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The Whistler #0.5
Witness to a Trial
A startling and original courtroom drama from New York Times #1 Best Seller John Grisham that is the prequel to his newest legal thriller, The Whistler. An Original E-Short. A judge’s first murder trial.A defense attorney in over his head.A prosecutor out for blood and glory.The accused, who is possibly innocent.And the killer, who may have just committed the perfect crime.Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE AFTER THE FIRM!
23 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2016
7685 people are currently reading
9458 people want to read
About the author
John Grisham
492 books90.7k followersJohn Grisham is the author of more than fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include Framed, Camino Ghosts and The Exchange: After the Firm.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 956 reviews
October 15, 2021
3.5⭐
2021
A re-read. This is only an hour-long or about 50 pages. The third book is coming out and it's been too long that I forgot what the series is about. This short story is simply a court scene with witnesses on both sides telling the story. Readers learn from their statements that two naked victims were shot dead in a bedroom. The woman is married to the defendant, Junior Mace, a Tappacola Indian. The man was his friend. But it's not what it appears to be. John Grisham is really good with this short story and will definitely make you want to read the next book.
2017
A quick introduction/prequel to The Whistler.
2021
A re-read. This is only an hour-long or about 50 pages. The third book is coming out and it's been too long that I forgot what the series is about. This short story is simply a court scene with witnesses on both sides telling the story. Readers learn from their statements that two naked victims were shot dead in a bedroom. The woman is married to the defendant, Junior Mace, a Tappacola Indian. The man was his friend. But it's not what it appears to be. John Grisham is really good with this short story and will definitely make you want to read the next book.
2017
A quick introduction/prequel to The Whistler.
February 6, 2017
This is officially the first book that I read by John Grisham. It was very good! This book is a prequel to another story, but is a short story itself. This was a great introduction story that makes you want to read the next book.
I enjoyed John's writing and now want to read more books by him :)
I enjoyed John's writing and now want to read more books by him :)
April 11, 2022
“The Prosecutor. His first name was Wagner, an extremely odd choice by his mother, but then it was her maiden name and she thought it fit him nicely, at least in the hospital. By the age of ten, though, he hated it for many reasons and chopped it in half. He’d gone by Wag for the past thirty years. Wag Dunlap. The voters seemed to like the oddness of his name.”
― John Grisham, Witness to a Trial
Do you know how LONG it's been since I read a Grisham book? To long!
I have not yet read the book "The Whistler" but I plan to. This was the prequel and it was GOOD.
I do not know how he does it but Grisham always gets you involved by the first few pages. So few authors can do that.
I love the whole format of this. It made me want to read the novel.
I have been a fan of his for years but there are still so many of his books I've yet to read.
In this one -- and I do not want to say to much -- a man is on trial for killing his wife and her lover who also happens to be a close friend of the man on trial.
We learn about everybody in the courtroom, their motivation for being there, their thoughts, their feelings. It's all condensed but in a compact way that immediately takes you inside the minds of everybody involved.
It also makes you furious for reasons I do not want to say. I wonder what the book The Whistler will be like. I plan to read it soon.
I've missed you, Grisham! Good to be back on the Grisham train.
― John Grisham, Witness to a Trial
Do you know how LONG it's been since I read a Grisham book? To long!
I have not yet read the book "The Whistler" but I plan to. This was the prequel and it was GOOD.
I do not know how he does it but Grisham always gets you involved by the first few pages. So few authors can do that.
I love the whole format of this. It made me want to read the novel.
I have been a fan of his for years but there are still so many of his books I've yet to read.
In this one -- and I do not want to say to much -- a man is on trial for killing his wife and her lover who also happens to be a close friend of the man on trial.
We learn about everybody in the courtroom, their motivation for being there, their thoughts, their feelings. It's all condensed but in a compact way that immediately takes you inside the minds of everybody involved.
It also makes you furious for reasons I do not want to say. I wonder what the book The Whistler will be like. I plan to read it soon.
I've missed you, Grisham! Good to be back on the Grisham train.
