Jury Duty

by Laura Van Wormer

Novelist Libby Winslow shows up for jury duty, fully expecting to sit around for a few days and then be dismissed. But not this time. This time she's been chosen to sit on the "Poor Little Rich Boy" trial, the most sensational Manhattan murder case in decades. The defendant is the son of an immensely rich business tycoon. The victim was a famous model. The facts of the case are sex, drugs, and obsession. As Libby is thrown together with a group of total strangers to decide the fate of the defendant, two of her fellow jurors come head to head over their romantic interest in her: Alex, a handsome renovation contractor (about whom Libby senses something vaguely disturbing), and William, a wealthy Wall Streeter who openly lives with another woman. Then there is Libby's new friend on the jury, Melissa, the advertising wunderkind, who has some sort of secret love affair going on in her life. Meanwhile, out in the courtroom, day after day, week after week, Jill Cook Tompkins watches the trial from the gallery. Jill is a housewife from suburbia. She has two young children. She would have no place here if it hadn't been her sister who was so brutally slain on the streets of New York. And so now she must wait... and watch... and pray that the jurors will see through the best web of lies money can buy.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Thriller

364 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Laura Van Wormer grew up in Darien, Connecticut, graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and has spent most of her adult life working in publishing. She is the author of eleven previous novels. The Kill Fee is the fifth in the Sally Harrington series, although some of the characters - most notably the group at DBS News - are in her earlier novels Riverside Drive, West End, Any Given Moment and Talk.

Laura divides her time between Manhattan and Meriden, Connecticut.

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself into this book from the first page to the very last. This is about jury duty from the jury view. We get their view from inside the court room of a murder trail and also a look at how they come to decide the verdict. There is some romance in this story but its the human side a trail will take on different people when they have some else's life in the hands. I really enjoyed the story and the characters except for Alex.

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth aka Cornelia aka Libby aka Corny girl Winslow is called up for jury duty. She meets Alex and Will who are also in the jury pool. Later, when they are chosen for a sensational murder trial, she meets up with Melissa and Mrs. Smythe-Daniels among the rest of the jury.
Although the trial glues the story together and fuels plenty of speculation about the guilt or innocence of the defendant, there are several other plots moving along. One is the triangle between Libby, Alex and Will. Another is Melissa and Christine.
The book moves among the various people and events. It is a fast, easy book to read.

[Norla Chee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think I was going to like this. It started out with slow descriptions about each of the character's lives, and being titled "Jury Duty" I thought all the action would be with the trial. How wrong I was! The trial was the dull part for reader and jury. All the drama in the lives of the jurists turned out to be the real action. And it wasn't dull romance and sex either.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Set in NYC, it centers around 4 main characters and a murder trial. It is well written, the characters well developed and interesting, the story and subplots are engaging and intriguing.
It is a quick read because you won't want to put it down

[Sheila Moffett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a group of 15 strangers thrown together to sit on the jury of a high profile murder case. It explores the thoughts & experiences in the lives of these people and how they work together to get a verdict.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoy Laura Van Wormer's books, and this is no exception. I won't say the books are earth-shaking, but they are well-written page-turners with very engaging characters. I was thinking as I read "Jury Duty" that reading this was like eating a box of chocolates (with no nougat or fruity ones in the mix). Good for me? Maybe not. But this good tale of an author whose life gets all sorted out during her stint as a jury member on a most intriguing trial was tasty and fun.

[Barner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting insight into a jury trial and the relationships that develop among the jurors. Probably a little far sighted, BUT the novel is very readable and interesting. The jurors represent all types/kinds of people, and the novel deals with PC issues of the time. Don't purchase a copy, but if someone hands you the book, go ahead and read.

[IreneS · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute fun read. Fluff but enjoyable

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laura Van Wormer lives in Meriden and is president of their friends.
Fast paced, light story of a jury from selection to decision with a romance thrown in.
Good for light reading.

[Samantha Pace · Rating 2 out of 5]

way too many silly details that didn't matter much to the story. who cares what kind of earrings a jury member was wearing. so much repetition in the story. not much action.

[Dorothy Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seemed like a realistic portrayal of what jury duty must be like. The characters are believable, likable (or unlikable as appropriate), and experiencing real emotions.

[Belette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lu en VF