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David Sloane #1
The Jury Master
In a courtroom, David Sloane can grab a jury and make it dance. He can read jurors' expressions, feel their emotions, know their thoughts. With this remarkable ability, Sloane gets juries to believe the unbelievable, excuse the inexcusable, and return the most astonishing verdicts.
The only barrier to Sloane's professional success is his conscience -- until he gets a call from a man later found dead, and his life rockets out of control.
The only barrier to Sloane's professional success is his conscience -- until he gets a call from a man later found dead, and his life rockets out of control.
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
4512 people are currently reading
4829 people want to read
About the author
Robert Dugoni
75 books32.9k followersRobert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 11 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and The Keera Duggan legal thriller series. He has written several stand-alone novels including the historical novels A Killing on the Hill and Hold Strong, as well as the suspense novel The 7th Canon, and Damage Control. He has written the literary novels, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - one of Newsweek Magazine's Best Books of All-Time and Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also written the critically acclaimed novel, The World Played Chess; as well as the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. His novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and a four-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.
Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than thirty-five countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.
Visit his website at www.robertdugoni.com, and follow him on twitter @robertdugoni and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorRobertDugoni
Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than thirty-five countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.
Visit his website at www.robertdugoni.com, and follow him on twitter @robertdugoni and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorRobertDugoni
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 986 reviews
July 22, 2024
Billed as a stunning debut and legal thriller, this book is neither. It is filled with caricatures - highly successful attorney, (and an ex-marine), with a near genius IQ.
His girl Friday, a young attractive single mother with a heart of gold.
A street wise, sarcastic yet tenacious homicide detective.
An ex-CIA agent who lives as a hermit.
And a bunch of self-important, over-zealous political types, (there are more but I won't belabor the point), - all involved in a predictable plot which degenerates into a Freud meets The Amazing Kreskin psychological farce.
Every trick in the book is used to keep this story "moving" including short chapters ending at (in)opportune moments to keep the reader hanging on, lame wise-cracking by the protagonists during moments of crisis and of course, flashbacks.
To top it all off it is painfully overwritten - eye-glazingly so - at over 400 pages this would have been a chore to finish at half that length. I paid a buck and a half for this book and felt cheated.
Pass on this one.
His girl Friday, a young attractive single mother with a heart of gold.
A street wise, sarcastic yet tenacious homicide detective.
An ex-CIA agent who lives as a hermit.
And a bunch of self-important, over-zealous political types, (there are more but I won't belabor the point), - all involved in a predictable plot which degenerates into a Freud meets The Amazing Kreskin psychological farce.
Every trick in the book is used to keep this story "moving" including short chapters ending at (in)opportune moments to keep the reader hanging on, lame wise-cracking by the protagonists during moments of crisis and of course, flashbacks.
To top it all off it is painfully overwritten - eye-glazingly so - at over 400 pages this would have been a chore to finish at half that length. I paid a buck and a half for this book and felt cheated.
Pass on this one.
August 29, 2020
This story has so many movements it detracts from the theme. Is the main protagonist a lawyer, a fighter, a victim of bipolar disorder or what? The loss of lives and less than satisfactory end doesn't help. 3 of 10 stars
Read
July 28, 2023Too many characters and locations, too many plot lines and details, and there was no development. It was confusing and tiring.
I don’t know if it really was a legal thriller in the end…
Dnf @ 38%
I don’t know if it really was a legal thriller in the end…
Dnf @ 38%
September 8, 2021
3.5 stars
San Francisco attorney David Sloane - a former foster child who has no memory of his early years - has a knack for getting juries to vote his way.
The talented lawyer, plagued by bad dreams and headaches, finds himself in a dangerous situation when Joe Branick - a friend and colleague of the U. S. President - apparently commits suicide in Black Bear National Park in West Virginia.
Before his death Branick, a stranger to Sloane, left the attorney a phone message and sent him a package. Unfortunately for Sloane, someone is desperate to get the package and seems willing to do anything to achieve this goal.
Meanwhile Detective Joe Molina, a local cop who's investigating Branick's death in the national park, suspects it wasn't suicide. He's stymied though when the Justice Department takes possession of Branick's body and moves to close the case over the objections of Branick's sister.
It seems clear that people high in the administration have something to hide.
Concurrently, retired ClA operative Charles Jenkins - who many years before participated in an operation with both Branick and the future President - is pulled into the situation when an attempt is made on his life.
As the story proceeds it becomes clear that a massacre occurred in a Mexican village 30 years ago, an incident which somehow affected Sloane, who was a young child at the time.
As it turns out all three men - Sloane, Molina, and Jenkins - become involved in figuring out what happened to Branick, why the package is important, and what government officials are covering up.
There's plenty of murder and violence along the way and at one point I became annoyed with some characters who seemed like clichés found in many thriller novels. The climax of the book, however, turned out to be quite original if not totally believable.