October 24, 2019
thanks to Sheila for finding the book for me
A nice short 1 day read. At a crime scene, Brunswick County Sheriff Pickett found 2 nude bodies in a Tappacola tribal family home, Son Razko (best friend) & Eileen Mace (wife) shot with 2 bullets in each of their heads, in her home. Det. Willard found Junior Mace (husband) unconscious in his truck outside a frequently visited bar with a Smith & Weston with 2 bullets left. Making him the obvious defendant killing his best friend & wife cheating on him?!
An inexperienced Defense Lawyer Larry Swoboda asked & assigned by Judge McDover to the case.
The prosecutor, Wag Dunlap, hunted for his first death verdict. Witnesses were all against Junior.
1. The bartender said Junior was always in a good mood but seemed depressed that night going to sit down in his truck.
2. Ballistics expert matched the 4 bullets in the murders to the Smith & Weston found in his truck.
3. State pathologist study verified laboratory samples for diagnostic & forensic purposes.
4. Louise Razko cried not believing Son, her husband & Eilleen, her friend would cheat!
5. Wilton Mace, Todd's brother knew they loved each other.
Larry Swoboda's alibi that Junior's propane pipups & deliveries would keep him away from his house when the murders could have happened - were defeated.
The jury was bias - 9 white, 3 black & no native Indian. All 12 had no problem with a death verdict & "talked" in the jury room before the trial was over.
A nice short 1 day read. At a crime scene, Brunswick County Sheriff Pickett found 2 nude bodies in a Tappacola tribal family home, Son Razko (best friend) & Eileen Mace (wife) shot with 2 bullets in each of their heads, in her home. Det. Willard found Junior Mace (husband) unconscious in his truck outside a frequently visited bar with a Smith & Weston with 2 bullets left. Making him the obvious defendant killing his best friend & wife cheating on him?!
An inexperienced Defense Lawyer Larry Swoboda asked & assigned by Judge McDover to the case.
The prosecutor, Wag Dunlap, hunted for his first death verdict. Witnesses were all against Junior.
1. The bartender said Junior was always in a good mood but seemed depressed that night going to sit down in his truck.
2. Ballistics expert matched the 4 bullets in the murders to the Smith & Weston found in his truck.
3. State pathologist study verified laboratory samples for diagnostic & forensic purposes.
4. Louise Razko cried not believing Son, her husband & Eilleen, her friend would cheat!
5. Wilton Mace, Todd's brother knew they loved each other.
Larry Swoboda's alibi that Junior's propane pipups & deliveries would keep him away from his house when the murders could have happened - were defeated.
The jury was bias - 9 white, 3 black & no native Indian. All 12 had no problem with a death verdict & "talked" in the jury room before the trial was over.
October 9, 2016
This is a prequel to John Grisham's latest - The Whistler coming out in next few weeks.
A quick introduction to the characters and trial that will dominate this book.
The perfect muder....or the perfect set up....
Junior Mace, a Tappacola Indian, finds himself on trial for the muder of his wife and close friend. Claiming his innocence, Junior knows a conspiracy involving his tribe and big business are behind this accusation of murder.
John Grisham is one of the best for courtroom drama. Can't wait!
A quick introduction to the characters and trial that will dominate this book.
The perfect muder....or the perfect set up....
Junior Mace, a Tappacola Indian, finds himself on trial for the muder of his wife and close friend. Claiming his innocence, Junior knows a conspiracy involving his tribe and big business are behind this accusation of murder.
John Grisham is one of the best for courtroom drama. Can't wait!
October 16, 2021
This is just what I call a teaser.
The writing is good but there is nothing remarkable. It’s very short.
I really don’t think that this will add anything to the book, but I will find out soon.
This was a borrowed copy from the public library.
The writing is good but there is nothing remarkable. It’s very short.
I really don’t think that this will add anything to the book, but I will find out soon.
This was a borrowed copy from the public library.
February 1, 2023
This book is a short story that is a prequel to The Whistler. In that one we learned how one character was framed for a crime and was sent to jail. This is that trial.
This story is pretty straightforward. We jump right into the trial and during the trial we learn what happend. I liked the look how the main character was railroaded and had a inadequate defense. All this we learned in the novel. This story just goes in depth and shows the players of that particular trial. This story is less than fifty pages so really don't explore the trial either. It is almost like a summary of the proceedings.
