I really enjoyed this one, but there were parts that were so gruesome and actually terrifying that were hard to read. It was very hard to put down and by the end I was in totally suspense. Grisham really has a way with words and can't paint a scene so well that it feels eerily true. His depiction of the racial tensions, emotions, and both sides of the issues was really well done. I can't imagine being in the position of jury in this case. I can't even imagine being in the town while this was going on. It's obvious that racial issues and crime issues are not a thing of the past at all and are still a daily struggle. I could understand both the position of the Haily family and the state's office. Rape is a crime, but so is murder. It's hard to even think about all the different aspects of the situation and the case. Then ending

Spoiler

actually surprised me, but I was happy. After reading the awful rape scene in the beginning, all I could root for was for Carl Lee Haily to leave jail and return to his family. Add in all the threats from the KKK and violence and I don't think I could have accepted a guilty verdict.

This book will definitely stay with me for a long time.