THE JUDGE’S LIST

THE JUDGE’S LIST
Those that serve to protect the innocent and deal with the guilty are supposed to follow the laws, deal with them in a legal manner. What happens when a judge decides to take matters into his own hands because in the past these people have wronged him in separate ways. Taking years to enact his special brand of revenge this sitting judge has managed to escape notice, prosecution or even casting any suspicion on him after many have been brutally murdered. Meet lacy who works for the Florida Board of Judicial Conduct and her role is to investigate judges. Lacy’s job is to deal with complaints that she receives on sitting judges. Meet Margie, aka Jeri a black woman who appears out of nowhere and admits that she uses different aliases . Her father was a respected professor of constitutional law and who retired to South Carolina and was murdered by a unknown assailant. One of the coldest cased her as Jeri Crosby manages to enlist her help but at what cost? As Lacy becomes embroiled in the case and learns about the six previous murders, we understand that the judge enacted his revenge on anyone that might have slighted him, abused him, disregarded him in any way, belittled him as the judge might have been an irate student of this professor, Jeri’s father, a reporter and more.

Things heat up but Lacy is cautious and does not want to get involved until she learns more about the murders, the reasons why Jeri is so enthusiastic and looks at the files that she has been given. But her boss says no to the investigation, and she is relieved not to have to take the case. Jeri is obsessed and does not really care about the danger that it would bring to Lacy of anyone else. Her arguments are strong, but will they convince her to take it further? Her father was the second victim, there were six in all and next cane Lanny Verno who fought with the judge in court over renovations and payment for a job. The judge in question has an ax to grind with each of the victims that did something to him to cause him to bide his time and then using the same method of strangulation, the same type of rope and know you will witness the death of Verno, the man who came into his house at the wrong time and the wrong place and then things heat up even more. Will this man be stopped before there are more deaths? Added in we learn more about her relationship with Special Agent in the FBI ALLIE and they both question their futures, their jobs and then Lacy’s boss leaves and she is given the position of Interim executive director which allows her to pursue the case for Jeri if she files a complaint and they follow procedure but will they be able to keep her identity a secret from this killer?

There names of the victims are revealed and then Lacy and her partner agree to take the complaint filed by Jeri, but things get tense and Jeri seems paranoid at times that it is possible that the judge is following her. Added in the police departments from two states are cooperating with sharing information as Sheriff Black’s daughter received a package with Lanny Verno and Mark’ Dunwoody’s cell phones to his daughter’s address but why?

The author and the killer share the names of the victims; Number one sexually abused the killer his name was Thad, next Bryan Burke the professor who was Jeri’s father, three was Ashely Barasso, then Eileen Nickleberry, Danny Cleveland the reporter, Peter  Kronke , then Lanny Verno  and Mike Dunwoody in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then seven and eight and then Male Schnetzer anyone that dared to cross this man would pay no matter now long it took. This judge was smart and somehow found Jeri and what happened would endanger Lacy two and her brother placed in the cross hairs of a killer. But, he was smart, and had a plan of his own and the final reveal will shock readers as this judge decided on his own fate. Dealing with Jeri and her false identities, dealing with many different law enforcement agencies and hoping to finally take him down the ending might surprise readers, but did it help to convict this man for all the murders he committed? Taunting him with her poems and not realizing that this judge had access to more connections than most would, Jeri falls prey to his violence and things take a darker turn. Hoping to get Lacy as the judge requested little did he know that she was ready for him but at whose expense? Author John Grisham takes readers down three difficult paths: Jeri and her goal to bring her father’s killer to justice at all costs. Lacy to do her job as the new interim executive director of BJC and the judge who thought he would never get caught as the plot is told through these three different eyes and we feel the fear, frustration and betrayals dealt to all three. Who wins, who loses who gets what they want at the end? You the reader decide if this is over or if there is much more to come? What is the fate of the judge? You decide if the ending is true or false?Lacy is a strong character, Jeri has some positive and negative attributes, Darren who works with Lacy is an asset and you must love her boyfriend Allie as you read the concluding chapter. Judges are there to protect the innocent and deal the guilty. What happens when they are not?  YOU MIGHT WIND UP AND BE NEXT ON THE JUDGE’S LIST! Don’t Cross him!
Fran Lewis: Just reviews