What do you think?
Rate this book
Jack Swyteck #1
The Pardon
Jack Swyteck, a brilliant Miami defense attorney has spent years rebelling against his father, Harry, now Florida's governor. Their estrangement seems complete when Harry allows one of Jack's clients -- a man Jack believes is innocent -- to die in the electric chair.
But when a psychopath bent on serving his own twisted version of justice places both Jack and Harry in extreme jeopardy, the two have nowhere to turn but to each other. Together they must find a way to overcome their cunning tormentor's manipulation . . . even as the stakes are being raised to far more perilous heights.
But when a psychopath bent on serving his own twisted version of justice places both Jack and Harry in extreme jeopardy, the two have nowhere to turn but to each other. Together they must find a way to overcome their cunning tormentor's manipulation . . . even as the stakes are being raised to far more perilous heights.
432 pages, Paperback
First published August 23, 1994
791 people are currently reading
3250 people want to read
About the author
James Grippando
50 books1,175 followers The first thing you should know about bestselling author James Grippando is that he is no longer clueless—or so they say, after “A James Grippando Novel” was a clue for #38 Across in the New York Times crossword puzzle. James is the winner of the Harper Lee Prize for legal fiction and a New York Times bestselling author with more than 30 novels to his credit, including the popular series featuring Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck. His latest, "Goodbye Girl" (HarperCollins 2024), is the 18th in the Swyteck series. His novels are enjoyed worldwide in 28 languages. As an adjunct professor he teaches "The Law & Lawyers in Modern Literature" at the University of Miami School of Law. He is also counsel at one of the nation’s leading law firms, where he specializes in entertainment and intellectual property law, representing clients who have won more than 40 Tony Awards. He writes in south Florida with Atlas at his side, a faithful golden retriever who has no idea he’s a dog.
Series:
* Jack Swyteck
Series:
* Jack Swyteck
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews
May 9, 2013
Za ljubitelje Grišama, Patersona, sjajan autor koji se guta u dahu, nekoliko naslova objavila je Narodna knjiga i kasnije je jedan naslov radio Evro Giunti...
May 6, 2024
A missed opportunity for a literary conversation about capital punishment!
Raul Fernandez sits on death row as he insists on his innocence up to the very moment of his execution. Jack Swyteck, a brilliant Miami defense attorney has been contacted by a disguised man who convinces him of Raul’s innocence by providing proof that HE is the actual killer of the person whose murder is sending Fernandez to a session with Old Sparky. His father, Florida’s governor, rejects Jack’s plea for a last minute commutation of the death sentence and Fernandez is executed at the appointed time in spite of Jack’s belief in his innocence.
The balance of the book is an admittedly good quality legal thriller that sees the real killer’s attempts at revenge against Jack and Harold Swyteck play out to a final slam-bang conclusion in the Caribbean waters off the tourist laden shores of Key West.
The action scenes, in particular those leading up to the climax and the denouement that I just mentioned, are fast moving and entertaining but, for my money, they’re just a little bit over the top and too Hollywood to be completely convincing. On the other hand, the political details of the state governor's unfolding bid for re-election and the minutiae of the murder trials in which Jack is involved both as defense attorney and, believe it or not, as a defendant are downright gripping. Last but not least, the details of Jack’s faltering romance with love interest Cindy Paige is heartwarming and convincing without straying anywhere near maudlin.
Last but not least, while the entire story line positively screamed for a substantive discussion of the value and validity of capital punishment in the 21st century, author Grippando steadfastly avoided the near occasion of any such conversation, either between him and his readers in the form of side-bar essays or between Jack and Harold, a criminal defense attorney and the state governor who signs the warrants to authorize the executions. A missed opportunity I think and THE PARDON was the worse for it!
Nonetheless, if legal thrillers are your cup of tea, I’m happy to recommend you add this one to your list.
Paul Weiss
Raul Fernandez sits on death row as he insists on his innocence up to the very moment of his execution. Jack Swyteck, a brilliant Miami defense attorney has been contacted by a disguised man who convinces him of Raul’s innocence by providing proof that HE is the actual killer of the person whose murder is sending Fernandez to a session with Old Sparky. His father, Florida’s governor, rejects Jack’s plea for a last minute commutation of the death sentence and Fernandez is executed at the appointed time in spite of Jack’s belief in his innocence.
The balance of the book is an admittedly good quality legal thriller that sees the real killer’s attempts at revenge against Jack and Harold Swyteck play out to a final slam-bang conclusion in the Caribbean waters off the tourist laden shores of Key West.
