Book Review: A Time for Mercy

Synopsis:

It all began with A Time to Kill, the first novel bestselling author John Grisham penned. A searing courtroom drama examining racial violence in the deep South — Clanton, Mississippi — it eventually became one of the most popular novels of all time. Jake Brigance, a young trial lawyer, successfully defended Carl Lee Hailey after he took an assault rifle and justice into his own hands after two drunken, remorseless young men forever changed the life of Carl’s ten-year-old daughter. Burning crosses, sniper fire, threats, and arson did not stop Jake as he struggled to save his client’s life, and protect himself and his family from the backlash.

Now it’s 1990. Five years after the Hailey trial. Jake again finds himself embroiled in a deeply divisive trial. He is appointed to represent 16-year-old Drew Gamble, a timid, small-for-his-age boy accused of murdering a local deputy.

Many in Clanton want a swift trial that concludes with a conviction and the death penalty. But once he has been appointed to represent the boy, Jake’s diligence, dedication to due process, and refusal to be influenced by the controversy surrounding the case lead him to discover there is more to the story than initially meets the eye. Once again, Jake’s fierce commitment to saving Drew from the gas chamber puts his career, his financial security, and the safety of his family on the line.

Grisham invites readers to deepen their acquaintance with the iconic Southern town of Clanton and his vivid cast of well-known, cherished characters in a rich story that is both timely and timeless. Courthouse scheming, small-town intrigue, and shocking plot twists, all delivered in Grisham’s signature style, make A Time for Mercy a powerful drama.

There is a time to kill and a time for justice. Now comes A Time for Mercy.

Review:

Five years have passed since Jake Brigance found himself handling the most controversial and consequential case of his career to date. Carl Lee Hailey, out of his mind with shock, outrage, and grief after his little ten-year-old daughter was ruthlessly, brutally attacked by two shiftless, callous young men, sought justice on his own terms. In the process of defending him, Jake nearly lost everything — his home, his legal practice, his family, and his own life. But after the verdict was announced, the television news crews left to chase other stories, the people of the little town of Clanton, Mississippi calmed down, and things pretty much went back to normal, and Jake, Carla, and their daughter, Hanna, were able to put their lives back together. Jake is still practicing law, Carla is teaching, Hannah is growing and thriving. And for the business folks in Clanton, life still pretty much begins anew every morning in the local Coffee Shop where the waitresses don’t have to ask anyone what they want to order. Everyone there is acquainted and news is shared long before it’s published in the local paper.

But after 2:00 a.m. on a Saturday night, in a nondescript little house six miles south of Clanton “on an old country road that went nowhere in particular,” Josie “took a deep breath, said a quick prayer, and eased to the window to watch” Stuart Kofer’s car as it pulled into the driveway. Josie braced herself as she tried to discern if the car was weaving or under control. Clad in a negligee that had pleased him once before, Josie watched Stuart stagger into the house as her children, Drew, age 16, and Kiera, two years younger, hid upstairs. The three of them have nowhere else to go, so Josie has endured the beatings that invariably come after Stuart has been drinking.

In a mesmerizingly horrifying first chapter, Grisham describes what ensues after Stuart bursts through the door and finds Josie still awake. After a row in the kitchen as the children listen, the house suddenly goes quiet. Stuart stumbles up the stairs and appears to be headed for the room in which they have attempted to blockade themselves. Instead, he moves on to his own room. But Drew has had enough. Believing Stuart has finally killed Josie, like Carl Lee Hailey, Drew seeks justice on behalf of his mother, sister, and himself. He puts the tip of Stuart’s nine-millimeter Glock — his duty weapon — one inch from Stuart’s left temple . . . and pulls the trigger.

Ozzie Wells is still the Sheriff of Ford County, having been elected in 1983. It was a historic election because Ozzie is the first black sheriff and he is deeply shaken at losing a deputy for the first time. Carl Lee Hailey shot DeWayne Looney and caused him to lose part of his leg, but DeWayne remains on the force. But now Ozzie has to call in the Mississippi state police to investigate the murder of one of his own. He warns his deputies to handle the case by the book and put Drew in mechanical restraints (handcuffs), opting to transport Drew and Kiera to the jail himself, accompanied by his chief deputy, Moss Junior Tatum. Kiera has already told Tatum that Drew shot Stuart. She is taken in by Reverend Charles McGarry, a 26-year-old pastor leading the fundamentalist Good Shepherd Bible Church that Josie and her children attended a few times.