I wonder if enjoyment of this story matters if you read the accompanying novel. I did and I believe I did not enjoy this as much as I could have. I more or less knew everything about the trial including the outcome. If I went into this with a blank slate I think I would have enjoyed this more. It was just okay for me.
This story is pretty straightforward. We jump right into the trial and during the trial we learn what happend. I liked the look how the main character was railroaded and had a inadequate defense. All this we learned in the novel. This story just goes in depth and shows the players of that particular trial. This story is less than fifty pages so really don't explore the trial either. It is almost like a summary of the proceedings.
I wonder if enjoyment of this story matters if you read the accompanying novel. I did and I believe I did not enjoy this as much as I could have. I more or less knew everything about the trial including the outcome. If I went into this with a blank slate I think I would have enjoyed this more. It was just okay for me.
October 19, 2017
This is an ebook prequel to the recently released John Grisham "The Whistler".
Having already started The Whistler I am a bit confused. At this time there is only one character that I see that crosses over into the novel and I have yet to make acquaintance with her - she has just been mentioned in passing. However I do believe she will be a major character before the novel is completed. As for the other mentioned characters in this 23 page eBook - I will just have to wait and see.
This short prequel did do its work! I am now more curious than ever to see where The Whistler is going.
Having already started The Whistler I am a bit confused. At this time there is only one character that I see that crosses over into the novel and I have yet to make acquaintance with her - she has just been mentioned in passing. However I do believe she will be a major character before the novel is completed. As for the other mentioned characters in this 23 page eBook - I will just have to wait and see.
This short prequel did do its work! I am now more curious than ever to see where The Whistler is going.
October 9, 2016
Grisham mixes his well-established background in crafting sensational legal thrillers with an ability to offer quirky approaches to writing in formulating this short story. It is that of the capital murder trial of Junior Mace, accused of slaying his wife and best friend in cold blood. All the evidence points to Mace returning home early from work, where he rages at the act of adultery, and shoots them both in the head. While Mace presents an alibi through his less than confident attorney, it does not seem solid and the State of Florida has more than enough to substantiate their claims with a stronger prosecutor ready to send him to death row. While the case unfolds, there is one man in the courtroom who knows what really happened; someone with a motive to see Mace out of the way. Alas, his reasons never make it onto the record, though the verdict could make all the difference in the world. A unique approach to the legal thriller and a story that sets up the soon to be released full-length novel that Grisham has for eager fans. While not an earth shattering piece, surely one the reader can enjoy during the waiting game.
Grisham surely has something up his sleeve if this story is a prequel to The Whistler. Without reading too much into that upcoming novel, I can only imagine how it all pieces together with a cast of interesting characters that found their way into this piece. This story, a trial told in thirteen short chapters, offers something unique for the reader, while presenting all the needed information for the reader to remain intrigued. Rather than Grisham's powerful courtroom saga, each chapter offers a brief summary of a witness' testimony, almost on the verge of short paragraph summations, as well as a brief biography of someone having something to do with the larger case or investigation. While I found myself looking for testimony or some development (read: meatier narrative), I was happy to get a short synopsis and at least get the gist of what is going on, if there is a purpose to all this when The Whistler comes around. Grisham has done so well with spinning the law on its head that I can only hope he has something new to offer the reader. Save for the deeper glimpse offered of Junior Mace, all characters received quite minor roles, though some have enough offered that their return will surely create an interesting cross-mix and allow for the story to take many twists. If The Whistler delves deeper into this case, or at least something along these lines, I can see much excitement to be had when I get my hands on the novel.
Kudos, Mr. Grisham for this peek into your next novel. What will you do to keep the reader on their toes?
