We, the Jury - Hardcover

Rotstein, Robert

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1538507722 ISBN 13: 9781538507728

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing, 2018

Synopsis

Told from the perspective of over a dozen participants in a murder trial, We, the Jury examines how public perception can mask the ghastliest nightmares. On the day before his twenty-first wedding anniversary, David Sullinger buried an ax in his wife's skull. Now, eight jurors must retire to the deliberation room and decide whether David committed premeditated murder--or whether he was a battered spouse who killed his wife in self-defense.

The path to justice is fraught with surprising pitfalls and confusing turns. An experienced, fair-minded judge mistakenly tells the jury that David is guilty and fears she's losing her mind. The bailiff, once a decorated street cop but now a pariah in the sheriff's department, must fend off the sexual advances of an amoral juror. An unscrupulous tabloid reporter tries to tamper with the justice system.

Once inside the deliberation room, the jurors elect as foreperson an insecure, addled file clerk, who gets the job because no one else wants it. Despite -- or perhaps because of -- her delusions of grandeur, she loses control of the deliberations, allowing a juror known as the Housewife to monopolize the discussion. A buttoned-up jury consultant uses her professional experience to challenge her colleagues' preconceived notions about the evidence. An apparently sweet grandmother turns out to be anything but. A Methodist minister sits silently, concealing a shocking secret that could change everything.

As the jurors stagger toward a verdict, they must sift through contradictory testimony from the Sullinger's children, who disagree on which parent was Satan; sort out conflicting allegations of severe physical abuse, adultery, and incest; and overcome personal animosities that threaten a fair and just verdict. Ultimately, the central figures in We, the Jury must navigate the blurred boundaries between bias and objectivity, fiction and truth.

About this title

About the Author:

Robert Rotstein, with James Patterson, is the author of The Family Lawyer, the title story of the New York Times bestselling collection. He's written Corrupt Practices, Reckless Disregard, and The Bomb Maker's Son. His forthcoming novel We, the Jury, a psychological drama, is scheduled to be released by Blackstone Publishing in early 2019. Rotstein practices intellectual property law with the Los Angeles firm Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp, LLP, and has represented all the major movie studios and record companies, as well as well-known directors and writers.

Review:

''We the Jury has what most legal thrillers lack-total authenticity, which is spellbinding.'' --James Patterson

''Who says the legal thriller is gone? Obviously someone who has not read this little gem. Cleverly told, with a different kind of ticking clock, the drama is tough as nails, the chemistry enticing. It's both believable and evocative. You must read it.'' --Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Malta Exchange

''We, the Jury is an exceptional legal thriller that is told from multiple viewpoints during jury deliberations in a major murder case. I found myself changing my opinion on the defendant's guilt or innocence until the surprise ending.'' --Phillip Margolin, New York Times bestselling author of The Third Victim

''The best legal thriller this year. Rotstein's insight into the insidious nature of jurors and jury trials blew me away. A masterpiece of voice, character and points of view. Get it. Buy it. And become part of We The Jury.'' --Robert Dugoni, #1 Amazon, Wall Street Journal, and Internationally Best Selling Author of My Sister's Grave

''A unique, razor-sharp legal thriller -- Robert Rotstein does it again!'' --Nancy Allen, author of the Ozarks Mystery Legal Suspense Series

''These scenes deal with gnarly matters of perception and interpretation, and both can be so manipulated by artful courtroom performers that the truth becomes unknowable...The drama is played out on this abstract level, making it a natural for thoughtful mystery readers who have served on a jury.'' --Booklist

''Rotstein skillfully creates a suspenseful story told from over a dozen points of view from the participants in the murder trial...Readers will be riveted right up to the end. Highly recommended for fans of legal thrillers.'' --Library Journal

''The reader is given a fly-on-the-wall vantage point of how personal perceptions, biases, and time can inform a decision as serious as a guilty or not-guilty murder verdict...With complex and real-life characters whose psyches Rotstein delves into deeply, We, the Jury is a unique read and not to be missed.'' --Mystery Scene magazine

About this edition

• Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1538507722
• ISBN 13: 9781538507728
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304