Valerie S. (VolunteerVal) -
I've been curious to read a novel written by politician Stacey Abrams even since I learned she writes romances under a pen name (Selena Montgomery). So when While Justice Sleeps was one of my library book club titles for March, I decided to read it. I questioned this selection when I realized it's 480 pages long, but a solo road trip provided a great chance to get invested in the 15-hour audiobook narrated by Adenrele Ojo.
This is a legal thriller centered around US Supreme Court Justice Howard Wynn and Avery Keene, one of his young law clerks. Justice Wynn falls into a coma as the court has several high-profile cases on its docket. Then Avery learns that Justice Wynn appointed her to be his legal guardian/power of attorney. This shocks her and sparks controversy with the Judge's soon-to-be-ex-wife and estranged son as well as parts of the federal government.
One of the Court's controversial cases involves a possible merger between an Indian biotech company and an American firm. Justice Wynn's incapacity jeopardizes its progress which leads to danger for Avery. The plot involves a complex set of clues, and while I enjoyed that process, it was fairly unrealistic.
The novel would have been more enjoyable if at least 100 pages shorter. It includes so many characters that I stopped worrying about the minute details and focused on tracking the major plot points. In our book club discussion, I learned that Ms. Abrams wrote this novel 10 years before it was published in 2021. Knowing that explained a few odd details in the plot.
Fun fact: When this cover was first revealed, I thought this was a nonfiction book, given its author.
This is a legal thriller centered around US Supreme Court Justice Howard Wynn and Avery Keene, one of his young law clerks. Justice Wynn falls into a coma as the court has several high-profile cases on its docket. Then Avery learns that Justice Wynn appointed her to be his legal guardian/power of attorney. This shocks her and sparks controversy with the Judge's soon-to-be-ex-wife and estranged son as well as parts of the federal government.
One of the Court's controversial cases involves a possible merger between an Indian biotech company and an American firm. Justice Wynn's incapacity jeopardizes its progress which leads to danger for Avery. The plot involves a complex set of clues, and while I enjoyed that process, it was fairly unrealistic.
The novel would have been more enjoyable if at least 100 pages shorter. It includes so many characters that I stopped worrying about the minute details and focused on tracking the major plot points. In our book club discussion, I learned that Ms. Abrams wrote this novel 10 years before it was published in 2021. Knowing that explained a few odd details in the plot.
Fun fact: When this cover was first revealed, I thought this was a nonfiction book, given its author.
