In The Guardians: A Novel, John Grisham reaffirms his place as the master of courtroom drama and tales stocked with suspense, drama, and tension. In this spellbinding tale, a young lawyer named Keith Russo is shot dead while he worked at night. That night he died at his desk. A perfect murder that leaves behind no clues, no witnesses, and no motive. Quincy Miller, one of Russo’s clients, becomes the prime suspect. He is convicted of the murder and receives a life sentence. It has been twenty-two years and Quincy has maintained his innocence. Desperate for help, he writes to Guardian Ministries, a small nonprofit run by Cullen Post. The nonprofit fights against wrongful convictions. Cullen Post takes the case but quickly discovers that Russo was killed by a group of powerful and merciless people who will do anything – including another murder – to stop Quincy Miller from being exonerated.

This is a legal thriller with a plot that is loaded and the author explores the corrupt legal system, writing brilliantly about how psychiatrists can be bribed to provide false testimony, gritting investigations, and more. The setting is in the small town of Seabrook, Florida, and I particularly loved how the author writes about the legal system in place. The plot is deviously written, filled with suspense and unexpected twists. John Grisham creates a protagonist that readers will root for. Cullen Post is an easy man to like and a character that readers will want to meet. He is skilled at solving cases and at hooking readers. The Guardians: A Novel has a strong, irresistible premise, and a conflict that propels the story forward in unsuspecting ways.