There are a lot of interesting characters and a lot going on in the story, which is an enjoyable thriller.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
May 28, 2019
Meh.... I’ve read Dugoni’s other series and really enjoyed it. I was expecting similar. I read a blurb suggesting John Grisham move over to make room for this.. NO. It really did not hold my interest, my eyes kept sliding off the page. I felt like I’d read a decent chunk, only for my reading progress to have moved 1 or 2%. This may be shelved as a thriller, but it wasn’t thrilling to me.
December 29, 2024
I have definitely been going on a journey with this author.
This is his David Sloane, Attorney series.
Even though the title implies we will be in the courtroom, we got very little (okay, hardly any – well, practically None) courtroom drama in this first book.
It doesn’t mean I am not intrigued by this character or this author.
He had me flying through this novel at rapid speed waiting and contemplating the next chapter.
There is something to David Sloane, a mystery about his past, and something dangerous happening in the present that is going to bring it all together, that we as a reader want to know.
Yes, it is billed as a legal thriller, but it is not.
There are some characters that seem more like caricatures, and there are some overzealous political types that seem over-the-top, have I read this type before, too.
But, I wanted to know the mystery of David Sloane, so I read this story, cover to cover, and I got a satisfactory answer to the mystery.
I ordered the next book in the series, because, quite honestly, I am now ready for this author to produce a legal thriller…because that is what I seek.
And, as I mentioned, this one is not.
Other reviewers were not kind about this book, but, I wanted his back story, and I was happy to wade through the danger/thriller aspect of the story to receive it.
Will you?
This is his David Sloane, Attorney series.
Even though the title implies we will be in the courtroom, we got very little (okay, hardly any – well, practically None) courtroom drama in this first book.
It doesn’t mean I am not intrigued by this character or this author.
He had me flying through this novel at rapid speed waiting and contemplating the next chapter.
There is something to David Sloane, a mystery about his past, and something dangerous happening in the present that is going to bring it all together, that we as a reader want to know.
Yes, it is billed as a legal thriller, but it is not.
There are some characters that seem more like caricatures, and there are some overzealous political types that seem over-the-top, have I read this type before, too.
But, I wanted to know the mystery of David Sloane, so I read this story, cover to cover, and I got a satisfactory answer to the mystery.
I ordered the next book in the series, because, quite honestly, I am now ready for this author to produce a legal thriller…because that is what I seek.
And, as I mentioned, this one is not.
Other reviewers were not kind about this book, but, I wanted his back story, and I was happy to wade through the danger/thriller aspect of the story to receive it.
Will you?
August 31, 2015
The Jury Master by Robert Dugoni
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. David Sloane, San Francisco’s most successful wrongful death lawyer, finds out just how true this adage is in Robert Dugoni’s political thriller, The Jury Master. Although the book opens and closes in the courtroom, this is not a legal thriller. Rather, its title character, Sloane, is highly intelligent, persuasive, and able to adapt quickly to changing situations. These traits that serve him so well in court prove invaluable during the mission he finds himself engaged in.
Sloane is also a workaholic, a solitary man with no family. He has no recollection of his childhood. His parents, he was told, died in a car accident when he was young, and he spent years in and out of various foster homes. At seventeen, he joined the Marines. Now, despite his financial well-being thanks to his fine career and property management, he is plagued by migraines and recurring nightmares. Then he receives a package and a phone message from a man whom he does not know, and life as he knows it changes.
In West Virginia, a friend of the President is found dead of an apparent suicide, except a local cop, Tom Molia, smells a rat. Even when ordered by the Department of Justice to close the file, “Mole” stubbornly continues his investigation.
Once I got the characters straight in my head, which took some time because there were quite a few of them and the story lines went back and forth from San Francisco to West Virginia to Mexico to Washington, D.C., I got quite engrossed in this saga. The nightmares – were they dreams, or were they flashbacks? The nightmares intrigued me. Strangely, I had a sense of déjà vu as well, vaguely recalling a couple of scenes but not being able to put the whole plot together in my memory. Unlike David Sloane, I cannot attribute my memory failure to a traumatic event.
David Sloane, Tom Molia, and Tina Scoccolo are all characters that I found likable and believable, and I would love to see more of them. The bad guys – military types and politicians – were somewhat stereotypical, but who doesn’t love to hate the villains?It was pretty obvious from the get-go who was behind all the killing and coverup in this book, but the motive and the history behind it made it worth reading. One thing that I always appreciate in any genre of writing is whether the characters grow. At the onset, David Sloane does not know who he is or where he came from. By the end of The Jury Master, he is definitely a changed man. This is very much a political thriller, but David Sloane and Tom “Mole” Molia are the real reason to like this book.
