It had been probably ten years, right around the time the book was originally published, that I had first read The Juror. At the time, it was one of the most "grown-up" books I'd ever read, and I immediately fell in love with it. I found it brilliant and would constantly refer to it as one of my all-time favorite books.

Very recently the thought occurred to me that I should read it again and have The Juror prove to me that it was still worthy of being one of my "favorites" after all those years. So I began again...

And it DID NOT disappoint. If possible, I love The Juror more now than I did back then, reading it with the new appreciation of a person who has lived more of her life and read many, many more books.

The raw power and emotion, the thrilling pace, and the pure evil of the character still remained. The power -- that was always what drew me to this book. The raw power. I have often heard books or movies described as "psychological thrillers" and I am always disappointed that they never live up to the name and that they never live up to The Juror. This book truly parallels those words and it never disappoints. It's quick, jumping from scene to scene in sometimes less than two pages. It reads well. It's exciting; it's scary. There is a cutting humor, an intense use of language, and a story that, again, might feel like it's been done, but I assure you, it has not been done like this. The Juror, in short, is a truly brilliant book.

If you've seen and enjoyed the movie, I ask you to please read the book. I had read the book first, and while I loved the movie, I of course remained partial to the book. The characters that don't appear in the movie, Slavko and Sari, were always my favorite characters, and remained so in my second read. Amazing characters, and a wonderful plot, with so many twists and turns. I knew the story in advance, and yet I still didn't see everything coming.

All in all, I am very pleased to say that upon my second reading - ten years later - that The Juror doesn't only deserve a place in the list of my favorite books, but in fact, it deserves to be in the top five.

This novel doesn't pretend to be anything other than a diversion. It gives the reader exactly what he bargained for. Beyond that the book provides a deeper level of characterization than you usually find in such novels. I particularly enjoyed how attractive the author made the villain. It added an element of excitement. I also liked the way the main character faced up to the private quality of her trendy art boxes. On the other hand, I found the young boy's sexual obsession with the juror's girlfriend odd and out of place. It was kind of distateful without contributing anything to the plot. That is just a quibble however, this is a good airplane novel.

The Juror by George Dawes Green was originally released from The Hachette Book Group in '95, but has been re released this year. (It was also made into a movie in '96 with Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin)

Annie Laird is a struggling single mother. When she is called to jury duty, she accepts, determined to do her civic duty. She is approached by a man known only as The Teacher, who insists that she 'sway' the jurors to a not guilty verdict. Her inspiration? Her son and friends will remain unscathed. Fail and......

Suddenly her civic duty has become a matter of life and death. Annie isn't quite the pushover The Teacher thought she was though....

I listened to this abridged version in audio format. It was read by Lolita Davidovich and John Heard. Davidovich's voice perfectly portrays a young innocent woman. It belies the steel that exists within Annie. John Heard's carefully modulated even tones are in direct contrast with the threats he delivers, making them all the more menacing.

An excellent taut thriller, pitting two unlikely adversaries against each other. I must say as a personal preference, I do prefer unabridged audio. There is no lack of continuity with the abridged, but I always feel like I've missed something.

This is one of the best books I have ever read, and I read all the time. It keeps one riveted to the story right to the last word. I was actually trembling when I finished it, I was so engrossed. It is a wonderful, fabulous book without peer. I highly recommend it. I was delighted to see that there was a movie of this story, and I immediately ordered it from Amazon. I haven't watched it yet, but found that the casting was very close to the characters that I pictured as I read the book. You will never regret buying this book. It is fabulous, fantastic, riveting, and exciting.

Pull your head from out under the rock! Genius writing in the Juror has you on the edge from the beginning to the very pulsating end. The "Teacher" was a masterfully written role. His psychological games are completely twisted and have the reader turning page after page to read more. I couldn't put the book down!

Don't pick it up unless you're prepared to not put it down. With the first page The Juror grabs the reader, taking him on a spine-tingling suspenseful trail of tips and tricks as the artfully crafted plot thickens and excitement builds.

Annie Laird, a single mother and aspiring sculptor, is Juror 224 in the case of the people vs. mob boss Louis Buffano. Innocent yet intelligent, Annie agrees to serve, in part, because she has always taught her 12-year-old son, Oliver, to be responsible.

Before the trial's opening statements, Annie falls under the spell of an urbane art dealer who professes an interest in her work. On their first date she is told that she must return a not guilty verdict or else. The man threatening her is actually known as the Teacher, a brilliantly ruthless mob thug who begins to electronically follow Annie's every move and conversation. The excitement mounts as Annie tries to think of ways to protect her son and outsmart her dangerous predator.

This legal thriller is top-rate entertainment, packed with superbly honed characters, especially the treacherous Teacher.

Very interestingly, the author is able to grip on to your attention with its constant change in the plot and switching between characters. I am baffled by how a twist in one's life can result in so much change.

Initially, I had thought what a weakling Annie was for having succumbed to the pressure and demand of "The Teacher" but to soon realise that she is in fact stronger than I have thought. Her want to protect Oliver (her son) is a testimony of her inner strengths and courage! This is clearly shown towards the end when the author clearly depicts her emotions; which also resulted from the chains of events that had happened.

I am particularly intrigued by the charms of Zach Lyde ("The Teacher" - known with several other names in the books) of his strong instincts, his wealth of knowledge. The author managed to develop this central character of the novel to an extent that makes one feel terrified, and really hoping that there's wouldn't be such a person that exists in this world who can work powerfully on the psychology of others.

The light touch of the book, and yet a strong point driven across was about the greatness of motherly love - how much a child means to his/her mother and to what extend she will be there to protect the child. Such an important lesson and yet so succinctly put across by the author.

A great novel for a good weekend read. You find it hard to put the book down once you start reading it.