Now 37 years old, six days a week Jake is in the Coffee Shop by 6:00 a.m. On Sundays, the family enjoys breakfast before proceeding to church together. But Harry Rex Vonner, a divorce attorney and Jake’s best friend, calls at 7:05 a.m. to warn him to leave town for a couple of days. The Honorable Omar Noose is sure to call Jake and appoint him to represent Drew, despite Jake’s involvement in a large wrongful death case going to trial soon involving malfunctioning railroad crossing warning lights. “Listen to me, Jake, you do not want a dead-cop case. The facts are against you. The politics are against you. There’s not a chance in hell the jury will show any sympathy,” Harry Rex cautions.

Sure enough, Judge Noose appoints Jake and he has no choice but to defend Drew for the paltry fee of $1000. Once again he is in the middle of a controversial case, and starts avoiding the Coffee Shop and the hostility directed at him by many Clanton citizens, especially members of law enforcement, many of whom are his friends and neighbors. Stuart was a popular deputy in a town that respects law and order. Indeed, Stuart’s family members take possession of the house and angrily burn the pitifully few items of personal property Josie and her children owned. Jake soon learns about Josie’s troubled history, and the way she has raised Drew and Kiera. Jake quickly realizes that Josie and Kiera have no voice and no one to protect them, either. Jake’s investigation also unearths facts about Stuart that enrage and disappoint Ozzie, and figure prominently into Jake’s defense of Drew.

Despite the financial and familial strain caused by his defense of Drew, and the potential negative impact on the wrongful death case, Jake soon finds himself squaring off against Lowell Dyer, the district attorney Jake supported in his bid to defeat Rufus Buckley, the man who unsuccessfully prosecuted Carl Lee Hailey. And to make matters worse, Dyer announces he will prosecute Drew in accordance with the 1988 Death Penalty Enhancement Act making it a capital offense to murder a peace officer whether he or she is on or off duty. With no ruling on its constitutionality by a higher court, Judge Noose is not inclined to strike the indictment.

Grisham deftly and compassionately details the progress of Jake’s preparation for Drew’s trial, as well as developments in the railroad crossing case. Although he was a pariah in his own little town during the Carl Lee Hailey trial, it is still hurtful and difficult to find himself in that situation again, and it causes strife for his family, as well. And places Jake in grave danger.

A real lawyer is not afraid of unpopular cases. ~~ Lucien Wilbanks

But Jake literally has no choice once he is appointed, and his sense of duty, coupled with his humanity, compels him to put his client’s best interests first. Grisham’s affection and empathy for his characters and their circumstances is evident on every page. (He makes no secret of the fact that A Time to Kill remains his favorite book.) At issue is the question of Drew’s state of mind when he pulled the trigger, killing Stuart, and how the legal system should determine what is just. How is it fair to try any 16-year-old as an adult? While Stuart was passed out drunk when Drew killed him, he had just abused Josie yet again, terrifying her children who feared he had finally killed their mother and they would be his next victims. Drew is a particularly young 16 — small, underdeveloped, and unsophisticated. Was he capable of what Dyer characterizes as “coldblooded murder?” Yet again, Jake finds himself at the center of an ethical conundrum: Was Drew’s action justified?

The story moves at an unrelenting pace, compelled forward by shocking developments and the crisp, pointed, and sometimes ironically witty dialogue of Grisham’s beloved characters. In addition to the others, Lucien Wilbanks, Jake’s alcoholic, disbarred mentor appears, again offering advice, support, and other assistance.

As always, Grisham’s story asks more questions than it answers which is, of course, the point. In addition to the legal quagmire illustrated by Drew’s case, Grisham explores societal issues, including the appropriateness of the death penalty, abortion, the manner in which poverty impacts a defendant’s ability to receive competent representation and a fair trial, and faith. Racism also figures into the story, as Jake is assisted by Portia, a brilliant African-American paralegal who will soon begin law school and become a trial attorney herself. He does so by telling his characters’ stories, never letting his narrative lapse into a preachy or judgmental tone. On the contrary, as is his habit, Grisham wants his readers to draw their own conclusions. That is more clearly evident in A Time for Mercy than in Grisham’s other work. Not all readers will find the ending satisfactory.

Grisham again proves that he is unequalled when it comes to engrossing and thought-provoking courtroom dramas populated by colorful, fascinating, and sympathetic characters. A Time for Mercy will delight Grisham fans who are familiar with the inhabitants of Clanton, Mississippi, and surely make fans of those who get to know them through this volume, which can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel.

Excerpt from A Time for Mercy

Also by John Grisham:

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one electronic copy of A Time for Mercy free of charge from the author via Net Galley. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. This disclosure complies with 16 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.