4 stars
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. David Sloane, San Francisco’s most successful wrongful death lawyer, finds out just how true this adage is in Robert Dugoni’s political thriller, The Jury Master. Although the book opens and closes in the courtroom, this is not a legal thriller. Rather, its title character, Sloane, is highly intelligent, persuasive, and able to adapt quickly to changing situations. These traits that serve him so well in court prove invaluable during the mission he finds himself engaged in.
Sloane is also a workaholic, a solitary man with no family. He has no recollection of his childhood. His parents, he was told, died in a car accident when he was young, and he spent years in and out of various foster homes. At seventeen, he joined the Marines. Now, despite his financial well-being thanks to his fine career and property management, he is plagued by migraines and recurring nightmares. Then he receives a package and a phone message from a man whom he does not know, and life as he knows it changes.
In West Virginia, a friend of the President is found dead of an apparent suicide, except a local cop, Tom Molia, smells a rat. Even when ordered by the Department of Justice to close the file, “Mole” stubbornly continues his investigation.
Once I got the characters straight in my head, which took some time because there were quite a few of them and the story lines went back and forth from San Francisco to West Virginia to Mexico to Washington, D.C., I got quite engrossed in this saga. The nightmares – were they dreams, or were they flashbacks? The nightmares intrigued me. Strangely, I had a sense of déjà vu as well, vaguely recalling a couple of scenes but not being able to put the whole plot together in my memory. Unlike David Sloane, I cannot attribute my memory failure to a traumatic event.
David Sloane, Tom Molia, and Tina Scoccolo are all characters that I found likable and believable, and I would love to see more of them. The bad guys – military types and politicians – were somewhat stereotypical, but who doesn’t love to hate the villains?It was pretty obvious from the get-go who was behind all the killing and coverup in this book, but the motive and the history behind it made it worth reading. One thing that I always appreciate in any genre of writing is whether the characters grow. At the onset, David Sloane does not know who he is or where he came from. By the end of The Jury Master, he is definitely a changed man. This is very much a political thriller, but David Sloane and Tom “Mole” Molia are the real reason to like this book.
4 stars
February 13, 2015
It took me a while in the beginning to keep everyone sorted out, but this was a very interesting book. The title leads you to believe it has something to do with the legal profession, but this is really a political thriller, involving Mexico for a change. I liked David Sloane and look forward to seeing where Robert Dugoni takes him in future books.
November 4, 2011
"The Jury Master" by Robert Dugoni is Robert's first novel.I have read "Murder One", "Wrongful Death" and will soon read "Bodily Harm".Of all his books that I have read so far, this is my favourite.This was an amazing powerful action-packed political thriller.I stayed up until the wee hours to finish this book. I couldn't put it down.
David Sloane is a highly successful defense attorney who suffers from migraines and a gruesome recurring nightmare. Joe Branick is a personal friend of the President of the United States who is found dead in a national park by apparent suicide. Retired CIA agent Charlie Jenkins is living quietly in Oregon until a file from Branick is delivered to him. Before he died, Branick also left two phone messages and sent a package to Sloan, but Sloan doesn’t know who he is. Sloan’s apartment is torn apart his elderly neighbor murdered, Sloan’s life is in jeopardy. The secret Branick left behind ties everyone together in a fight for their lives.
The title is a misnomer as the book has little to do with juries. There are a lot of characters,but the chapters are quite short, and everything comes together for a reason in the end.This is a gripping legal thriller, excellent plot, and intensely sharp writing.I definitely became involved with the characters, caught up in the suspense and loved the twist at the end. Robert Dugoni is one of my favourite authors.A definate 5 Star rating.
David Sloane is a highly successful defense attorney who suffers from migraines and a gruesome recurring nightmare. Joe Branick is a personal friend of the President of the United States who is found dead in a national park by apparent suicide. Retired CIA agent Charlie Jenkins is living quietly in Oregon until a file from Branick is delivered to him. Before he died, Branick also left two phone messages and sent a package to Sloan, but Sloan doesn’t know who he is. Sloan’s apartment is torn apart his elderly neighbor murdered, Sloan’s life is in jeopardy. The secret Branick left behind ties everyone together in a fight for their lives.
The title is a misnomer as the book has little to do with juries. There are a lot of characters,but the chapters are quite short, and everything comes together for a reason in the end.This is a gripping legal thriller, excellent plot, and intensely sharp writing.I definitely became involved with the characters, caught up in the suspense and loved the twist at the end. Robert Dugoni is one of my favourite authors.A definate 5 Star rating.
October 12, 2016
This was a very fast paced thriller. Although the main character is an attorney that never loses a case and the secondary figure was a dedicated cop, this was not really a legal thriller. Evidence and investigations were eclipsed by unrealistic shoot outs, foot chases, hand-to-hand combat and other pyrotechnics. There was more than enough times when our brilliant, drop-dead hunk of a lawyer who is kind to old ladies and orphans survived despite being out-numbered and/or unarmed before tremendous fire power to trigger my pathological case of terminal eye-rolling. And, this same magical protection extended to those Super Lawyer befriended. This is a great escape book; just don’t think too hard.
