The Runaway Jury by John Grisham retold by Hilary Maxwell-Hyslop

‘The Runaway Jury’ is a legal thriller written by John Grisham in 1996. The publication here is a retold version by Hilary Maxwell-Hyslop.

The whole story is about a lawsuit. It takes place in the United States. The widow Celeste Wood brings charges against Pynex one of the largest tobacco companies in the US. She makes them responsible for the death of her husband Jacob Wood. Her husband died at the age of 51 and had smoked 3 packets of cigarettes a day for almost 30 years.  When you start reading it seems impossible that she can win this battle. The Tobacco company disagrees with her because it is the responsibility of adult persons which choices they make for their own life-style.  That is also my opinion.

The tobacco industry already won 16 trials. If they lose this case they know that they will have to pay money for some million of people. That is why the Big Four (the 4 biggest and most powerful tobacco concerns of the US responsible for 98%  of all cigarettes sold in the US and Canada) start working together. They have a secret fund to pay the best defensive lawyers and the best jury consultants to win the case. The main lawyer of the plaintiff (accuser) raised also money but only about a million. It is unbelievable about how much money it goes. I was surprised to read how the people of the jury are screened and picked. Out of 194 jurors 12 are selected for the trial by the lawyers from both sides. It did not sound legally any more how their lives were screened and their behaviour observed ( psychological screened how they look, move and their gestures). During the trial they are secretly filmed the whole time by the defence. For me the way it goes looks nearly illegal and it is not about justice but how far you can manipulate people to reach your goal.  That made the story fascinating.

It was exciting to read how Nicholas Easter and Marlee work to fuel them all. Nicholas’second try to get into a jury in a trial against the tobacco industry works out. He then searches contact to the other jurors, he is very nice to them and impresses them with the way he acts and his two years of law school. In the background Marlee manipulates what is necessary to help Nicholas to win the trust of the other jurors and control them. Nicholas is ruthless to the ones he cannot win. He puts something in the coffee of the foreman and becomes foreman himself.

Marlee also manipulates Fitch the boss of the defence. Marlee makes him believe that Nicholas has the whole jury under control. She lets him know that Nicholas can manipulate the verdict in a good or bad way for Fitch. Fitch believes it and agrees to a deal. He buys the verdict for $10 million. It was great to read how he is tricked. He is manipulated as he himself manipulates the justice system. I liked that. I would have liked more action. I prefer action thrillers.