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Grisham surely has something up his sleeve if this story is a prequel to The Whistler. Without reading too much into that upcoming novel, I can only imagine how it all pieces together with a cast of interesting characters that found their way into this piece. This story, a trial told in thirteen short chapters, offers something unique for the reader, while presenting all the needed information for the reader to remain intrigued. Rather than Grisham's powerful courtroom saga, each chapter offers a brief summary of a witness' testimony, almost on the verge of short paragraph summations, as well as a brief biography of someone having something to do with the larger case or investigation. While I found myself looking for testimony or some development (read: meatier narrative), I was happy to get a short synopsis and at least get the gist of what is going on, if there is a purpose to all this when The Whistler comes around. Grisham has done so well with spinning the law on its head that I can only hope he has something new to offer the reader. Save for the deeper glimpse offered of Junior Mace, all characters received quite minor roles, though some have enough offered that their return will surely create an interesting cross-mix and allow for the story to take many twists. If The Whistler delves deeper into this case, or at least something along these lines, I can see much excitement to be had when I get my hands on the novel.
Kudos, Mr. Grisham for this peek into your next novel. What will you do to keep the reader on their toes?
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
October 14, 2022
Story 3.5 stars**
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Mark Deakins
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Mark Deakins
May 29, 2017
This adds nothing if you have read The Whistler, which I did a few days ago. It might have been an interesting taster if I had read it first
Read
January 16, 2023Witness to a Trial by John Grisham is a prelude to The Whistler. Setting the scene for the next book. No opinion or rating. Book was very short.
October 4, 2016
John Grisham sets up an enthralling crime-legal thriller for the highly anticipated, The Whistler, coming October 25, with a fully loaded action-packed prequel, WITNESS TO A TRIAL.
A conspiracy, corruption, and murder. The players are lined up and detailed for the trial, a perfect set up for what's coming next!
Plus everyone knows legal thrillers are my "top genre" and Grisham, my favorite
Set in the Florida Panhandle, the book opens in the courtroom. Murders. Two miles from the Tappacola reservation. Not on tribal land, but in the local county, under their jurisdiction. Two people were dead. Found naked. A man and woman. Married to someone else. Shot in the head. Son Razko and Eileen Mace.
The Defendant: Junior Mace, a full blooded Tappacola Indian, age thirty-seven, father of three, and husband of Eileen, the woman he was accused of killing. Until he was arrested he had driven a truck and delivered propane for a nearby company. For fifteen months he had been in jail awaiting this trial. Junior said he was being framed and loved his wife. He declares he is innocent. He was making deliveries when they were killed and did not own a gun. Swoboda finally believed him after 15 months.
The Defense Lawyer: Larry Swoboda, age thirty-one, an aspiring criminal defense lawyer from Panama City.
The Judge: Claudia McDover. 40 years old. The previous year she had defeated an eighteen -year incumbent by a thousand votes. Her first capital murder case. Before becoming a judge, she had been a small-town general practitioner. She strongly supported the death penalty.
Witnesses: First, Clive Pickett, the rustic sheriff of Brunswick Country. Willard a second hick cop. Next the bartender, Spike. The bar owner was there to observe. The fourth witness was a ballistics expert, Montgomery, from the state crime lab. The fifth witness Dr. Unger pathologist from the state crime lab. Sixth witness Louise Razko, wife of the murder victim. Seventh witness Todd Short, the first of two jailhouse snitches. Eighth witness, Digger Robles, another jailhouse snitch. His criminal record was not quite as impressive as Shorts.
The Jury: Nine whites, three blacks, no Native Americans. Equal split on gender. Three college degrees, two without jobs, average age 52, conservative, middle class. No problems with the death penalty.
The Prosecutor: Wagner, was thrilled to be on the hunt for his first death verdict. At the time Florida had 300 men on death row and not a single one had been sent there by him. Junior Mace would put him on the map.
The Brother: Wilton Mace. He was there for support. He knew the truth. They were happily married. His brother is innocent.
Murders carefully staged by criminals hell-bent on building a casino on Tappacola land. Standing in their way: Son Razko and Junior Mace. Were the killers from the outside – the perfect crime?
The Spectator: Delgado. He worked for a tight and well-organized gang of career criminals determined to build a casino on the Tappacola reservation. He is observing the trial
Witness by Defense: First: Teenager, Heath. Second: Len McGuire owner of a nursery and garden shop. Third: Retired state trooper Taggart.
The Son: Patrick Mace, age 14. Oldest of the three children. A mother now gone. A father fighting for his life. He knows his dad is innocent. Younger children not allowed in the courtroom.