March 9, 2019
This book has literary problems that are not overcome by the exciting, even if puzzling, story the author presents. This 466-page version of the hardcover edition likely would still be too long at 300 pages, but a much shorter version would render a more exciting story. These problems are the result of headstrong writer prevailing over an editor about how necessary each word on every one of those pages was crucial to telling the story, when in fact some of the problems on display in this book could have been eliminated by careful and empathetic (to the reader) editing by an experienced editor unafraid of an author's ego. Despite all the other problems I found, the 3 or 4 chapters at the end were very good, something that is hard to say about the rest of the book.
The book is a 400-page chase with little pause granted the reader to allow the reader to understand the story. Too much of the book is given over to simile and metaphor (simile/metaphor is a substitute for writing that makes a story live). About 2/3 of the way through the book, I started underlining the similes. On average, there I found one per page, and on more than one page, there were as many as 3 or 4. These are wasted words, unnecessary when a writer knows how to describe events or make dialogue clear. Far more is written and said in this book that doesn't have to be said if goals of the narrative are clarity and being intelligible to the reader. Not every thought or piece of information known to an author, or references to every movies seen in the last 20 years is required to make the story pungent, precise, and exciting. Yet, this is what the author seems to do. Fill page after page with data and references that do not clarify the story.
Dugoni's chapters sometimes end so abruptly that pieces of the overall narrative just sit out there, unwoven into an integrated story. I was almost 200 pages into this book with its dozens of unconcluded chapters before I began to get the sense that the core of the story began in Vietnam during America's involvement there in the 1960s and 1970s. The problem with this style of writing is that, while I and those of my generation lived through those years, there aren't that many of us left and for those of us who are left, these events were close to 50 years old. When, in reading a book, I get to the point where I am asking repeatedly, what is the point of the reference, I know I am having trouble. At one point, at the start of a chapter, the chapter heading and first sentence contained errors about a highway name (Interstate 5, or I-5 as it is known to everyone on the West Coast, was renamed Highway 5--there is no such road in Washington or Oregon--and the author excitedly writes about driving the entire distance of Washington and Oregon states on "Highway 5" to Dunsmiure, California, without stopping. That's a distance of about 600 miles, dude. You have got to stop for gas, food, a urine break, or simply a stretch at some point. Please, I have driven from Portland to Santa Barbara, and I know that even if I was pounding it, I couldn't get further than Ashland (about 300 miles from Portland) without stopping for gas and a stretch. It is a sign of a writer's infancy to try to make readers believe that, in the heat of being excited, feats of extraordinary ordinariness can be accomplished by fictional characters. The problem for the author and the reader is that it makes the story a lot less plausible.
In other words, what Dugoni required with this book was a good editor who was willing to tell the author that at least 30-40% of his content had to go. That's right. This was a 250-300 page paperback read, not nearly 466 pages. Only Anthony Trollope, George Eliot, Charles Dickens, and perhaps James Michener are entitled to 500 plus page books, and them only because they make points make that are good for the ages. I prefer Don Winslow, Donna Leon and John LeCarre. But, that's just me. All I ask is spare me from overuse of simile, metaphor, and wasted writing. Find a good editor, preferably an old one.
The book is a 400-page chase with little pause granted the reader to allow the reader to understand the story. Too much of the book is given over to simile and metaphor (simile/metaphor is a substitute for writing that makes a story live). About 2/3 of the way through the book, I started underlining the similes. On average, there I found one per page, and on more than one page, there were as many as 3 or 4. These are wasted words, unnecessary when a writer knows how to describe events or make dialogue clear. Far more is written and said in this book that doesn't have to be said if goals of the narrative are clarity and being intelligible to the reader. Not every thought or piece of information known to an author, or references to every movies seen in the last 20 years is required to make the story pungent, precise, and exciting. Yet, this is what the author seems to do. Fill page after page with data and references that do not clarify the story.