The action scenes, in particular those leading up to the climax and the denouement that I just mentioned, are fast moving and entertaining but, for my money, they’re just a little bit over the top and too Hollywood to be completely convincing. On the other hand, the political details of the state governor's unfolding bid for re-election and the minutiae of the murder trials in which Jack is involved both as defense attorney and, believe it or not, as a defendant are downright gripping. Last but not least, the details of Jack’s faltering romance with love interest Cindy Paige is heartwarming and convincing without straying anywhere near maudlin.
Last but not least, while the entire story line positively screamed for a substantive discussion of the value and validity of capital punishment in the 21st century, author Grippando steadfastly avoided the near occasion of any such conversation, either between him and his readers in the form of side-bar essays or between Jack and Harold, a criminal defense attorney and the state governor who signs the warrants to authorize the executions. A missed opportunity I think and THE PARDON was the worse for it!
Nonetheless, if legal thrillers are your cup of tea, I’m happy to recommend you add this one to your list.
Paul Weiss
April 2, 2022
This is the first in the Jack Swyteck legal thriller series and the plot was significantly far-fetched. It requires one to suspend a lot of credibility. Normally, I enjoy legal thrillers so was looking forward to trying one of Grippando’s books in the popular series. Grippando does offer fast-paced action, but at the cost of having well-developed characters and a solid plot-line. I doubt I will continue with the series.
September 3, 2018
I enjoyed this novel more than I thought I would! There are a lot of comparisons to John Grisham. I’ve read two of Grisham’s novels and I found that I liked Grippando more than Grisham. However, based on Goodreads reviews, a lot of Grisham fans were not too impressed by this novel.
I like how The Pardon was not black and white. You had a man accused of murder, but it’s not clear if this man was guilty. There are another crimes, but it’s not clear if they are related.
I liked the main character, Jack, and his sense of humour. He may not be the most likeable character, but I enjoyed reading about his not so great relationship with his girlfriend and his almost non relationship with his father.
In a way, I also enjoyed the mind games that the murderer created and how he set things up. I liked getting a glimpse into his mind and seeing why he did the things that he did.
I knocked it down a star because it seemed to wrap up a bit too nicely and too conveniently. I was hoping for a bit more detective work by Jack to identity the mad man.
I’m excited to read more of this series!
I like how The Pardon was not black and white. You had a man accused of murder, but it’s not clear if this man was guilty. There are another crimes, but it’s not clear if they are related.
I liked the main character, Jack, and his sense of humour. He may not be the most likeable character, but I enjoyed reading about his not so great relationship with his girlfriend and his almost non relationship with his father.
In a way, I also enjoyed the mind games that the murderer created and how he set things up. I liked getting a glimpse into his mind and seeing why he did the things that he did.
I knocked it down a star because it seemed to wrap up a bit too nicely and too conveniently. I was hoping for a bit more detective work by Jack to identity the mad man.
I’m excited to read more of this series!
July 15, 2008
The debut novel from an author named as being the next John Grisham. While "The Pardon"'s storyline and quick reading are similar to most of Grisham's work, it's the delivery of the material that reminded me not of Grisham, but of the book "Needful Things" by Stephen King.
James Patterson was quoted as saying that he read this book, all 400 pages, in one sitting; it took me three.
All-in-all, I am impressed with this author and I'm looking forward to reading his next.
James Patterson was quoted as saying that he read this book, all 400 pages, in one sitting; it took me three.
All-in-all, I am impressed with this author and I'm looking forward to reading his next.
December 11, 2015
Good but not exceptional. John Grisham has nothing to worry about readers not buying his books,but buying James Grippando' s instead!
September 1, 2014
This is the first James Grippando book I have read and - wow, how gripping. And this is the author's first book! A young lawyer gets caught in a deadly game with an unknown enemy. As he tries to extricate himself his every move seems to just tighten the noose around his neck. More people are sucked into this vortex until it seems there is no escape. The pacing is relentless. I read it in a day.
September 20, 2017
abridged 5 hour audio book....this did not do much for me. Does his character get better?
January 19, 2018
I really thought I was going to like this one more than I did. Some of the characters felt more like caricatures, in my opinion. Also, I tend to dislike it when people who are intelligent KNOW they shouldn't do something, and then do it anyway. As this was the first book, my fingers are crossed that the series gets better and better as it goes along. We shall see.
