Years ago I read as many John Grisham books that I could find – I loved them. So I was delighted to find that The Guardians, his latest book is really good too, even though it is written in the present tense. I often find that style irritating but in this case I was gripped by the story and the tense didn’t trouble me in the slightest.

The book is based on a real story and a real person, which gives it a really authentic feel. Guardian Ministries is based Centurion Ministries founded by James McCluskey, working to prove the innocence of convicted criminals, convinced of their innocence. The narrator, Cullen Post, a lawyer who is also a priest, is working on behalf of several prisoners. The book opens dramatically as Duke Russell is having his last meal before being executed. But the main part of the story is centred on Quincy Miller who maintains he was framed for the murder of lawyer Keith Russo and has been in prison for 22 years.

The only small criticism I have is that at first several minor characters are introduced which muddied the waters a little but once I got further into the book it became clear that there were major miscarriages of justice that Post was investigating, as he concentrates on Quincy’s case. It’s an easy read but packed with detail, a lot of it quite shocking. I enjoyed it immensely, especially learning about the US legal system

I've always been a big fan of John Grisham books, so I was delighted to get my hands on a copy of The Guardians.
Brilliant writing and storytelling - it was an easy read and I was gripped from start to finish!
Being an ex court reporter, I loved the court scenes and I found the plot fascinating.
Grisham at his best!

Wow this was fantastic reading. It is what you come to expect from John Grisham a compelling lawyer thriller with gang/ mafia themes. Well done to Guardians for setting up a non profit to seek justice for stingy imprisoned people. Love John Grisham novels and would definitely recommend to friends and family.

Thank you net galley for giving me the opportunity to read this. And to John Grisham don't stop writing these exciting novel more please.

I was full of anticipation about this book, as I have enjoyed John Grisham novels before. I have to confess, however, to being a little disappointed. Although a good storyline, and an unusual central character, being a lawyer with a conscience, I felt Grisham was just going through the motions as far as the writing was concerned so I never felt as invested in the story as I should have been.

What can you say that’s different about a John Grisham novel? As always, the story is skilfully told with a compelling narrative and characters that are both credible and - in several important instances - thoroughly likeable and even admirable. Grisham’s skill in weaving a tale around a crime, a conspiracy, a wrongful imprisonment and a bitter fight to free a man who should not be awaiting a cruel and undeserving death in the prison’s execution room is unmatched. He deftly and easily manages to weave in sufficient novel features to avoid this being ‘just another Grisham courtroom drama’, whilst avoiding any temptation to import the implausible scenarios that feature in too many of Grisham’s many imitators. If you’ve read any of Grisham’s other novels you’ll know what to expect and won’t be disappointed; if you’re new to Grisham you have a treat in store. This is likely to be a book that will demand one or two late nights to enable the reader to reach its satisfying denouement - highly recommended.

John Grisham has been writing legal thrillers for many years and he certainly knows his craft. I have read many of his previous books and they are always entertaining.
The Guardians is definitely a gripping read which captivated me from the beginning.
Written in the first person by Cullen Post, a priest and lawyer, this is the story of Guardian Ministries which works for innocent prisoners who are in gaol often on death row. Post and his two colleagues do not get paid and the firm survives on donations. However they are inspired by past successes and work tirelessly to free their innocent clients.
The first quarter of the book sets the scene and the reader is brought up to speed on the cases Post is currently working on. The opening of the book sees him sitting in a cell with Duke Russell who is about to be executed for a crime he did not commit. Duke’s case and then that of Quincy Miller are the main thrust of the novel. In fact Quincy Miller’s case is really the focus of the second half of the book. He has been framed for murder and languished in prison for 22 years. Post has to investigate a very cold case to exculpate him and the real killers are not too happy, which makes for an exciting read.
Grisham has done his research well and based the cases in the book on some real life cases of miscarriages of justice.
If you enjoy legal thrillers and have enjoyed John Grisham books in the past I’m sure this will appeal.
There are some exciting court scenes and I was quite shocked at how easy it was to convict someone on so little evidence. When I read the postscript and realised Grisham’s story was based on real cases I was horrified that someone could be convicted on such flimsy evidence.: Prosecutors use so called experts who are not really experts at all: they are merely paid for an opinion which is often erroneous as in Quincy’s story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Really really wanted to love this but after 14 days I was stuck at 32% and had to give up. Such a shame but this wasn’t for me.

Enjoyable read and a classic Grisham thriller. I did struggle through the first third as the narrative jumped from one prisoner to another. The plot really got going when the protagonist focussed on the main case that underpins the narrative (no spoilers!). Overall it's a cracking read and I enjoyed the dogged persistence of the 'innocence lawyer.' I can appreciate why Grisham has included so many other narratives-many are based (or have a seed in) true stories and it's crazy to think in 2019 that innocent men sit on death row. He makes the point well and thank goodness for real life charities / non-profits such as The Guardians. But a good editor would have gently advised focus on the main plot and let it unfold, because those parts are excellently crafted and well told with believable characters in a small town with corrupt undercurrents. Would still recommend.

Innocent on death row.

Cullen Post is a lawyer and also an ordained minister. He works for an organisation called Guardian Ministries. They are a very small organisation with little money and yet have managed to prove several times that people are on death row because of a miscarriage of justice.

The story starts with Cullen Post visiting a prisoner and his last-minute stay of execution. Cullen Post knows who the real murderer is and now he and the team he works with, Vicki Gourley, the founder of Guardian Ministries, Mazy Ruffin is the director of litigation and Frankie (Francois Tatum) their freelance worker, have a bit of time to find the crucial evidence omitted by the prosecutors which will prove the man’s innocence.