Dugoni's chapters sometimes end so abruptly that pieces of the overall narrative just sit out there, unwoven into an integrated story. I was almost 200 pages into this book with its dozens of unconcluded chapters before I began to get the sense that the core of the story began in Vietnam during America's involvement there in the 1960s and 1970s. The problem with this style of writing is that, while I and those of my generation lived through those years, there aren't that many of us left and for those of us who are left, these events were close to 50 years old. When, in reading a book, I get to the point where I am asking repeatedly, what is the point of the reference, I know I am having trouble. At one point, at the start of a chapter, the chapter heading and first sentence contained errors about a highway name (Interstate 5, or I-5 as it is known to everyone on the West Coast, was renamed Highway 5--there is no such road in Washington or Oregon--and the author excitedly writes about driving the entire distance of Washington and Oregon states on "Highway 5" to Dunsmiure, California, without stopping. That's a distance of about 600 miles, dude. You have got to stop for gas, food, a urine break, or simply a stretch at some point. Please, I have driven from Portland to Santa Barbara, and I know that even if I was pounding it, I couldn't get further than Ashland (about 300 miles from Portland) without stopping for gas and a stretch. It is a sign of a writer's infancy to try to make readers believe that, in the heat of being excited, feats of extraordinary ordinariness can be accomplished by fictional characters. The problem for the author and the reader is that it makes the story a lot less plausible.
In other words, what Dugoni required with this book was a good editor who was willing to tell the author that at least 30-40% of his content had to go. That's right. This was a 250-300 page paperback read, not nearly 466 pages. Only Anthony Trollope, George Eliot, Charles Dickens, and perhaps James Michener are entitled to 500 plus page books, and them only because they make points make that are good for the ages. I prefer Don Winslow, Donna Leon and John LeCarre. But, that's just me. All I ask is spare me from overuse of simile, metaphor, and wasted writing. Find a good editor, preferably an old one.
November 4, 2019
This is Dugoni's first novel. I have read several others he has written including the first few in the Tracy Crosswhite series and The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell (one of my two favorite novels of 2018). It has an extremely convoluted, somewhat unbelievable plot, however I could not stop reading it after I got past the first 20 or 30 confusing pages. At that point I couldn't do anything else before finishing it. Dugoni is a very good writer and creates wonderful characters that draw you in and do not let you go.
February 18, 2021
this is a terrifically exciting story ... actually multiple stories expertly interwoven around a theme partially disclosed piece by piece ... until the ending scenes, which IMO fell flat and did not match the power of the earlier parts of the tale ... still 4****
April 15, 2025
I really should've DNFd sooner. I kept restarting and rereading the same passages. My headspace is not in a good enough place tonight for something more complex than probably Charlotte's Web. Of course the next book on my list is a Lee Child. At least I'm familiar with Jack Reacher...
July 23, 2016
Two-haiku review:
Lawyer in danger
He has no idea why
Trying to kill him
Politics, of course
He dreams repressed memories
Exciting story
Lawyer in danger
He has no idea why
Trying to kill him
Politics, of course
He dreams repressed memories
Exciting story
Read
February 13, 2022Looking forward to more in the series
May 15, 2022
I loved this book!!!! Read it!
Disregard all the negative reviews. It may be a slow build but it wasn’t confusing - even on an audiobook.
Robert Dugoni is one my new fave authors. However,
the title of this novel is not really what it’s about.
Disregard all the negative reviews. It may be a slow build but it wasn’t confusing - even on an audiobook.
Robert Dugoni is one my new fave authors. However,
the title of this novel is not really what it’s about.
August 14, 2007
THE JURY MASTER (Political Suspense-US-Cont) – G+
Dugoni, Robert – 1st novel
Warner Books, 2006- Hardcover
David Sloane is a highly successful defense attorney who suffers from migraines and a gruesome recurring nightmare. Joe Branick is a personal friend of the President of the United States who is found dead in a national park by apparent suicide. Retired CIA agent Charlie Jenkins is living quietly in Oregon until a file from Branick is delivered to him. Before he died, Branick also left two phone messages and sent a package to Sloan, but Sloan doesn’t know who he is. Sloan’s apartment is torn apart his elderly neighbor murdered, Sloan’s life is in jeopardy. The secret Branick left behind ties everyone together in a fight for their lives..
*** The title is a misnomer as the book has little to do with juries. There are a lot of characters and it took a bit for me to keep them all straight. The chapters are quite short. Sometimes, annoyingly short. I am not being a huge fan of political thrillers, but I definitely became involved with the characters, caught up in the suspense and loved the twist at the end. This is Dugoni’s first novel and it wasn’t perfect, by any means, but it was exciting and compelling. I shall definitely watch for his next book.
Dugoni, Robert – 1st novel
Warner Books, 2006- Hardcover
David Sloane is a highly successful defense attorney who suffers from migraines and a gruesome recurring nightmare. Joe Branick is a personal friend of the President of the United States who is found dead in a national park by apparent suicide. Retired CIA agent Charlie Jenkins is living quietly in Oregon until a file from Branick is delivered to him. Before he died, Branick also left two phone messages and sent a package to Sloan, but Sloan doesn’t know who he is. Sloan’s apartment is torn apart his elderly neighbor murdered, Sloan’s life is in jeopardy. The secret Branick left behind ties everyone together in a fight for their lives..