The tribe had voted no almost 3 yrs. Earlier when Son Razko and Junior Mace had been agitating against the casino on tribal land. They viewed gambling nothing more than another white man’s curse, and they had narrowly won.
Chief: Two camps. Now, with Son dead and Junior on his way to prison, the tribe would vote again and the casino would be built. The casino would lift them out of poverty and reunite his tribe. His dream. Prosperity.
Junior knew whoever killed Son and Eileen was doing a fine job of framing him. Remove them, and the casino would be built. How will this nightmare end?
We will have to wait to learn what happens next in the Sunshine State (love the Florida setting)! A great teaser for The Whistler, coming October 25! Appears we have a dirty judge secretly involved with the construction of a large casino on Native American land. The judge is getting a cut and looking the other way. Now there is a whistleblower. (I love Whistleblowers)!
Format: I listened to the audio first (3 stars) and too many names to keep track for audio. (not my favorite narrator- Mark Deakins). Secondly, the Kindle version (5 Stars), which was much better (recommend). Combining for 4 Stars.
I am beyond excited Cassandra Campbell (my favorite narrator) will be performing The Whistler! Yeah have pre-ordered the audio. Can't wait! Campbell and Grisham a winning combo. A huge fan of both.
Definitely recommend reading the short story, prior to The Whistler. Worth the $.99 and more.
JDCMustReadBooks
A conspiracy, corruption, and murder. The players are lined up and detailed for the trial, a perfect set up for what's coming next!
Plus everyone knows legal thrillers are my "top genre" and Grisham, my favorite
Set in the Florida Panhandle, the book opens in the courtroom. Murders. Two miles from the Tappacola reservation. Not on tribal land, but in the local county, under their jurisdiction. Two people were dead. Found naked. A man and woman. Married to someone else. Shot in the head. Son Razko and Eileen Mace.
The Defendant: Junior Mace, a full blooded Tappacola Indian, age thirty-seven, father of three, and husband of Eileen, the woman he was accused of killing. Until he was arrested he had driven a truck and delivered propane for a nearby company. For fifteen months he had been in jail awaiting this trial. Junior said he was being framed and loved his wife. He declares he is innocent. He was making deliveries when they were killed and did not own a gun. Swoboda finally believed him after 15 months.
The Defense Lawyer: Larry Swoboda, age thirty-one, an aspiring criminal defense lawyer from Panama City.
The Judge: Claudia McDover. 40 years old. The previous year she had defeated an eighteen -year incumbent by a thousand votes. Her first capital murder case. Before becoming a judge, she had been a small-town general practitioner. She strongly supported the death penalty.
Witnesses: First, Clive Pickett, the rustic sheriff of Brunswick Country. Willard a second hick cop. Next the bartender, Spike. The bar owner was there to observe. The fourth witness was a ballistics expert, Montgomery, from the state crime lab. The fifth witness Dr. Unger pathologist from the state crime lab. Sixth witness Louise Razko, wife of the murder victim. Seventh witness Todd Short, the first of two jailhouse snitches. Eighth witness, Digger Robles, another jailhouse snitch. His criminal record was not quite as impressive as Shorts.
The Jury: Nine whites, three blacks, no Native Americans. Equal split on gender. Three college degrees, two without jobs, average age 52, conservative, middle class. No problems with the death penalty.
The Prosecutor: Wagner, was thrilled to be on the hunt for his first death verdict. At the time Florida had 300 men on death row and not a single one had been sent there by him. Junior Mace would put him on the map.
The Brother: Wilton Mace. He was there for support. He knew the truth. They were happily married. His brother is innocent.
Murders carefully staged by criminals hell-bent on building a casino on Tappacola land. Standing in their way: Son Razko and Junior Mace. Were the killers from the outside – the perfect crime?
The Spectator: Delgado. He worked for a tight and well-organized gang of career criminals determined to build a casino on the Tappacola reservation. He is observing the trial
Witness by Defense: First: Teenager, Heath. Second: Len McGuire owner of a nursery and garden shop. Third: Retired state trooper Taggart.
The Son: Patrick Mace, age 14. Oldest of the three children. A mother now gone. A father fighting for his life. He knows his dad is innocent. Younger children not allowed in the courtroom.
