Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

Chapters 16-20 The first posters please provide a synopsis of these five chapters.

16.
All the lawyers are contesting the will. No facts available, but accusations fly. Sistrunk moves to remove Jake and the Judge. Jake is also finding himself with help he never wanted, like Lucien.
Jake heads off to the pen to testify at the parole hearing of one of the guys that firebombed his house in the last book. While there, he takes the time to talk to Lettie’s son, and tries to enlist his help in getting Lettie to see reason about the Memphis lawyers.

17.
Lettie rents a bigger house to hold all of the relatives. All the gossip in town now centers around her and the case. Word around Memphis is that Sistrunk has money problems of his own, most of which spring from his willingness to spend it freely. The geezer table at the local coffee place prepares to set up a betting pool on the outcome. They don’t want to be hasty though.
Yawkey, the kid who was involved in the torching of Jake’s house gets released on parole.

18.
Rufus is happy to be back on the case, especially if he can cause Jake heartache. He shows up early at court (at Sistrunk’s insistence) to rearrange the furniture in a way that gave his side better visibility, and minimized Jake’s position.
The judge was having none of these games, and when Sistrunk tries a power play on the judge, the judge has him arrested and hauled off on a contempt charge.
The judge sets a trail date for trial by jury.

19.
Buckley (the ex DA) was humiliated by being hauled off in contempt. The judge does allow him his day in court again after a night in jail. The judge dismisses the contempt charge and has some words about his court not being turned into a circus for the trial. Sistrunk does not show up at all. Seems he is not contrite.
Letties daughter shows up in Jake’s office (Portia Lang). She is ex military with JAG experience. She is smart and perceptive, and Jake senses she might be the real ally in the family. He makes his case to get rid of Sistrunk, who was hired by Lettie’s husband. Sistrunk sued for habeus corpus in Federal Court and lost, His firm continued with appeals to the contempt order. Sistrunk stays in jail. Portia eats dinner with Jake and family, they seem to bond.

20.
For a variety of reasons, none of them honorable, Seth’s brother had changed his name. He was now Lonnie Clark and lived a cash life.
Ozzie tries to reason with Sistrunk and gets nowhere. Sistrunk sees the world as a struggle between black and white, and can see no other way. Portia gets Lettie to fire Sistrunk. He does not go graciously.

Glad to see the back of Sistrunk. I wonder if he will stay gone.

I couldn't believe they let Yawkey go. As long as I'm in a wondering mood I also wonder if he will re-surface.

That Lonnie Clark is a mystery. He has gone to great lengths to hide his identity. I wonder if it has to do with the thing he and Seth saw back in the day.

I am getting plenty of laundry and ironing done today. Sycamore Row is an easy listen.

I must admire Lettie's daughter Portia and Lettie herself for the strength of character to fire Systrunk. His chutzpah is immense regarding his rights to stay on as Lettie's attorney and blind to the effect he was having on the case.

The judge was amazing in his handling of the courtroom prime table space incident. He certainly didn't tolerate any sort of grandstanding. The former prosecutor knew he wasn't really wise to stake a claim to the table as he did it but he seemed to be driven my the desire to "rule over the courtroom" again.

The lawyers in this case certainly don't make their profession look terribly honorable. (With the exception of Jake, of course.)

Carol: I must agree, it seems unlikely we have seen the last of the fired lawyer or the paroled arsonist. Jake has plenty to look over his shoulder for anyway, now even more so.

Portia was easily my favorite character.

I like Portia and am glad she came home to help Lettie stand up for herself. I hope Simeon and Sistrunk stay gone, but am afraid Simeon at least will be back.

Ann wrote: "I must admire Lettie's daughter Portia and Lettie herself for the strength of character to fire Systrunk. His chutzpah is immense regarding his rights to stay on as Lettie's attorney and blind to t..."

I'm liking Letty's daughter. I think with her there things might go better. I thought I was only up to chapter 18 until I went to look at my ipad last night forgot I read up to 21 on that but never updated the tablet to where I left off.
when portia showed up things for me got more interesting.

I liked Portia too, although initially I thought it a bit cliched that out of nowhere a bright African American young woman who is interested in a legal career shows up, who just happens to be related to one of the principals in the case. But it is these kinds of stock characters that Grisham weaves in so well and provides threads that make me keep reading.

Donnajo wrote: "I'm liking Letty's daughter. I think with her there things might go better. ..."

so true carol. all I kept thinking was he was going ot offer her a job down the road.

When I was reading about Portia I couldn't help but be reminded of "Ellen Roark" from "A Time to Kill" I'm not sure what will become of her character (Portia) but I hope it turns out well, maybe becoming a lawyer.

I'm a noob when it comes to Grisham, and the whole genre of legal thrillers. I'm on Chapter 21 in Sycamore Row, and I've read a Time to Kill. With countless references to law school, I suggest Grisham writes a story about the trials and tribulations of a law school student. If it was Portia, I’d read it, and going off other comments in this section, other people would as well.

I can’t wait to see how Seth’s brother becomes a player in the drama of Ford County. Lord knows he needs/wants the money. 5% of 20 million is still a lot of money. More than enough money to start a new (new) life.

As for Yawkey, I hope he stays out of the story; I don’t want the resurgent of the Klan in this story. I hope he is just a character for new readers to Grisham to want to go back and read “A Time to Kill” which is only $7.99 at Barnes and Noble.