*** The title is a misnomer as the book has little to do with juries. There are a lot of characters and it took a bit for me to keep them all straight. The chapters are quite short. Sometimes, annoyingly short. I am not being a huge fan of political thrillers, but I definitely became involved with the characters, caught up in the suspense and loved the twist at the end. This is Dugoni’s first novel and it wasn’t perfect, by any means, but it was exciting and compelling. I shall definitely watch for his next book.
January 24, 2020
Puedes encontrar esta reseña en español al final.
My problem with this story has been the blurb. It is misleading.
There are no juries here, neither lawyers nor judges nor trials. There is fast-paced action, a lot of suspense, bad guys more evil than the devil itself (and powerful and totally corrupt, as usual) and good guys with more luck than skill and, because misfortunes come in threes, a little bit of amnesia, or something akin.
So, although it has not been a terrible story and has got me hooked, I can't help thinking that the plot was weak and already told before.
The hero is a shadow without a concrete form, a sack where there is room for almost everything and there have been too many interconnected stories in the plot that have dispersed both my interest and the climax of the end. Add to this a realistically tepid ending and all goes to the three lukewarm stars.
By the by, the opening scene (which is the only one in which there are a judge, a lawyer, an accused and a jury) is one of those in which the author makes his hero shine by surrounding him with brainless people. A dumb move only appropriated for rookies.
I must make a special mention to that super-awful relationship between the 21 years old girl and the old man (who didn´t look a year older than 35 *insert roll eyes here*) of 55. I did not expect it from this author.
But I like him. I like his heroes and even more his heroines, so I'll keep reading him.
***
Mi problema con esta historia ha sido la sinopsis. Es engañosa.
Aquí no hay ni jurados, ni abogados ni jueces ni juicios. Aquí hay acción trepidante, mucho suspense, malos más malos que el demonio (y poderosos y totalmente corruptos, como viene siendo lo habitual) y buenos con más suerte que destreza y, como no hay dos sin tres, un poquito de amnesia, o algo así.
Así que, aunque no ha sido una historia terrible y me ha tenido enganchada, no puedo dejar de pensar que la trama ha sido flojilla y ya contada antes. El protagonista es una sombra que no llega a tener forma concreta, un saco donde cabe todo y ha habido demasiadas historias interconectadas que han dispersado tanto mi interés como el clímax del final. Añade a esto un final realistamente tibio y la cosa se queda en eso, tres estrellas.
Por cierto, la escena inicial (que es la única en la que salen el juez, el abogado, el acusado y el jurado) es una de esas en las que el autor hace brillar a su protagonista rodeándolo de gente poco inteligente. Una torpeza de principiantes.
No puedo dejar de hacer una mención especial a esa relación de mal gusto entre la jovencita de 21 años y el viejo de 55 (pero que no aparenta ni uno más de 35, ¡qué original!...) No me lo esperaba de este autor.
Pero me gusta como escribe este autor. Me gustan sus héroes y más aún sus heroínas, así que seguiré leyéndolo.
My problem with this story has been the blurb. It is misleading.
There are no juries here, neither lawyers nor judges nor trials. There is fast-paced action, a lot of suspense, bad guys more evil than the devil itself (and powerful and totally corrupt, as usual) and good guys with more luck than skill and, because misfortunes come in threes, a little bit of amnesia, or something akin.
So, although it has not been a terrible story and has got me hooked, I can't help thinking that the plot was weak and already told before.
The hero is a shadow without a concrete form, a sack where there is room for almost everything and there have been too many interconnected stories in the plot that have dispersed both my interest and the climax of the end. Add to this a realistically tepid ending and all goes to the three lukewarm stars.
By the by, the opening scene (which is the only one in which there are a judge, a lawyer, an accused and a jury) is one of those in which the author makes his hero shine by surrounding him with brainless people. A dumb move only appropriated for rookies.
I must make a special mention to that super-awful relationship between the 21 years old girl and the old man (who didn´t look a year older than 35 *insert roll eyes here*) of 55. I did not expect it from this author.
But I like him. I like his heroes and even more his heroines, so I'll keep reading him.
***
Mi problema con esta historia ha sido la sinopsis. Es engañosa.
Aquí no hay ni jurados, ni abogados ni jueces ni juicios. Aquí hay acción trepidante, mucho suspense, malos más malos que el demonio (y poderosos y totalmente corruptos, como viene siendo lo habitual) y buenos con más suerte que destreza y, como no hay dos sin tres, un poquito de amnesia, o algo así.
Así que, aunque no ha sido una historia terrible y me ha tenido enganchada, no puedo dejar de pensar que la trama ha sido flojilla y ya contada antes. El protagonista es una sombra que no llega a tener forma concreta, un saco donde cabe todo y ha habido demasiadas historias interconectadas que han dispersado tanto mi interés como el clímax del final. Añade a esto un final realistamente tibio y la cosa se queda en eso, tres estrellas.
