Jury of One - by John Warley

Book Synopsis

In this legal thriller, South Carolina Circuit Court judge Dan Borders appears poised for selection to the state Supreme Court thanks to his controversial proposal for dealing with death penalty cases. But a divorce he entered years earlier for Alana Morgan, a bright, ambitious school teacher, leads to a relationship that puts both of their futures in jeopardy. On the night Alana's ex, Toby, is killed, Dan finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. He and Alana strike a deal that may save them both.

Can Dan trust Alana to keep her vow of silence? Can she rely on him to protect her when an aggressive young Indian prosecutor realizes her account of the confrontation raises suspicions? Alana and Dan depend on each other to avoid the cliff that awaits both if the pact is broken as A Jury of One pushes the limits of human trust and moral reckoning to an unforgettable climax.

Review Quotes

"John Warley's Jury of One is a penetrating tale that entertains while at the same time requiring us to reflect on our lives and the oft-stated maxim 'There but for the grace of God . . .' The story is built around a trial judge's idea for transforming the death penalty in an intriguing way that creates for him a potential path to South Carolina's highest court. But that path is clouded by one night's dalliance with an attractive woman that changes their lives forever. As the plot unfolds, you can see the inexorable finale coming in the judge's courtroom, but you have no

idea how that fateful moment will arrive. John Warley is a master of his craft, as you will readily agree while turning the pages of this compelling story of people captured by their choices."-Wyatt Durrette, Virginia trial attorney

"A promise made over a dead body conjoins two disparate lives in a compelling novel that's equal parts taut legal thriller and thought-provoking moral quandary. Jury of One keeps readers on their toes to the very end. A welcome addition to masterful storyteller John Warley's oeuvre."

-Jonathan Haupt, coeditor, Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy

"John Warley's marvelous novel A Southern Girl is the best book I've ever read about Charleston's mysterious and glittering high society. Its affirmation of the enduring power of parental love vying against that enigmatic realm is reverential and stunningly original, as stylish as a novel by John Irving and as tightly written as one by John Grisham. I wish I'd written this book." -Pat Conroy