The 9 books on this stack
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Anatomy of a murder
Robert Traver · 1958
At forty, Paul Biegler's life seems to have come to an end. After ten years as DA in his small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the people have elected a new hero, a young army veteran. And Biegler has been spending a lot of time fishing and thinking about his future. Then the call comes from Laura Mannion: her husband has been arrested on a charge of murder, but she claims that the man her husband killed assaulted her. Suddenly, Polly, as he is known to the entire town, sees his opportunity. Maybe he can show his rival that he can defend as well as prosecute. What follows is one of the most brilliant courtroom dramas of all time, as Polly puts together his defence and minutely examines the seething emotions under the placid surface of his town.
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Just Mercy
Bryan Stevenson · 1600
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING MICHAEL B. JORDAN AND JAMIE FOXX • A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time. “[Bryan Stevenson’s] dedication to fighting for justice and equality has inspired me and many others and made a lasting impact on our country.”—John Legend NAMED ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS OF THE DECADE BY CNN • Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times • The Washington Post • The Boston Globe • The Seattle Times • Esquire • Time Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever. Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice. Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction • Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Nonfiction • Winner of a Books for a Better Life Award • Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize • Finalist for the Kirkus Reviews Prize • An American Library Association Notable Book “Every bit as moving as To Kill a Mockingbird, and in some ways more so . . . a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.”—David Cole, The New York Review of Books “Searing, moving . . . Bryan Stevenson may, indeed, be America’s Mandela.”—Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times “You don’t have to read too long to start cheering for this man. . . . The message of this book . . . is that evil can be overcome, a difference can be made. Just Mercy will make you upset and it will make you hopeful.”—Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . . . a work of style, substance and clarity . . . Stevenson is not only a great lawyer, he’s also a gifted writer and storyteller.”—The Washington Post “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.”—The Financial Times “Brilliant.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Defending Jacob
William Landay · 2012
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A legal thriller that’s comparable to classics such as Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent . . . tragic and shocking.”—Associated Press NOW AN EMMY-NOMINATED ORIGINAL STREAMING SERIES • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Entertainment Weekly • Boston Globe • Kansas City Star Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney for two decades. He is respected. Admired in the courtroom. Happy at home with the loves of his life: his wife, Laurie, and their teenage son, Jacob. Then Andy’s quiet suburb is stunned by a shocking crime: a young boy stabbed to death in a leafy park. And an even greater shock: The accused is Andy’s own son—shy, awkward, mysterious Jacob. Andy believes in Jacob’s innocence. Any parent would. But the pressure mounts. Damning evidence. Doubt. A faltering marriage. The neighbors’ contempt. A murder trial that threatens to obliterate Andy’s family. It is the ultimate test for any parent: How far would you go to protect your child? It is a test of devotion. A test of how well a parent can know a child. For Andy Barber, a man with an iron will and a dark secret, it is a test of guilt and innocence in the deepest sense. How far would you go? Praise for Defending Jacob “A novel like this comes along maybe once a decade . . . a tour de force, a full-blooded legal thriller about a murder trial and the way it shatters a family. With its relentless suspense, its mesmerizing prose, and a shocking twist at the end, it’s every bit as good as Scott Turow’s great Presumed Innocent . But it’s also something more: an indelible domestic drama that calls to mind Ordinary People and We Need to Talk About Kevin . A spellbinding and unforgettable literary crime novel.” —Joseph Finder “ Defending Jacob is smart, sophisticated, and suspenseful—capturing both the complexity and stunning fragility of family life.” —Lee Child “Powerful . . . leaves you gasping breathlessly at each shocking revelation.” —Lisa Gardner “Disturbing, complex, and gripping, Defending Jacob is impossible to put down. William Landay is a stunning talent.” —Carla Neggers “Riveting, suspenseful, and emotionally searing.” —Linwood Barclay
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Lincoln Lawyer
Michael Connelly · 1895
There is no client as scary as an innocent man... Mickey is a Lincoln Lawyer - a criminal defence attorney operating out of the back of his car, a Lincoln - taking whatever cases the system throws at him. He's been a defence lawyer for a long time, and he knows just how to work the legal system. When a Beverly Hills rich boy is arrested for brutally beating a woman, Haller gets his first high-paying client in years. The evidence mounts on the defence's side, and Haller might even be in the rare position of defending a client who is actually innocent. But then the case starts to fall apart. And neither the suspect nor the victim are quite who they seem, and Haller quickly discovers that when you swim with the sharks, you might just end up as prey...
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Snow Falling on Cedars
David Guterson · 1997
Contemporary / British English It is 1954 and Kabuo Miyamoto is on trial for murder. He is a Japanese American living on the island of San Piedro, off the north-west coast of America. The Second World War has left an atmosphere of anger and suspicion in this small community. Will Kabuo receive a fair trial? And will the true cause of the victim's death be discovered?
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The Runaway Jury
John Grisham · 1996
AN AMERICAN CLASSIC FROM THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING MASTER OF LEGAL THRILLERS When justice is for sale, every jury has a price . . . In Biloxi, Mississippi, a landmark trial against a tobacco company begins. Millions of dollars are at stake and soon the case swerves mysteriously off course. The jury begin behaving strangely, and one of the jurors is convinced he's being watched. Soon they have to be sequestered. But then an anonymous tip from a young woman suggests she knows why the jury are behaving oddly. Someone has a plan. But who? And, more importantly, what do they want? _______________________________________ PRAISE FOR JOHN GRISHAM: 'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent 'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett ' John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' - The Times 'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' - Daily Record 'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' - Mirror 'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut
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A Time To Kill
John Grisham · 1989
John Grisham's first and most shocking legal thriller, adapted as a film starring Samuel L. Jackson and Matthew McConaughey. ______________________________ THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLER FROM THE MASTER OF LEGAL THRILLERS When Carl Lee Hailey guns down the violent racists who raped his ten-year-old daughter, the people of the small town of Clanton, Mississippi see it as justice done, and call for his acquittal. But when extremists outside Clanton - including the KKK - hear that a black man has killed two white men, they invade the town, determined to destroy anything and anyone that opposes their sense of justice. A media circus descends on Clanton. As tensions mount, Hailey hires the inexperienced Jake Brigance to defend him. It is the kind of case that could make a young lawyer's career. But it is also the kind of case that could get a young lawyer killed. . . ______________________________ 'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' Irish Independent 'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction!' Jodi Picoult 'The best thriller writer alive' Ken Follett 'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing and fast-paced thrillers' Telegraph 'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' The Times 'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own. . .' Daily Record 'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' Mirror 'A giant of the thriller genre!' TimeOut The original, epoch-defining Jake Brigance novel. Brigance returns in SYCAMORE ROW and A TIME FOR MERCY.
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Presumed innocent
Cherry Gilchrist · 1995
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To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee · 1969
The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, in a mass market edition.