Por cierto, la escena inicial (que es la única en la que salen el juez, el abogado, el acusado y el jurado) es una de esas en las que el autor hace brillar a su protagonista rodeándolo de gente poco inteligente. Una torpeza de principiantes.
No puedo dejar de hacer una mención especial a esa relación de mal gusto entre la jovencita de 21 años y el viejo de 55 (pero que no aparenta ni uno más de 35, ¡qué original!...) No me lo esperaba de este autor.
Pero me gusta como escribe este autor. Me gustan sus héroes y más aún sus heroínas, así que seguiré leyéndolo.
April 21, 2016
I forced myself to finish this awful book. Poorly written, confusing in structure, dialog and flow. Some action scenes thrown in to keep the reader from throwing the book off a cliff. One court scene. Honestly, I still don't understand the plot.
November 7, 2016
Hard novel to get into and just didn't hold my attention.
Within the first few chapters, I could tell that this novel wasn't for me. I was struggling to keep all of the characters straight and I had no idea how they all fit together. The middle of the novel had some redeeming qualities that keep my interest. I wanted to know how everything fit. Unfortunately the ending wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be.
*Even though the title and the main character suggest that this is a courtroom drama, it is not.
Within the first few chapters, I could tell that this novel wasn't for me. I was struggling to keep all of the characters straight and I had no idea how they all fit together. The middle of the novel had some redeeming qualities that keep my interest. I wanted to know how everything fit. Unfortunately the ending wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be.
*Even though the title and the main character suggest that this is a courtroom drama, it is not.
June 9, 2010
1.0 out of 5 stars BORING, October 28, 2006
This review is from: The Jury Master (Hardcover)
I was looking for a legal thriller (wouldn't you think with the word "jury" in the title that it would have something to do with that?"
Anyway -- read a couple of chapters. Not worth my time. He doesn't compare to the good thriller writers out there.
This review is from: The Jury Master (Hardcover)
I was looking for a legal thriller (wouldn't you think with the word "jury" in the title that it would have something to do with that?"
Anyway -- read a couple of chapters. Not worth my time. He doesn't compare to the good thriller writers out there.
September 28, 2021
Not my cuppa! I've read other series by this author that have hit home. This just missed the mark for me.
November 7, 2017
David is a can't lose high power attorney representing a security company. This client hired a guy who raped and murdered a woman that firm was hired to protect. Every sign points to a verdict that his client will have to pay big bucks out to the victim's family.
Meanwhile, a close personal adviser to the President commits suicide in a National Park. Throw in a stubborn homicide detective, a former CIA operative, and a renegade general that's now a high ranking government official, and you have murky shenanigans in the nation's capitol.
Meanwhile, a close personal adviser to the President commits suicide in a National Park. Throw in a stubborn homicide detective, a former CIA operative, and a renegade general that's now a high ranking government official, and you have murky shenanigans in the nation's capitol.
September 12, 2024
Attorney David Sloan has won fourteen cases in a row. He has a special way of speaking to juries that makes them pay more attention than usual. But don't expect this to be a legal thriller or set in a courtroom beyond the first few pages. David suffers from migraines and terrible night terrors, but can't seem to remember if they ever happened or if they are truly nightmares or actual events. He seems to share the same nightmare with former CIA agent, Charles Jenkins, who seems familiar but whom David can't remember meeting. The reader is then switched to West Virginia where a cop is missing, but a long time adviser to the president has committed suicide. The man, Joe Branick, also seems familiar to David even though he doesn't believe they've ever met. The novel alternates chapters to show the reader how the various characters are connected.
This was an interesting book and once I got over the surprise of it not being a courtroom thriller I found it to be an interesting and somewhat different political thriller. At some point the explanation of the oil business became too much for me and I skimmed those portions, hoping I wouldn't miss an important part of the story. The characters certainly need more development but this is just the first book of the series and I understand it gets better further along. It gives the reader some history behind the jury master, David Sloane, and is probably going to make him much more compelling in later books. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Wrongful-Death.
This was an interesting book and once I got over the surprise of it not being a courtroom thriller I found it to be an interesting and somewhat different political thriller. At some point the explanation of the oil business became too much for me and I skimmed those portions, hoping I wouldn't miss an important part of the story. The characters certainly need more development but this is just the first book of the series and I understand it gets better further along. It gives the reader some history behind the jury master, David Sloane, and is probably going to make him much more compelling in later books. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Wrongful-Death.
February 20, 2013
I enjoy Dugoni's books when I come across one but I wouldn't call myself a fan. This, his first, may be, IMHO, his best.
David Sloane, a highly successful defense attorney, is beset by nightmares and migraines and doesn't know why. He also draws a blank when he tries to remember anything of his childhood. The title refers to Sloane's ability to sway a jury with skills he has, does not understand but knows has something to do with his upbringing.