The tribe had voted no almost 3 yrs. Earlier when Son Razko and Junior Mace had been agitating against the casino on tribal land. They viewed gambling nothing more than another white man’s curse, and they had narrowly won.
Chief: Two camps. Now, with Son dead and Junior on his way to prison, the tribe would vote again and the casino would be built. The casino would lift them out of poverty and reunite his tribe. His dream. Prosperity.
Junior knew whoever killed Son and Eileen was doing a fine job of framing him. Remove them, and the casino would be built. How will this nightmare end?
We will have to wait to learn what happens next in the Sunshine State (love the Florida setting)! A great teaser for The Whistler, coming October 25! Appears we have a dirty judge secretly involved with the construction of a large casino on Native American land. The judge is getting a cut and looking the other way. Now there is a whistleblower. (I love Whistleblowers)!
Format: I listened to the audio first (3 stars) and too many names to keep track for audio. (not my favorite narrator- Mark Deakins). Secondly, the Kindle version (5 Stars), which was much better (recommend). Combining for 4 Stars.
I am beyond excited Cassandra Campbell (my favorite narrator) will be performing The Whistler! Yeah have pre-ordered the audio. Can't wait! Campbell and Grisham a winning combo. A huge fan of both.
Definitely recommend reading the short story, prior to The Whistler. Worth the $.99 and more.
JDCMustReadBooks
April 7, 2025
¡Es muy bueno! Además de que es bastante corto. Normalmente no me gusta leer cosas que hablen sobre temas legales pero leerlo fue como visualizar una película. Podías imaginar cada pequeño aspecto y al conocer todas las narrativas resulta aún más frustrante ver los hechos desarrollarse.
Lo recomiendo para todos los que de momento estén en un bloqueo lector. Y les guste leer una historia que les va a dejar pensando: ¿Qué pasaría si la justicia investigara un poco más?
Lo recomiendo para todos los que de momento estén en un bloqueo lector. Y les guste leer una historia que les va a dejar pensando: ¿Qué pasaría si la justicia investigara un poco más?
January 25, 2022
A prequel that does its job as a character guide and setting the scene for what's to come. Great introduction to the cast of characters appearing in the first full novel in this series. I wish I had been aware of this introduction – certainly would have helped with identifying the who’s who appearing in “The Whistler”.
Only 99-cents, but I tend to agree with most of the other reviewers that this could easily have been included as a Prologue in the full novel or offered as a freebie by Grisham. It’s more of a character guide than a story.
November 15, 2016
A short and enjoyable little prequel to Grisham's latest legal thriller The Whistler, that provides succinct coverage to one of the plot counterpoints and a brief introduction to the main players. Whether it is worth 99c is debateable, given it is essentially a sampler (it probably should be free IMO), nevertheless a nice teaser to the real deal!
August 4, 2019
I don’t really see the point to this, but I like Grisham, and will read the book that follows. I like courtroom drama, but this has very little dialog and is mostly giving a profile of the various characters.
March 9, 2017
This was super super short.....a little teaser for his novel, The Whistler. This novella did it's job because now I want to read the novel. Someone is set up and wrongly accused....that sounds good to me. I used to love all Grisham novels. I've read all the legal thrillers he has written, but I haven't really cared for his other books. So, I'm going to walk into the next one with optimism.
September 27, 2016
Received on same day it was released. Read in under an hour. Character sketches, simply a bad teaser...(or delay tactic) for real book.
November 6, 2016
A short interesting prequel to, "The Wistler." 6 of 10 stars
October 6, 2016
I guess times have changed. In the past this would be the prologue of the book. Now they spin it into a novella and sell it. What is the book going to be like if one does not read the novella first? This is the prequel to “The Whistler”, Gresham’s new book due out any day.
This novella primarily introduces the reader to the key characters of the upcoming book. The Trial is about a native American man who has been set up for the murder of his wife and his best friend by a paid assassin. The underlying villain is the person attempting to build a casino on the tribal land. The judge is conducting her first murder trial. The defense attorney is in over his head and the prosecutor is out to make a name for himself by winning a death penalty case.