Frankie is one of their “success stories. Frankie was on death row and not only released but compensated by the State once it was proved that he was innocent. He now helps Cullen with all the background work, which can often involve looking into clients’ prior history, family and friends. This work can be fraught with danger if the people they interview are in fact, the guilty parties.

I found the storyline fascinating. The action takes place mainly in Alabama and Savannah and reading about the prisons and how organisations like Guardian Ministries help innocent people was very interesting but at the same time, very disturbing.

John Grisham has an easy style of writing. His characters are well developed and there is just enough tension to make you keep turning the pages.

Rony

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

22 years after his murder conviction Quincy Miller gets a reprieve the evening before his execution is due to take place thanks to the work.of Cullen Post, an Innocence Lawyer and Minister. Was Quincy framed by a corrupt Police Officer? Post certainly believes so and he sets out to prove it.
Yet another gripping novel by Grisham - the master of the courtroom drama and U.S. legal .system, with a story that has you enthralled to the last page.

I used to be a massive fan of Grisham in his early days but thought that his writing really went off the boil over the past 5-6 years. I was glad to see that he was back with this book. It was fast paced, well written and filled with great characters.

I've got friends who love John Grisham and he's pretty popular in the book world but this was my first read. WOW! I'll definitely be picking up more books by Grisham because I was engaged with this story from the get go. The plot was carefully created with many twists and turns, fantastic characters and a gripping conclusion. I couldn't put it down and it was the perfect read whilst on a holiday this Autumn ☺️. I'd definitely recommend this read!

I have read numerous novels by John Grisham and they do not let me down. His writing is fluid and keeps the reader engrossed even with difficult and complex legal issues.

‘The Guardians’ centres on ‘Post’. He is one of the individuals who make it their vocation to free those who have been convicted of crimes and are serving long sentences with one on death row. The business is non-profit making and those involved are larger than life.

As usual there are points of law, which the author manages to explain succinctly in language I could relate to. Following the cases as they progress I became desperate for the release of those incarcerated. It became clear that the legal system in the US had ben twisted in favour of law enforcement during the time theses individuals were found guilty.

There was one particular scene where I was laughing out loud and it doesn’t cease to amaze me how John Grisham can bring a scene to life so easily.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and John Grisham for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Another amazing read from John Grisham, highly recommended.

The Guardians by John Grisham is an absorbing book that draws you in from the first chapter. The story is about a non-profit organization called The Guardians whose mantra is to get innocent prisoners serving time for crimes they did not commit exonerated. The book opens with one of their clients who is just minutes away from a state execution. The tension is so real it seems as if one can hear the ticking of a timer. This race against time and fighting injustice in a legal system where historic miscarriages of justice are not the priority of the judicial system is what makes this book fascinating to read. The research that went into writing this book is evident and it was not surprising to learn that the inspiration came from real-life stories. Well done John Grisham.

This book will do nothing for the reputation of the American justice system,particularly as it is based on a true story. Corruption is widespread at all legal levels in this book as a non profit charity seeks to obtain the release of innocent,wrongly convicted prisoners. There are many sub stories but one main one which is seen satisfactorily through to the end. The reader is entitled to feel outrage that any of this is even remotely true. It seems to be. The book is,of course,well written with well developed characters.

I hadn't read a John Grisham novel for years and I have to say they are like returning to a well known cereal.
You tend to forget just how good they are.
The author has an almost unique style of writing that draws you in in such a way that you feel you are talking to a great friend and really rooting for him all the way through.
Even the legal jargon is written in such a way as to make it interesting, which is no mean feat.
Fell a little bit in love with both of the central characters, especially Post (I mean who wouldn't?) and desperately wanted them both to succeed.
Don't expect any twists (I've learned that with John Grisham) but you can certainly guarantee an excellent story, tense at times, even gruesome in parts but one you will struggle to put down.
Have to add that I thought this was one of his best.

John Grisham is an excellent storyteller and does not disappoint here. The Guardians is gripping from the first paragraph and is an emotional roller coaster at times. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

It's impossible not to like John Grisham's novels. I soak up every new book like I did with those from Stephen King as a teenager.

The Guardians is a fascinating tale of a priest turned innocence crusader trying to free a black man accused of a murder he can't have committed. For most of the book there are thoroughly believable and interesting twists and turns. But about 75% through the writing and plot started to get quite pedestrian, and I also started to feel that Mr Grisham was dialing the end of the plot in. The crooks became more two dimensional and the payoff surprises, less rewarding. Mr Grisham is an amazing writer but this story seems to be running out of steam.

I recieved a digital copy of this book from Netgalley and Hodder in exchange for an honest review.

This book was thoroughly amazing and well throughout, well researched and well executed. The plot was intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire read - I read this in one sitting!

Having never been in any of the character situations I could empathise but I ould certainly sympathise with the majority of the characters. I was definitely drawn to Post and the Guardians. They do such good and get hardly anything in return.

The pace was really well done, it kept the plot of information, backstory and mystery flowing very nicely and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for what was to happen, guessing what was going to happen - wrongly - and wanting to cry for Quincy and the other innocent convicts.

From my limited view and none existent experience, and skewed view of America... Its completely believable and I loved reading the descriptions of some of the states and travelling around them... It always seems unfathomable to me that you can spend so long travelling from one state to the next.

Post is a fantastic narrator, because he can see both sides of the entire story he relates to both the prosecution and the defendents which I think is brilliant. He's toes many lines very carefully aware of the consequences of his actions even as he undertakes them.

I am definitely interested in reading more books by this author at some point in the future

Grisham is a practiced master of the legally based thriller and this one doesn’t disappoint. The guardians are a group of pro bono lawyers working on a shoestring to exonerate the wrongly convicted. I was interested to read at the end that the novel was based on a real life group and partially based on a real life case.
The action moves swiftly and the characters are strongly portrayed. A good read.