I have always loved Grisham’s books, in fact I often credit him for rekindling my love of books as I moved from Young Adult to main stream adult books. When I started The Guardians, I had deja-vu, it felt similar to a previous Grisham book about saving an innocent man on Death Row; but within a few chapters I realised that whilst both stories shared a similar notion in the beginning, The Guardians is by far a superior read as it juggles many cases.
Cullen Post works alongside two passionate ladies who take on cases when they believe an innocent person is on death row, making it their mission to uncover evidence that proves their clients; albeit they aren’t paying clients, didn’t do it and sometimes even discovering the true criminal. Their foundation is called Guardian Ministries, hence the title. They also have help from Frankie; their first exoneree, who tried to pay them all from his state money which they declined, so he continues to show how grateful he is to be a free man by uncovering the truth alongside them for further innocent people.
There’s a couple of side cases weaved into this plot, which made the story even more engaging, but the Quincy Miller case is centre stage. The team had received Quincy’s letter a few years ago but were hesitant to take his case on, as the danger attached was clear from only reading a brief, but now the time feels right.
Interestingly, Post is not only a lawyer but also a minister, which made him an interesting character to understand, and I also enjoyed how Grisham highlighted the perception others had of Post when he had his collar on vs off when he was labelled as just a lawyer. Post, is well aware of this fact and often uses his collar to get to his death row clients more quickly – smart!
This plot has all the thrills attached and I was surprised by the amount of action and danger that Grisham attached to Quincy’s case. The tension was built up expertly and really made me worry for Post – was he biting off more than he could chew… would it kill him?
There is no doubt that Grisham is still the king of legal thrillers, his extensive knowledge in legal matters makes the cases feel more real and blurs through the lines of fiction to teach you some awareness of the US legal world.
Of the side cases, Duke’s was my favourite. I loved Post’s banter with Chad; the prosecutor, Grisham proves again that he can nail any character and create moments that feel authentic.
Another great story from my favourite author, what’s not to like?!
The Guardians is out now in hardback and eBook versions from Hodder & Stoughton.
Until next time, Chloé x
Reviews by Chloé 