She glanced at Rosella, a little sympathetic now. These people were in for one scary ride... James Patterson and Andrew Gross - plus all of Mr Patterson's other co-authors - are my go to guys when I just want to read. And what I mean by that is I just want to sit and fly through a hooking book without too much mental exertion. Judge & Jury fulfills that of course, but compared to the authors' other stories, it was a little of a let down. Pushing past that though, and this entry into James Patterson's wealth of thrillers is still a darn good read. It's also not a part of a series, so you're in for one pulse-pounding ride, from start to finish, with every question having an answer. I do think that 'The Ultimate Legal Thriller' under the title might be pushing it a bit, but Judge & Jury mixes courtroom drama and thriller well.Mafia Don Dominic Cavello is a tyrant. A soulless excuse of air.And he's been caught.Special Agent Nick Pellisante has put in as many hours as it took, and even though good men died, he caught the monster that plagued his life.So then why, when the trial starts, and Andie DeGrasse sits on the jury, do both her and Nick have the strange feeling that Cavello is at perfect ease.Why does the mafia boss seem so calm when he's facing life in a dark and isolated maximum prison?As events no one seen coming - we seen coming obviously - occur, Andie and Nick are slammed together, two unlikely allies whose mission it becomes to stop Cavello once and for all.Or else...Judge & Jury's first half focuses on Cavello's trial and building its central characters, with the second half much more your traditional thriller. The best way I can describe it is as a sort of revenge story, and as far as that goes, it's pretty well done. The story's paced well, and as is Patterson's standard, a strong page-turner. I was a little disappointed with the lack of twists, but the book offers some sharp surprises that more than make up for it. It's also action-packed, so you won't be spending long as you zip through it.The characters were alright. There are some truly heartwarming moments, some that wrench about your gut and others that have you smiling. They're pretty standard, and that fits the story well. Nick is our main, main character, with Andie coming in a close second. Nick is a good guy, and a pleasant window into the book's events; and Andie always struck me as a strong female entry, with less training than Nick, but just as much conviction. The big villain Cavello was cold and as black as you can get, which makes him an easy bad guy to hate.I guess I don't have mounds to say, but if you're looking for a light read, or just novel to pass the time, you definitely can't go wrong here.
Sigh...I'm throwing the proverbial noose over my neck with even a three star rating of this book. (I was even tempted to give it a four star...let me tell you why)Prose? Non-exsistant. Plot? Follows the correct sequence...but really let me get to my point: James Patterson is the grown-up version of Nancy Drew for crying out loud.It's not going to intellectually better you, it's not going to be mentioned in conversation with Harvaaaaahd literature majors, and it's not going to win you any points with that guy or girl at the Cornell bars anytime before Satan drops a icy cold turd. But dammit...the man makes you turn pages. If I can give him anything, it's that. You almost hate yourself for doing it, because really, it's like the Bearnstein Bears for the 20-60 demographic. Sucks you in like CRACK though.I hate the man for doing it. But then I respect and love how easily he can hook you with the most simple of plot basis and character development. Makes me think I can make millions on writing...but then there are those of you out there reading this laughing your ass off. Long short? Easy read...as in 300+ pages you blow thru and then realize its over...and your disappointed. Thats why he gets such a rating. Damn you Patterson, but you are a guilty read. Someday they'll teach courses on you in colleges on how to dupe the masses into loving your ish with little work but until then...hats off and touche Patterson. TOOOOUUUUCHE.
What do You think about Judge & Jury (2006)?
James Patterson just keeps cranking out the books. I was looking through my stacks of books and found this oldie, decided to read the first chapter and six hours later finished the book! I could not put it down, parts of it were not believable- sure this wouldn't happen in real life but then that's the point isn't it, this is fiction not a biography, I knew that when I picked up the book. With JP books you can bet on them being action packed, suspenseful, and full of surprises, that's why I read James Patterson. Love the short chapters gives me a quick break if I need it. Keep them coming, I am a JP fan!
—Sue Lambert
I can't believe it took two authors to write this.!! I mean,any average or slightly below-average guy could've written this while half asleep.. And Patterson is someone so popular and widely-read.. It was a quick read because there wasn't much content and you could easily turn the pages without missing anything.. You didn't need such a lot of pages to write this short story.. The copy I have is a hard-bound one and it really made me feel like hitting my own head with it as a warning for me not to pick up Patterson any time soon..
—Viji Sarath (Bookish endeavors)
Must've been a decent read seeing as I kept going even when I realized I'd already read it. That's what happens when you pass books on to family. At least since nook I get to keep my books and can check if I have one already. But despite things coming back as I read it, it was a quick entertaining read. Nice bit of adventure n suspense if not a ton of mystery. Sad parts to be sure but such is life. If you like reading mob bosses on trial and the lengths they'll go to to avoid same, and the good guys who will do anything to see justice done then look no further. A fun beach read at worst. Solid 3.5 stars but I've yet to decide if I'll give it 3 or 4. I tend to lean toward the higher number I think for anything I can not put down be it just entertainment or a super "important" read of the century. FYI the sad parts were tough but not lingered on. They were dealt with just enough to be realistic at most as getting justice one way or another was more the point than focusing on the evil done by the defendant. And as to my reactions to the outcome in that respect all I can say Is the people tried to give the man a fair trial. Twice. Tho I'd love to know what they'd have tried to make trial # 3 go smoother. As usual that's the best I can do without getting too spoilery which I hope I didn't already do!! Not easy with some books.
—Rachel