November 7, 2021
Notes:
Yay for libraries!
The narration was great, but I wasn't a fan of the story.
The audiobook is an adapted version of the book. It's a spree of active sequences tied together. However, the trimmed down version came across as a over the top cartoon satire for characters & setting.
I recommend reading the book vs listening to the abridged audiobook.
Yay for libraries!
The narration was great, but I wasn't a fan of the story.
The audiobook is an adapted version of the book. It's a spree of active sequences tied together. However, the trimmed down version came across as a over the top cartoon satire for characters & setting.
I recommend reading the book vs listening to the abridged audiobook.
May 25, 2014
An innocent man is executed, and a guilty man is set free. Grippando gets things off to a fast start.
Jack Swytek is estranged from his father, now the governor, who had been elected on a law-and-order platform, promising to expedite executions. Barely two hours before the electrocution of Fernandez, Jack is visited by a man in a ski mask who, insisting on lawyer-client confidentiality, shows him proof that Fernandez is innocent because he, himself, is the killer.
Jack heads for the governor’s mansion where he and his father face off about the impending execution. Insisting he cannot provide proof of the man’s innocence because of client confidentiality (personally, I would have broken it immediately, self-serving lawyer ethics be damned) Jack is unable to convince his father to call it off.
Shift to a few years later as Jack manages to get a killer’s confession thrown out and the jury releases Goss, a vicious killer. Then Goss is killed and the governor and Jack are being setup for his murder. Usually, in a case like this, the premise is undermined by illogical actions of the characters. Grippando has avoided that by making the rationale for why Jack and his father can’t communicate, quite plausible.
The best legal dramas have great courtroom scenes. Unfortunately, the courtroom scenes were but a small portion of the book. The plot is ingenious and tricky, although how the killer manages to be in some of those places had me buffaloed. And I knocked off a star for a ludicrous ending. I had hoped for something much more subtle and intelligent.
Jack Swytek is estranged from his father, now the governor, who had been elected on a law-and-order platform, promising to expedite executions. Barely two hours before the electrocution of Fernandez, Jack is visited by a man in a ski mask who, insisting on lawyer-client confidentiality, shows him proof that Fernandez is innocent because he, himself, is the killer.
Jack heads for the governor’s mansion where he and his father face off about the impending execution. Insisting he cannot provide proof of the man’s innocence because of client confidentiality (personally, I would have broken it immediately, self-serving lawyer ethics be damned) Jack is unable to convince his father to call it off.
Shift to a few years later as Jack manages to get a killer’s confession thrown out and the jury releases Goss, a vicious killer. Then Goss is killed and the governor and Jack are being setup for his murder. Usually, in a case like this, the premise is undermined by illogical actions of the characters. Grippando has avoided that by making the rationale for why Jack and his father can’t communicate, quite plausible.
The best legal dramas have great courtroom scenes. Unfortunately, the courtroom scenes were but a small portion of the book. The plot is ingenious and tricky, although how the killer manages to be in some of those places had me buffaloed. And I knocked off a star for a ludicrous ending. I had hoped for something much more subtle and intelligent.
April 23, 2020
A solid first entry in a new-to-me legal thriller series.
October 10, 2022
A 5-year-old’s question.
A father’s answer…Silence.
Their relationship changed in that moment of silence.
A rift.
Will it always be irrevocable?
Years Later…
A son. A defense attorney. The Freedom Institute. Defender of constitutional rights.
A father. A street cop. A governor. Politics. Re-election campaign. Blackmailed.
Lives are interwoven in more ways than they know.
Innocent or Guilty?
Twists. Turns. Red Herrings.
The future is at stake.
Want a charged, taut thriller?
Read “The Pardon.”
A father’s answer…Silence.
Their relationship changed in that moment of silence.
A rift.
Will it always be irrevocable?
Years Later…
A son. A defense attorney. The Freedom Institute. Defender of constitutional rights.
A father. A street cop. A governor. Politics. Re-election campaign. Blackmailed.
Lives are interwoven in more ways than they know.
Innocent or Guilty?
Twists. Turns. Red Herrings.
The future is at stake.
Want a charged, taut thriller?
Read “The Pardon.”
July 6, 2009
Didn't finish it. I don't get why someone would pay money to a killer to keep his mouth shut. The plot made no sense to me at all.
November 5, 2012
I loved this book and I love this series. Jack Swyteck is da bomb !!
