• The Last Juror

  • A Novel
  • By: John Grisham
  • Narrated by: Michael Beck
  • Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (5,756 ratings)

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The Last Juror  By  cover art

The Last Juror

By: John Grisham
Narrated by: Michael Beck
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Publisher's summary

In 1970, one of Mississippi's more colorful weekly newspapers, The Ford County Times, went bankrupt. To the surprise and dismay of many, ownership was assumed by a 23 year-old college dropout, named Willie Traynor. The future of the paper looked grim until a young mother was brutally raped and murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt family. Willie Traynor reported all the gruesome details, and his newspaper began to prosper.

The murderer, Danny Padgitt, was tried before a packed courthouse in Clanton, Mississippi. The trial came to a startling and dramatic end when the defendant threatened revenge against the jurors if they convicted him. Nevertheless, they found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison.

But in Mississippi in 1970, "life" didn't necessarily mean "life," and nine years later Danny Padgitt managed to get himself paroled. He returned to Ford County, and the retribution began.

©2004 Belfry Holdings, Inc. (P)2004 Random House, Inc., Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Here [John Grisham] is back in the fictitious town of Clanton, Miss., re-establishing the storytelling skills and sense of place that put him on the map....The Last Juror does not need to coast on its author's megapopularity. It's a reminder of how the Grisham juggernaut began." (The New York Times)

Featured Article: The Essential John Grisham in Audio


John Grisham is best known for his fast-paced legal thrillers and mysteries, many of which have been adapted for television and film. Because he’s so prolific and has been writing for decades, it can be difficult to know where to begin when selecting a title from his impressive back catalog. And Grisham is definitely a jack-of-all-trades: he’s written not only legal thrillers, but nonfiction, a series for kids, some humorous novels, and recently, a new mystery series outside of the legal thriller genre. To help you decide which Grisham gem to download next, we’ve compiled a list of the very best.

What listeners say about The Last Juror

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Excellent Book

this is the Grisham we all grew to know and kive!!. classic Ford County Grisham.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Clanton life

I love listening to this narrator! This story, though, is much more about life in Clanton than it is about a crime/drama. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of the people and comings/goings in Clanton. I felt like I was a resident! This is an enjoyable story as long as you are not expecting 'high drama' material.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good character stories without much suspense

A wonderful collection of characters from Ford county. The story lacks much of the drama and suspense of other Grisham novels. Michael Beck is magnificent, as usual. If you are a Grisham fan, you will enjoy the listen. If you are new to Grisham, start with another of his works like A Time to Kill.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding!!

I had recently tired of Grisham's books. I got this one strictly because of the narrator, Michael Beck. I believe it is the best Grisham novel since he first started. To me, Michael Beck, is the best narrator of Southern stories.

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Engaging and Moving

Slower-paced than Grisham's legal thrillers, I found this novel thoroughly engaging. The various personalities and their stories, skillfully rendered, held my attention more than the main story line. I also enjoyed re-visiting Ford County--the story-lines and characters overlap those in other Grisham novels set there, so there is a sense of getting to know some of them better, added texture and understanding to one's view of the fictional Ford County. It is also an intriguing view of how at least some places in the south must have been in the 1970's.

Michael Beck is a wonderful reader. This reading is well-paced and expressive, the main character's voice is pleasing, other characters' voices distinct and believable.

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wonderfully crafted and told story

this wad a wonderfully crafted story that kept me engaged to the last word. I was always a John Grisham fan and am quickly becoming a Michael Beck fan.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story

I have listened to every one of John Grishom's books and this may be my favorite. The characters were well developed and Michael Beck did his usual terrific job in reading the story. A very easy book to listen to and it kept my interest all the way through.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A good story

Don't think of this as a courtroom thriller or you'll be disappointed. But if you want a good story, with colorful characters and an excellent reader, then I'd recommend this book.

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I enjoyed this audio tremendously.

Michael Beck has a soothing soft voice that I could listen to forever. I hope to hear other audios from him.

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Riveting and Excellent

From the opening to closing chapters, I could relate to those days in the 70's, and living in a small Southern town. Another Grisham masterpiece!

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