When Joe Branick, a personal friend of the President of the United States is found dead by apparent suicide, Sloane is sucked into the situation. With retired CIA agent Charlie Jenkins, he tries to figure out why he was sent a package from Branick that contains a 30 year old secret putting everyone concerned in danger.
The characters are well drawn. The plot is gripping. The ending contains a delicious surprise. I don't like the short chapters, though. Perhaps people are trying to emulate James Patterson's success. Patterson drives me crazy with his abbreviated chapters to the point that I won't read his stuff anymore, even the Alec Cross series.
Perhaps this trend is also a statement about the attention span of readers, today.
David Sloane, a highly successful defense attorney, is beset by nightmares and migraines and doesn't know why. He also draws a blank when he tries to remember anything of his childhood. The title refers to Sloane's ability to sway a jury with skills he has, does not understand but knows has something to do with his upbringing.
When Joe Branick, a personal friend of the President of the United States is found dead by apparent suicide, Sloane is sucked into the situation. With retired CIA agent Charlie Jenkins, he tries to figure out why he was sent a package from Branick that contains a 30 year old secret putting everyone concerned in danger.
The characters are well drawn. The plot is gripping. The ending contains a delicious surprise. I don't like the short chapters, though. Perhaps people are trying to emulate James Patterson's success. Patterson drives me crazy with his abbreviated chapters to the point that I won't read his stuff anymore, even the Alec Cross series.
Perhaps this trend is also a statement about the attention span of readers, today.
November 26, 2020
Having read two previous books by Robert Dugoni, I like his writing, and consider myself a fan. The Jury Master, however, is probably a book from early in his career. It is fatally flawed, and can't compare to his later excellence. The first flaw is a title and a description that have little relationship to the actual story. Though the book includes some skillful writing, many of the best pieces of prose are unnecessary and distract from the essence of the story. In fact, many are metaphors that don't seem to fit. The worst flaw, however, is that most of the book includes separate plot lines and characters that are disconnected for more than half of the story. The author switches between these actions and characters indiscriminately. This causes the reader to constantly look back at previous pages, mentally asking, "Huh? Who's this character? How does this fit the previous paragraph?" I rated this book with only two stars. One star is an "A" for effort. The other is a sign of respect for an author who is otherwise excellent.
August 30, 2016
REVIEW UPDATE: AUGUST 29, 2016
Still don't care for the hopping all over but like it overall a little better than the first time. 3 stars rather than 2 and plan to listen to another installment.
REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; OCTOBER 31, 2015
Narrator: Robertson Dean
Boring and meandering all over the place. The hopping back and forth from place to place would, ordinarily, be interesting for me but in this book it just added to the chore of trying to follow the story.
It's probably a better book than I think it is but too much work for me. It's also not a legal thriller but I knew that going in, having read the reviews that mentioned this so that's not the problem. I may try another book by the author but not just yet.
Still don't care for the hopping all over but like it overall a little better than the first time. 3 stars rather than 2 and plan to listen to another installment.
REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; OCTOBER 31, 2015
Narrator: Robertson Dean
Boring and meandering all over the place. The hopping back and forth from place to place would, ordinarily, be interesting for me but in this book it just added to the chore of trying to follow the story.
It's probably a better book than I think it is but too much work for me. It's also not a legal thriller but I knew that going in, having read the reviews that mentioned this so that's not the problem. I may try another book by the author but not just yet.
April 20, 2025
[20 April 2025]
When I started this book, I expected it would be a courtroom drama, since David Sloane, the main character, is a trial attorney. But that wasn't it at all. It's actually more like a spy thriller. It's based on an experience Sloane had in Mexico years ago, that has recently come back to threaten him. It was a surprise, and pretty well written. Mostly believable. And the character Sloane was relatable, though occasionally seemed too good or too lucky to be true. Only occasionally. The story was good enough that I let the author get away with a few of those.
Recommended.
When I started this book, I expected it would be a courtroom drama, since David Sloane, the main character, is a trial attorney. But that wasn't it at all. It's actually more like a spy thriller. It's based on an experience Sloane had in Mexico years ago, that has recently come back to threaten him. It was a surprise, and pretty well written. Mostly believable. And the character Sloane was relatable, though occasionally seemed too good or too lucky to be true. Only occasionally. The story was good enough that I let the author get away with a few of those.
Recommended.
October 11, 2024
I want to say that I began reading Robert Dugoni's, Tracy Crosswhite series first, and fell in love with his writing. This book I did not love. It's moving in too many different directions with way too many names to keep up with. I usually breeze through his books because I am so engaged, but this book disengaged me, and so I had to force myself to finish by skimming a lot. I did buy the next in this series and hoping that he toned it down a bit because the David Sloane character is good.
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