Narrator John Bedford Lloyd previously portrayed attorney Alejandro "Sandy" Stern in Scott Turow's BURDEN OF PROOF. This time around, the brilliant defense lawyer is about to defend his last client. Lloyd adds a weariness and a touch of confusion to Stern's voice as he struggles to defend the 75-year old doctor who saved his life with a controversial cancer drug. Turow, known for weaving trial strategy and courtroom drama into realistic legal mysteries, is in excellent form, and Lloyd adds gravitas to supporting characters like Dr. Innis McVie, the flirtatious septuagenarian; Marta, Stern's daughter and ultra-competent trial partner; and Pinky, Stern's pierced granddaughter. Filled with bittersweet reflections on aging and family, this audiobook still manages to pull the rug out from the listener once again. R.W.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
The Last Trial
Narrated by John Bedford Lloyd
Scott TurowUnabridged — 15 hours, 55 minutes
The Last Trial
Narrated by John Bedford Lloyd
Scott TurowUnabridged — 15 hours, 55 minutes
Audiobook (Digital)
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Overview
Editorial Reviews
…true-to-form, pleasingly substantial…In this meticulously devised courtroom drama, rich with character detail, Turow again demonstrates what he does best: roll out a complex, keenly observed legal case yet save a boatload of surprises for its ending. And make it personal…Turow's regular readers will find him in gratifyingly good form…The book proceeds just as a trial would, with chapters devoted to procedural stages and the different charges Pafko faces. No writer invests these gradual legal developments with the kind of micro-suspense that Turow does.
03/16/2020
The ominous prologue, in which Sandy Stern, an acclaimed defense attorney in his 80s, collapses in a federal courtroom, hovers over the rest of bestseller Turow’s impressive legal thriller, his 11th linked to Illinois’s fictional Kindle County (after 2017’s Testimony). In 2019, Stern and his daughter are representing Kiril Palko, a Nobel Prize winner and old friend, who’s accused of covering up deaths resulting from the use of Palko’s breakthrough cancer treatment and then cashing in stocks before news of the fatalities becomes public. Stern, who has vowed that this will be the last case he handles, is aware that both his body and mind are not what they once were. The twisty plot leaves the question of Palko’s guilt unsettled until the very end. While this entry lacks the gut punches of the author’s best books, it’s still a page-turner that makes a trial centered on fraud and insider trading fascinating. Turow remains in a class of his own in conveying the subtleties of criminal defense work while also entertaining his readers. 7-city author tour. Agent: Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman. (May)
"In this meticulously devised courtroom drama, rich with character detail, Turow again demonstrates what he does best: roll out a complex, keenly observed legal case yet save a boatload of surprises for its ending. And make it personal."—New York Times
"Since Presumed Innocent rocked the publishing world, Scott Turow has cemented his status as a writer with few peers in any genre. Now the master is back with a brilliant courtroom chess match that shows us the human quotient in all its rot and virtue. The Last Trial is a first class legal thriller."—David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Scott Turow set the gold standard for the modern legal thriller . . . A valedictory-tinged work."—Wall Street Journal
"One of the major writers in America."—NPR
"No one tells this sort of story better than Turow. No one has illuminated the human side of the legal profession with such precision and care. The Last Trial is Scott Turow at his best and most ambitious. He has elevated the genre once again."—Washington Post
"Turow writes like a dream [with] revelations and surprises aplenty . . . Though the trial is center stage, it will be Turow's characters who linger in the mind."—Chicago Tribune
"This is thriller writing of the highest order, at once a brilliant character study and superb exploration of the nature, and relative merits, of the truth."—Providence Journal
"The master of the courtroom drama."—Daniel Silva, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Turow has established the gold standard for legal thrillers for decades, and he delivers another bar-raising example of his talent here, with his signature absorbing legal details, cerebral suspense, and fascinatingly flawed characters all on full view."—Booklist, Starred Review
"This legal mystery tells a fascinating story smoothly and compellingly . . . Turow has a gift for portraying what could be boring courtroom procedurals as gripping dramas . . . A truly terrific read."—Forbes
"[The Last Trial] gains timely depth through its discussion of thorny moral issues . . . Strongly felt."—Kirkus
"A fascinating portrait of friendship tested and revealed, as well as a pitch-perfect courtroom thriller."—CrimeReads
"A timely, whip-smart legal thriller about aging, justice, and what we owe the people we love."—AARP
"Scott Turow [is] arguably the godfather of the modern legal thriller . . . Seasoned pro that he is, Turow ratchet[s] up the tension while considering the implications of deceit, finance, Big Pharma and the physical and mental trials of aging."—Seattle Times
"It is fitting that Sandy Stern, who has appeared in multiple Turow novels, ends his career in this extraordinary literary accomplishment. The novel's ruminations on retirement and the practice of law are thoughtful and heartfelt."—Illinois Times
"Turow has a gift for transforming issues of the day into riveting, suspenseful courtroom thrillers . . . Tension mounts in Turow's courtroom as deft legal maneuvering propels the suspense."—National Book Review
"[Scott Turow] has not lost his edge."—Financial Times
"The Last Trial is another excellent courtroom drama by a proven master of the legal thriller . . . Turow is smart enough to stick to what he does best — a solid legal thriller with a page-turning story, an excellent main character, and fresh insight into subject matter that extends naturally from the trial at the center of the novel."—New York Journal of Books
"The Last Trial deserves a place atop the legal-thriller genre . . . no one connects parallels quite like Turow, and he injects them into his books with high frequency . . . sheer bliss for the reader with the horsepower to recognize and savor a piece of classic fiction."—Washington Independent Review of Books