October 7, 2015
Fantastic and attention holding. A wonderful start to for this series. I mist definitely will be continuing on. Fast paste from the first page.
April 12, 2017
Excellent plot and characterizations. Like series. Well narrated and recommended.
June 18, 2018
3.5
I had the abridge audio version. I like this series and have only read a few recent work of the author. It's nice to get to know Jack Swyteck and his governor father from the beginning.
I had the abridge audio version. I like this series and have only read a few recent work of the author. It's nice to get to know Jack Swyteck and his governor father from the beginning.
June 5, 2020
It was okay. The ending felt like a LifeTime Movie "As he looked up, Jack saw proud tears of joy in his father's eyes. For he'd finally earned the governors pardon and the governor had earned his."
February 12, 2023
Could not get into this one. Character was too shallow.
July 20, 2019
I give this 3 1/2 stars because it was a quick and enjoyable read. Jack Swyteck is a lawyer working for an innocence group. The problem is he is also the estranged son of the tough-on-crime governor of Florida. When Jack shows up at his father’s house at the 11th hour to plead for the governor to stop a scheduled execution, it is a meeting full of tension. Jack tells his father that the man scheduled to die is innocent, but he won’t elaborate on how he knows this. Governor Harry Swyteck denies the plea and the man is electrocuted. Jack’s next case is defending an admitted murderer. Because Jack successfully argues that the killer’s confession be squashed from the trial, the guilty man is acquitted. Immediately after these two miscarriages of justice, man begins stalking and threatening Jack and simultaneously blackmailing and threatening his father. Governor and son do not know of each other’s plight. This mystery man frames Jack for a murder and now Jack is on trial for his life. Eventually father and son must come together to fight this maniac who claims that both the governor and Jack are guilty of the murder of the executed man and now they must pay. This is a good start for the Jack Swyteck series.
March 12, 2019
So I actually listened to this one for a book club. I had the book and audio and thought it was weird that a 400+ page book was only a couple of hours long...yeah, I realized it was an abridged version of the book! I didn't see that in the description at all! So I did try and scan through some of the book to see if I missed anything. The stuff that I did read didn't seem all that significant. Convos were cut short by a TON (and some completely gone) but I still got the gist of it all. I'm not sure what future books entail but the epilogue in the book wasn't part of the audio. In all, I liked the story and the characters so I will probably continue with the series.
March 7, 2019
2.5 stars
it was ok.
quick read, fast pace narrative.
intense/dark.
Since the protagonist Jack Swyteck is a lawyer, I thought this was more a story about a man being framed & the court case than a murder mystery investigation.
I would recommend this to people who like reading thrillers starring lawyers. (ie. Grisham, Patterson, Scottoline, etc.)
it was ok.
quick read, fast pace narrative.
intense/dark.
Since the protagonist Jack Swyteck is a lawyer, I thought this was more a story about a man being framed & the court case than a murder mystery investigation.
I would recommend this to people who like reading thrillers starring lawyers. (ie. Grisham, Patterson, Scottoline, etc.)
August 6, 2020
After reading several later books in this series, I finally doubled back to read #1. It was all right, but happily for Grippando, his writing has greatly improved over the course of Jack Swytek's life. This book seemed increasingly shrill and over the top, culminating in the epilogue, which I found almost unreadable.
May 8, 2024
3.5 rounded up to 4. Good story, interesting characters.
June 3, 2019
Found myself another author to read. Thoroughly engrossing. Kept me guessing.
February 24, 2018
This first book in the series establishes the background of the characters. While several of the twists and turns may seem unbeliveable, the courtroom drama plus the ending should keep a reader fully engrossed.
October 26, 2014
There's no doubt about it: sometimes I come late to the party. For several years now, I've heard glowing recommendations of James Grippando's work. I kept telling myself that I really ought to sample it, but somehow other books kept getting in the way.
This weekend, I knew that I wanted to read something featuring narrator Ray Foushee since I was very much looking forward to hearing his presentation before the American Council of the Blind of Ohio which was broadcast via the Internet. In reviewing my "to read" list for possible candidates, I came across Grippando's first novel, "The Pardon," and decided that now was the time to finally give it a try.
And boy, am I ever glad I did.
Harold Swydick, the governor of Florida, is awaiting the execution of a criminal who is scheduled to die that morning. His son, Jack, a lawyer from whom he has been estranged for quite some time, shows up to plead with his father to pardon the man. Jack says that he has evidence that the prisoner is innocent. The governor will not grant the pardon because Jack will not reveal his source.