The novella is well written and is very concise. The twists and turns of the plot are starting in the novella and so is the suspense. I can hardly wait to read the book.
Mark Deakins does an excellent job narrating the novella. Deakins is an award winning audiobook narrator and actor.
This novella primarily introduces the reader to the key characters of the upcoming book. The Trial is about a native American man who has been set up for the murder of his wife and his best friend by a paid assassin. The underlying villain is the person attempting to build a casino on the tribal land. The judge is conducting her first murder trial. The defense attorney is in over his head and the prosecutor is out to make a name for himself by winning a death penalty case.
The novella is well written and is very concise. The twists and turns of the plot are starting in the novella and so is the suspense. I can hardly wait to read the book.
Mark Deakins does an excellent job narrating the novella. Deakins is an award winning audiobook narrator and actor.
December 11, 2022
Good story, will read the next book.
October 10, 2016
3.5/5 based solely on my feeling that this was really good content & that the Whistler will be a great novel... I knocked of the rest though, as I really think this would have been better placed as the prologue or even chapter one/opening chapter of three full length novel, not sold as a "novellla"...it's not, imo, a true short story, you know? it's obviously laying the ground work for the juicy "real" story yet to be published...it's don't know; I'm just growing weary with this novella trend, I guess.
September 30, 2016
Should be given free
This is not a prequel. This is just an introduction to each character in the upcoming main book. No story at all except a brief background of who they are. For $0.99 it is still too expensive considering its no-story content. This should have been part of the main book. A prologue, maybe. Or be given free.
This is not a prequel. This is just an introduction to each character in the upcoming main book. No story at all except a brief background of who they are. For $0.99 it is still too expensive considering its no-story content. This should have been part of the main book. A prologue, maybe. Or be given free.
September 29, 2016
An Ebook that is a prequel to Grisham's forthcoming novel The Whistler.
A first time judge facing an unexperienced defence lawyer, a shrewd prosecutors, inflammable exhibits, and perhaps an innocent suspect.
I hope this plot will be extended or used in The Whistler.
A first time judge facing an unexperienced defence lawyer, a shrewd prosecutors, inflammable exhibits, and perhaps an innocent suspect.
I hope this plot will be extended or used in The Whistler.
October 7, 2016
Witness to a Trial
Good short story, it definitely has me interested in reading the novel "Witness". John Grisham has always been a great author.
Good short story, it definitely has me interested in reading the novel "Witness". John Grisham has always been a great author.
July 13, 2025
"The Chief knew what all of his people knew. They could argue, fight, and hold grudges for decades, but the Tappacola did not kill one another."
Well I am glad I have not read The Whistler as I don't see much sense in reading a prequel after reading the original novel, it rarely works out for me, this short story is obviously setting up the novel. Junior Mase opposes the building of a big casino, his wife and best friend (who also opposes the casino), are murdered in bed in Junior's home. Junior is the only suspect standing trial for the murder, tons of sketchy witnesses and a judge that appears even sketchier and Junior is in big trouble. I guess I'm moving on to reading The Whistler soon.
Well I am glad I have not read The Whistler as I don't see much sense in reading a prequel after reading the original novel, it rarely works out for me, this short story is obviously setting up the novel. Junior Mase opposes the building of a big casino, his wife and best friend (who also opposes the casino), are murdered in bed in Junior's home. Junior is the only suspect standing trial for the murder, tons of sketchy witnesses and a judge that appears even sketchier and Junior is in big trouble. I guess I'm moving on to reading The Whistler soon.
July 16, 2021
35 pages-
I didn't see this clever ending coming.
I didn't see this clever ending coming.
September 16, 2022
RATING: 3 STARS
Witness to a Trial basically whets your appetite to read The Whistler. You do not have to read this short story to read The Whistler. And, you could just read this on it's own, but it does leaving you wondering "now what?" It reads like a prologue to a novel.
Witness to a Trial basically whets your appetite to read The Whistler. You do not have to read this short story to read The Whistler. And, you could just read this on it's own, but it does leaving you wondering "now what?" It reads like a prologue to a novel.
November 11, 2016
Not bad will definitely check out The Whistler
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