees of cruelty and terror, and while the plot is wildly improbable, there is just that smidgen of likelihood to ask yourself, "What if –?" As the death toll mounts up, the juror must decide on her verdict versus the lives of her family and friends. It is also a courtroom thriller to rival Grisham and Turow.
Its greatest weakness is the introduction of a Bogeyman, who is known to Annie as the Teacher, although others know him by other names. About the Teacher there are ambivalent feelings within the mafia group. Had it not been for this shadowy Evil Person, the novel would have been excellent. As it is, we are asked to believe that Annie Laird is the Harry Potter to his Voldemort.
'The Juror' is a study in escalating degrees of cruelty and terror, and while the plot is wildly improbable, there is just that smidgen of likelihood to ask yourself, "What if –?" As the death toll mounts up, the juror must decide on her verdict versus the lives of her family and friends. It is also a courtroom thriller to rival Grisham and Turow.
Its greatest weakness is the introduction of a Bogeyman, who is known to Annie as the Teacher, although others know him by other names. About the Teacher there are ambivalent feelings within the mafia group. Had it not been for this shadowy Evil Person, the novel would have been excellent. As it is, we are asked to believe that Annie Laird is the Harry Potter to his Voldemort.
July 17, 2024
Annie Laird is a juror in a murder trail involving the syndicate head Louie Boffano. . She is chosen by the Teacher and forcefully ordered to give a 'not guilty verdict'. Her son's life in threatened, her close friend Juliet is murdered, her whole life is taken over by this man, including her art. It is a tale of hunt, chase, obsession and the desperation of the hunted. Even after the trail is over, Teacher's hold on Annie does not loosen. The story initially is slow but soon the pace quickens and the end is dramatic with lot of murders. The Teacher 's characterization is of a cold, calculating person who is also insane. Many of the lewd scenes regarding the Teacher's conquests of women , who find him irrestible, detracts from the story and could have been dealt with less details. Annie's inability to overcome the hold Teacher has on her is also quite unbelievable. A good read but definitely not a great read.
George Dawes Green is an American novelist . This book has been turned into a movie.
George Dawes Green is an American novelist . This book has been turned into a movie.
February 12, 2022
Obviously, this book is about a juror, a single mom who could have easily gotten out of jury duty, but she practically forced them to take her. Fast-forward to page 88 where she says to her only child, “You talk to somebody about this trial, and this is what I’ll do, I’ll take your bike and I’ll back the car over it, and I’ll take your computer and throw it out the window, and then I swear to God I’ll come up here and kill you. I will kill you. You listening?”
George Dawes Green has an obscene, foul mouth and a taste for all things raunchy, vulgar, vile, and offensive. On pages 98 and 99, Green used the f word 15 times. Yes, I counted. I will never read any work of his again.
Why 3 stars instead of 1 or 2? Because there is a story here. Minus the lewd and filth, this would have been a great read.
George Dawes Green has an obscene, foul mouth and a taste for all things raunchy, vulgar, vile, and offensive. On pages 98 and 99, Green used the f word 15 times. Yes, I counted. I will never read any work of his again.
Why 3 stars instead of 1 or 2? Because there is a story here. Minus the lewd and filth, this would have been a great read.
August 26, 2022
Annie Laird could have gotten out of jury duty in the mobster Louie Boffano's trial. After all, she is a single mother to Oliver and a starving artist. By agreeing to serve, she unwittingly sets herself up as a target for the quirky, deadly philosopher and psychopath known as the Teacher. His mission is an acquittal for Boffano. The Teacher is a bizarre, creepy killer who knows how to manipulate and terrify. No one in Annie's life is safe. The Teacher becomes obsessed with Annie and she wants to take him down.
February 19, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. Yes, the bad guy is a little bit superhero-ish, but the characters are well-written and the creativity of the language and pace of the book had me always wanting more. If you can get past why a huge mob boss would only blackmail one juror (my theory is that it would be too risky to threaten the entire jury and you'd only need one juror for a hung jury), it's a nice read that flows from start to finish.
4 Stars.
4 Stars.
October 28, 2016
I simply can't continue. I am on page 224 (how ironic that this is Annie's juror number, but trust me, it wasn't my intention) and I simply can't force myself to keep reading. This is not what I thought the book will be. From the synopsis I thought there will be some suspense, maybe a little thriller here and there. Instead, it was simply boring...
June 8, 2020
Just finished reading The Juror and found it to be an interesting read. The main characters were interesting and kept me wanting to keep reading. The book was made into a movie with not so good reviews, but because I enjoyed the book so much, I am going to give the movie a try. Don't want to say too much because it might spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it. Kept me on my toes.
June 30, 2020
I enjoyed the story it was different. A woman makes a conscious decision to be on a jury of a Mob Boss accused of murder. She had an option of not being on the jury which few of us have had. Then the ever lurking question of jury tampering becomes a reality. There are surprises and twists and really(?) questions throughout. Very entertaining. Maybe I should have given it four stars.
June 14, 2023
This is the story of a woman who serves as a juror on a mob-related trial. She is a struggling artist raising a young son and is stalked by a member of the mob who promises her success as an artist as well as safety is she helps to deliver a not guilty verdict in the case. It was definitely a page turner with a bit of a surprise ending.
November 13, 2023
The mind of a criminal becomes locked on the life of one juror. Obsession is a driving force and a false form of "love." Intriguing and fast paced the author leads the reader into the darkness of a deranged mind as he attempts to break the relationships that he both hates and desires. Really like the plot, original and cleverly written
September 1, 2024
Really like how detailed the book is when characterizing the characters, moments, and settings throughout the story. Annie and Ebed kinda annoyed me here and there, especially Ebed even he goes into Lao Tsu mode. The ending leaves so many loose ends in the story like those who Ebed had killed over the story such as his own girlfriend who’s body is in a trunk and the Buffano family who didn’t do anything when a couple of them were killed by Annie with a car bomb, the detective that Annie decided to work with near the end that did nothing but strap her with a mic, and countless others.
July 19, 2017
Was a very entertaining read and I would have put a four star on it but I thought the beginning was a bit slow and it took a while before I got interested and then I couldn't stop until the ending.
So 3,5 star would have been better but still ... fun read that's for sure ...
So 3,5 star would have been better but still ... fun read that's for sure ...
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