That's a summary of the first five minutes or so of this incredible page turner.
Grippando kept me guessing from beginning to end. While I didn't anticipate the many twists and turns, they were true to the characters and, until near the end, were quite credible. The last few chapters are perhaps a little over the top, but somehow, that just added to the fun for me. While they are unlikely, they don't completely defy credibility and I found the entire book to be one terrific ride.
As is usually the case, Ray Foshee's narration is absolutely stellar. He has a talent for varying his pace in such a way that his narration adds immeasurably to the reading experience. As is true with many of the APH (American Printing House for the Blind) narrators, I got so captivated by the story that I forgot that someone was reading it for me. It's only when writing these reviews that I I realize just how much the narrator impacts my reading experience. I only wish all narrators were as talented as Foushee and some of his colleagues.
Will I go back for more of Grippando's work? You bet I will. If you haven't sampled it, I would strongly advise you to do so. It's not profound and it may not change your lives, but it will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat from page one until you turn off your Stream or IPhone.
This weekend, I knew that I wanted to read something featuring narrator Ray Foushee since I was very much looking forward to hearing his presentation before the American Council of the Blind of Ohio which was broadcast via the Internet. In reviewing my "to read" list for possible candidates, I came across Grippando's first novel, "The Pardon," and decided that now was the time to finally give it a try.
And boy, am I ever glad I did.
Harold Swydick, the governor of Florida, is awaiting the execution of a criminal who is scheduled to die that morning. His son, Jack, a lawyer from whom he has been estranged for quite some time, shows up to plead with his father to pardon the man. Jack says that he has evidence that the prisoner is innocent. The governor will not grant the pardon because Jack will not reveal his source.
That's a summary of the first five minutes or so of this incredible page turner.
Grippando kept me guessing from beginning to end. While I didn't anticipate the many twists and turns, they were true to the characters and, until near the end, were quite credible. The last few chapters are perhaps a little over the top, but somehow, that just added to the fun for me. While they are unlikely, they don't completely defy credibility and I found the entire book to be one terrific ride.
As is usually the case, Ray Foshee's narration is absolutely stellar. He has a talent for varying his pace in such a way that his narration adds immeasurably to the reading experience. As is true with many of the APH (American Printing House for the Blind) narrators, I got so captivated by the story that I forgot that someone was reading it for me. It's only when writing these reviews that I I realize just how much the narrator impacts my reading experience. I only wish all narrators were as talented as Foushee and some of his colleagues.
Will I go back for more of Grippando's work? You bet I will. If you haven't sampled it, I would strongly advise you to do so. It's not profound and it may not change your lives, but it will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat from page one until you turn off your Stream or IPhone.
August 26, 2013
I have a four month old infant who still gets up in the middle of the night to eat. I have recently read a few books that would almost instantly put me back to sleep. This one however kept my attention even at 4 AM!
I loved the Jack and Harry conflict throughout this book. It is sad to think that a father and son would have such a poor relationship for so long and over such a "silly" thing. However, it really made the story that much more gripping when the "bad guy" played on the damaged relationship. I liked it.
I also liked the love story/triangle between Jack, Gina and Cindy on the side. It kept the characters more realistic and impulsive because all of love triangles make fore interesting stories. OK, maybe not all but this one did.
The "killer" was ruthless! I loved that he was so cold and heartless. The author kept his identity a mystery until the very end. I was so glad he ended up not being any of the characters I liked because I would have cried.
The ending had a little twist at the end that I found a little cheesy. It was just a little too far fetched for me to believe.
Still a great book.
Quite a lot of me least favorite word. Some sexual innuendo.
I loved the Jack and Harry conflict throughout this book. It is sad to think that a father and son would have such a poor relationship for so long and over such a "silly" thing. However, it really made the story that much more gripping when the "bad guy" played on the damaged relationship. I liked it.
I also liked the love story/triangle between Jack, Gina and Cindy on the side. It kept the characters more realistic and impulsive because all of love triangles make fore interesting stories. OK, maybe not all but this one did.
The "killer" was ruthless! I loved that he was so cold and heartless. The author kept his identity a mystery until the very end. I was so glad he ended up not being any of the characters I liked because I would have cried.
The ending had a little twist at the end that I found a little cheesy. It was just a little too far fetched for me to believe.
Still a great book.
Quite a lot of me least favorite word. Some sexual innuendo.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews