If a child feels threatened, what is the best way to defend himself if his abuser is a cop? - The Bordeaux Side
Title: A Time for Mercy
Author: John Grisham
Narrator: Michael Beck
Genre: Legal thrillers
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
Audiobook ISBN-13: 9780593168547
US SRP: $45.00
Additional Format(s):
Hardcover ($29.95)
Paperback ($32.00)
Large Print Hardcover ($32.00)
Digital Format(s):
NOOK Book - eBook ($9.99)
Summary:
Jake Brigance was asked by Judge Omar Noose to defend a teenage boy, Drew Gamble, who has been accused of shooting his mother’s boyfriend, Stuart Kofer. Jake was only supposed to represent Drew until the judge was able to get someone else. Stuart was a police officer and he regularly went out drinking and often times got drunk. On those occasions when he came home, he would beat up Drew's mom, Josie. However, this last time he beat Josie so bad that Drew and his sister, Kiera, thought that she had died. Drew got a hold of Stuart's gun because he thought that he was going to do the same thing to them. Drew shot him in his sleep so that he wouldn't hurt them.
Jake didn't want to take this case because he knew he wouldn't be paid much, if anything, for it, plus he didn't want to get on the bad side of the police. He was also working on another case involving an accident with a railroad company that was going to trial soon. Jake was hoping to get a big payout from this case.
Drew was 16 years old, but Jake noticed when he went to see him that he appeared to be much younger. Jake had a difficult time getting Drew to even talk to him, and he was having a difficult time grasping that his mother wasn't dead. Jake requested that Drew be seen by a psychiatrist and people in the town worried that Jake would get him off on an insanity plea.
Through conversations with Josie and Kiera, Jake learned that Stuart resented the kids living in his house with Josie. After Stuart's death, The Kofer family wanted Josie and her kids out of his house. The church that Josie and the kids attended let them stay at the church school for awhile. Once they found out Kiera was pregnant, they told them they had to leave. Jake learned that Stuart had been raping Kiera and that he was the father of her child. Jake helped the family find an apartment in another city where he could shield Kiera from ridicule and he also didn't want anyone to know until the trial.
My Review:
I thought the book was very well written. The plot and characters were well developed. It was very engaging from the start and it was suspenseful. It was very interesting to see how the community reacted to the killing of the police officer and how the community treated Jake once they found out he was representing Drew. Josie and Kiera's church demonstrated how to live by the golden rule and treat people as you would want to be treated. This wasn't really the case with people in other parts of town. The narrator was good and was able to do the voices of many different characters with ease.
Ratings:
Quality: 🍷🍷🍷🍷- Sparkling
This book is very well developed and it is good addition to the Jake Brigance series. I like the growth shown in Jake and the other characters.
Popularity: 🍹🍹🍹- Meet Up
This book would be great for a book club. The are many different themes to discuss and I believe it would make for a good discussion.
Significance of the book:
This book is significant because it shows the various reactions to something terrible happening. It shows the viewpoint from many different sides - the deceased's family, the police force, the members of the various churches and Jake's friends.
Author's website and review:
Appeal Factors: Plot-driven, Fast-paced, Suspenseful, Compelling
Read-alike Titles:
Her Kind of Case by Jeanne Winer - Fast-paced, Compelling
Black Water Rising by Attica Locke - Suspenseful, Compelling
Awards:
Booktalking ideas:
Book discussion questions:
Do you think Jake should have gone to the police after he was beaten up by the Kofer brothers?
The police banded together after Stuart was killed by Drew, do you think that this was the right way to handle things in this case or should they have waited to gather more information?
How do you compare how Josie and Kiera were viewed by their church congregation and the Kofer family?
Since Jake and Carla adopted Kiera's baby, do you think the people in the town will figure it out? If they do figure it out, will they let them live their life in peace?
Why I Chose This Book: I chose this book because I am a fan of legal thrillers and I really enjoy the author's legal thrillers. A Time to Kill is one of my favorite books of his, and this book features the main character, Jake Brigance, from that novel.
“Clues for the Future”: Abuse victims, Rebuilding your life, making decisions based on what's important to you
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