“A Time for Mercy” by John Grisham
Five years after Jake Brigance defended Carl Lee in “A Time to Kill” and 2 years after Jake successfully upheld a holographoic will in “Sycamore Row”, Jake’s law practice is still struggling.
Luckily, Jake hired Portia Lang as his assistant, but, she will be attending law school soon and Jake will lose her for a few years. If you remember, Portia is Lettie Lang’s daughter from “Sycamore Row”, and she is brilliant, fearless, and hard-working. Lucien and Harry Rex are still there to help, and Ozzie is still the police captain.
This time around, Jake has a potentially huge case involving the deaths of three members of one family after they collided with a train. The family claims that the crossing lights were not working, but, the railroad claims otherwise.
If Jake wins this case against the railroad….his practice would instantly be in the black.
Meanwhile…..
Stuart Kopher is a Ford County, Clanton, Mississippi, cop. He is a good cop and a reasonably nice person……when he is sober.
When he is drunk he turns into a monster, and, this one night a stupid drunk Stuart comes home to a worried girlfriend, Josie Gamble, and her two frightened kids, 14 year old Kiera and 16 year old Drew.
Stuart beats (as usual) Josie, then falls asleep on the bed.
This time the beating was worse……as Kiera and Drew think Josie is dead, then….
Drew shoots Stuart in the head.
Judge Noose assigns Jake the case, and……
Oh, to find out what happens, you will have to read the book. 🙂
“A Time for Mercy” is a fantastic, fancinating, courtroom drama with Jake Brigance providing surprises that rock Clanton to it’s core.
Matthew McConaughey would be proud. 😉
