pbanditp's review against another edition
4.0
I kept forgetting that this was not a true story. Grisham just writes so well and it is somewhat based on real life, that just make it so plausible.
Post is an attorney as well as a minister and he devotes his time trying to get innocent people out of jail. The stories of the inmates and how they got framed or just falsely convicted really expose how our judicial system is based on getting people locked up. The system is okay with having one innocent person serving a life sentence for every hundred that are correctly convicted.
Post is an attorney as well as a minister and he devotes his time trying to get innocent people out of jail. The stories of the inmates and how they got framed or just falsely convicted really expose how our judicial system is based on getting people locked up. The system is okay with having one innocent person serving a life sentence for every hundred that are correctly convicted.
k_hoffman's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
noveldeelights's review
4.0
As a longtime John Grisham fan, I am always eagerly awaiting a new book by him. Even though, I must admit that some of his work in recent years has been awfully hit or miss with me. So it was with a small sense of apprehension that I decided to pick up The Guardians.
After spending 22 years in prison, Quincy Miller catches the attention of a project called The Guardians and a lawyer/minister by the name of Cullen Post. The Guardians are convinced of Miller’s innocence in the murder of a local lawyer and are determined to fight for his release. In the last ten years, this innocence project has managed to get eight innocent people out of prison but Miller’s case is a tough nut to crack. Twenty-two years is a long time. Judges, members of the law enforcement and prosecutors have retired or are dead. Witnesses are spread far and wide across the country, some unwilling to talk or trying very hard not to be found. Evidence has gone missing. On top of that, powerful and ruthless people are perfectly okay with having an innocent man in prison. So where do you even begin?
It hasn’t happened in a while with John Grisham’s books, but from the very first page I had a good feeling about The Guardians. John Grisham remains one of the most excellent storytellers out there and with Cullen Post, he has created a fascinating and engaging character who deftly guides us through a cleverly and well-written plot of murder, miscarriages of justice and corruption. Cullen Post is an easy character to like. Fierce, determined, willing to go that extra mile (sometimes even literally) and all of this, combined with where he started, puts you firmly on his side.
The Guardians turned out to be quite the addictive page-turner for me and I felt John Grisham really brought home how much of the success of these cases depends on which judge is sitting in front of you, who’s willing to listen and keep an open mind and sadly also, the political games that are always going on behind the scenes. Quincy Miller’s circumstances are realistic and believable and because you know these things unfortunately happen (way more often than they should), it’s not that hard to feel angry and frustrated. Do also make sure you read the author’s note at the end of the book.
Is this Grisham at his best? Well, no. But he’s getting mighty close and after some of the recent disappointments, that’s already saying quite a lot and I can honestly say I really enjoyed this one. Truth be told, I’ll be right there at the front of the line when he publishes his next book anyway but I’ll never give up hoping for another absolute corker like “A Time To Kill” was, for instance.
After spending 22 years in prison, Quincy Miller catches the attention of a project called The Guardians and a lawyer/minister by the name of Cullen Post. The Guardians are convinced of Miller’s innocence in the murder of a local lawyer and are determined to fight for his release. In the last ten years, this innocence project has managed to get eight innocent people out of prison but Miller’s case is a tough nut to crack. Twenty-two years is a long time. Judges, members of the law enforcement and prosecutors have retired or are dead. Witnesses are spread far and wide across the country, some unwilling to talk or trying very hard not to be found. Evidence has gone missing. On top of that, powerful and ruthless people are perfectly okay with having an innocent man in prison. So where do you even begin?
It hasn’t happened in a while with John Grisham’s books, but from the very first page I had a good feeling about The Guardians. John Grisham remains one of the most excellent storytellers out there and with Cullen Post, he has created a fascinating and engaging character who deftly guides us through a cleverly and well-written plot of murder, miscarriages of justice and corruption. Cullen Post is an easy character to like. Fierce, determined, willing to go that extra mile (sometimes even literally) and all of this, combined with where he started, puts you firmly on his side.
The Guardians turned out to be quite the addictive page-turner for me and I felt John Grisham really brought home how much of the success of these cases depends on which judge is sitting in front of you, who’s willing to listen and keep an open mind and sadly also, the political games that are always going on behind the scenes. Quincy Miller’s circumstances are realistic and believable and because you know these things unfortunately happen (way more often than they should), it’s not that hard to feel angry and frustrated. Do also make sure you read the author’s note at the end of the book.
Is this Grisham at his best? Well, no. But he’s getting mighty close and after some of the recent disappointments, that’s already saying quite a lot and I can honestly say I really enjoyed this one. Truth be told, I’ll be right there at the front of the line when he publishes his next book anyway but I’ll never give up hoping for another absolute corker like “A Time To Kill” was, for instance.
rlynnhawk's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
gabilaras's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
katesking's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
jcharlton's review against another edition
4.0
I always like Grisham. This is like a fictionalized version of Just Mercy. It is based on another true story. Some over the top parts- but generally quite good.
knknechtel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.5
in first person POV which I didn’t like and it was confusing as an audio book because it was hard to distinguish between dialogue and normal informational text.
cservat129's review against another edition
4.0
This is all about miscarriages of justice that happen to the people of the world that have no resources but The Guardians, a secretive group that works to right the wrongs that have been done to people wrongfully convicted, work to make justice happen for them. With all the usua suspense and twists , turns and surprises, I enjoyed listening to this tale. The narration was top notch, the narrator did a fantastic job of making me feel like each character was completely their own. Cullen Post is a very believable character, a burnt out lawyer turned minister, not exactly down on his luck more so tired from the life that he had before he started his work with The Guardians.
I could not ask for a better tale by this author to keep me on the edge of my seat as to what would happen next. This story is full of suspense and will have you asking yourself does this really happen more often that not?
This subject and book were well researched you can tell just by listening to this book. I was completely involved in this story and recommend this for fans of Suspense/Thrillers.
This review was originally posted on Cindy’s Book Stacks