Backed by a brilliant paralegal whose dream is to be the first Black female lawyer in the county, he prepares for what the local sheriff correctly portends will be “an ugly trial” that may well land Drew on death row. It doesn’t help his bank book when the meaningfully named Judge Omar Noose orders him to defend the kid. Jake Brigance, the hero of the tale, is a lawyer who’s down to his last dime until a fat wrongful-death case is settled. “Did it really matter if he was sixteen or sixty? It certainly didn’t matter to Stu Kofer, whose stock seemed to rise by the hour,” writes Grisham of local opinion about giving Drew the benefit of the doubt.

Unfortunately for the kid in a place where uniforms are worshipped, Stu was a well-liked cop. He’s done terrible things to her children, too-and now her 16-year-old boy, Drew, puts an end to the terror. One night, coming home in a foul mood with a blood alcohol count more than triple the legal limit, he breaks his live-in girlfriend’s jaw.

He drinks way too much and likes to brawl. Recipe of the month: Orzo Risotto with Roasted Gar.A small-town Mississippi courtroom becomes the setting for a trademark Grisham legal tussle.Book Review: Jake Brigance Series (A Time to Kill.

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Other memorable characters include the black county sheriff Ozzie Walls who successfully navigates the divide between white and black, Harry Rex Vonner who most often is despicable but he makes himself useful enough times to be forgiven and Portia Lang, the daughter of a client turned secretary turned law student who rises from the shadows of racial and gender discrimination to prove her mettle. Lucien Wilbanks, Jake's mentor (and sometimes tormentor) is an important character who not only dispenses his pearls of wisdom but also contributes to some light-hearted moments. His wife Carla is a sensible and supportive spouse and I liked that she had a lot more to offer in A Time for Mercy. I really hope to read more of him in the future.

He isn't without flaws but his profound sense of integrity makes him a great character. Being a liberal in a sea of conservatives, he makes plenty of enemies despite being well liked in his town. An idealistic lawyer, good husband and doting father, Jake Brigance doesn't hesitate to do the right thing even at the risk of being ostracized from society or compromising his own safety. Among the characters, there are several that are worthy of mention.

John grisham a time for mercy series