The Judge’s List (John Grisham) 🥇

Book Of The Year 2021

This is my third John Grisham book this year, and each succeeding in outdoing the previous – when I always thought it couldn’t get better than this. It is the sheer brilliance of Grisham that makes each of his reads so riveting. The Judge’s List is an extremely intelligent book. It is Grisham at his best. The book is backed with a brilliant plot and makes for a chilling thriller.

The story revolves around Jeri, a lady in her mid forties, whose father was murdered some 20 years ago. She has ever since been digging through to find the murderer and put him to a worthy end. It makes for an extremely interesting read to see how she uncovers similar other murders in the process, and is able to link them all and pin down the crime to a sitting judge Ross Bannick – who is leading an undercover life of a serial killer behind the respectable front.

Intelligent Writing

‘The Judge’s List’ flaunts an intelligently thought of plot and manages to hold your interest throughout. It is filled with varied instances of brilliance from Grisham – be it the patient, meticulous serial killer who stalks his victims for years together before finally finishing them off. The trail he leaves behind, just enough to show he is at work but not to get caught.

Or, how the ever so determined Jeri puts it all together and at the end sends revealing letters & poems to Bannick. This, just to get some sort of satisfaction in having him on the run after all these years. To be honest, as a reader I felt – Oh No! What’s she doing! She’ll get caught for sure! That was the extent to which ‘The Judge’s List’ had me engrossed. Just the sheer thought that now Bannick will have Jeri on his list is scary and you almost dread the time they will be face to face.

Chilling Sequences

When Bannick and Jerry actually do cross eachother, it is a spine chilling scene that Grisham creates. The way Bannick hand delivers the same poems back to her – Oh My!! Take a bow!! That for me was the high point of the book.

Another such exhilarating sequence was when Jeri leaves her home to dodge Bannick, you know he is following her. She puts up in a motel and there he is after 20 minutes. Ha ha ha. Scares the hell out of you!

Expect The Unexpected

Expect the unexpected – that is how this story moves. You never really preempt what’s going to happen next. Just when I thought it’s over for Jeri, her life gets spared. Just when you get thinking what’s he gonna do with Lacy (interim director of the BJC who is heading Jeri’s case against Bannick), you are so relieved to see her safe and sound.

Conclusion

I feel this book is flawless. Infact, I cannot single out any down side to this book. If crime thrillers are your genre, ‘The Judge’s List’ is the book to read. Don’t wait, get it now !

Some more John Grisham books to consider – Sooley , Camino Winds