"Twisty . . . a page-turner that makes a trial centered on fraud and insider trading fascinating. Turow remains in a class of his own in conveying the subtleties of criminal defense work while also entertaining his readers."—Publishers Weekly
"Highly suspenseful . . . Everyone wants to see Stern wrap up his career with a win — but Turow has surprises and roadblocks up his literary sleeve that will make this very difficult. As a character, Stern really does go out with a bang."—Book Reporter
"Amazingly instructive . . . amid all the heavy-duty learning, Turow treats us to one chapter that is as darkly comic as anything he has written. Check it out."—Toronto Star
"Turow is good, like, really good, and his works are quite cerebral for the genre, primarily set in the courtroom."—Winnipeg Free Press
"In Turow's latest work of fiction The Last Trial, there are legal turns aplenty [and] several dollops of suspense . . . memorable, intelligent, and ultimately humane."—Houston Press
"The richness of The Last Trial extends beyond the courtroom scenes which on their own compel attention . . . Turow's prose, smart and straightforward without affectation, achieves elegance in its impassioned commitment to our judicial way of life."—WSHU Public Radio
"Turow has long proven to be one of the top legal thriller novelists in the game."—The Real Book Spy
"Turow takes care to demystify cancer research and the FDA approval process, along with a tutorial on the restrictions imposed on the stock deals of company officers. But beyond medical and financial ethics, Turow takes on complicated relationships."—Mystery Scene magazine
"Turow takes readers into the courtroom with Sandy Stern one last time. Pacing in front of the jury box with him, we experience both celebration and mourning."—The Big Thrill
Turow again demonstrates what he does best: roll out a complex, keenly observed legal case yet save a boatload of surprises for its ending.”
Turow has established the gold standard for legal thrillers for decades, and he delivers another bar-raising example of his talent here, with his signature absorbing legal details, cerebral suspense, and fascinatingly flawed characters all on full view.
Turow keeps Palko’s culpability uncertain until the last moments, ratcheting up the tension while considering the implications of deceit, finance, Big Pharma, and the physical and mental trials of aging.”
The richness of The Last Trial extends beyond the courtroom scenes which on their own compel attention . . . Turow's prose, smart and straightforward without affectation, achieves elegance in its impassioned commitment to our judicial way of life.
Turow takes care to demystify cancer research and the FDA approval process, along with a tutorial on the restrictions imposed on the stock deals of company officers. But beyond medical and financial ethics, Turow takes on complicated relationships.
Scott Turow set the gold standard for the modern legal thriller . . . A valedictory-tinged work.
Turow has established the gold standard for legal thrillers for decades, and he delivers another bar-raising example of his talent here, with his signature absorbing legal details, cerebral suspense, and fascinatingly flawed characters all on full view.”
We are glad that The Last Trial is not the last word from one of the great authors of our times, Scott Turow.
Turow has long proven to be one of the top legal thriller novelists in the game.
Highly suspenseful . . . Everyone wants to see Stern wrap up his career with a win — but Turow has surprises and roadblocks up his literary sleeve that will make this very difficult. As a character, Stern really does go out with a bang.
Turow is good, like, really good, and his works are quite cerebral for the genre, primarily set in the courtroom.
This is thriller writing of the highest order, at once a brilliant character study and superb exploration of the nature, and relative merits, of the truth.
The Last Trial deserves a place atop the legal-thriller genre . . . no one connects parallels quite like Turow, and he injects them into his books with high frequency . . . sheer bliss for the reader with the horsepower to recognize and savor a piece of classic fiction.
[Scott Turow] has not lost his edge.
A timely, whip-smart legal thriller about aging, justice, and what we owe the people we love.
Turow takes readers into the courtroom with Sandy Stern one last time. Pacing in front of the jury box with him, we experience both celebration and mourning.
A timely, whip-smart legal thriller about aging, justice, and what we owe the people we love.”
One of the major writers in America.
Amazingly instructive . . . amid all the heavy-duty learning, Turow treats us to one chapter that is as darkly comic as anything he has written. Check it out.
The Last Trial will leave you turning page after page in suspense.
The master of the courtroom drama.
It is fitting that Sandy Stern, who has appeared in multiple Turow novels, ends his career in this extraordinary literary accomplishment. The novel's ruminations on retirement and the practice of law are thoughtful and heartfelt.
Turow has a gift for transforming issues of the day into riveting, suspenseful courtroom thrillers . . . Tension mounts in Turow's courtroom as deft legal maneuvering propels the suspense.
Turow writes like a dream [with] revelations and surprises aplenty . . . Though the trial is center stage, it will be Turow's characters who linger in the mind.
This legal mystery tells a fascinating story smoothly and compellingly . . . Turow has a gift for portraying what could be boring courtroom procedurals as gripping dramas . . . A truly terrific read.
The Last Trial weds a page-turner urgency to the authentic trial expertise that served Turow through nine years as an assistant U.S. attorney and another 34 as a pro bono defense lawyer.
In this meticulously devised courtroom drama, rich with character detail, Turow again demonstrates what he does best: roll out a complex, keenly observed legal case yet save a boatload of surprises for its ending. And make it personal.
You won't want to put this book down . . . a fascinating legal thriller.
Since Presumed Innocent rocked the publishing world, Scott Turow has cemented his status as a writer with few peers in any genre. Now the master is back with a brilliant courtroom chess match that shows us the human quotient in all its rot and virtue. The Last Trial is a first class legal thriller.
[The Last Trial] features great characterization . . . and a knack for explaining while entertaining.
Illuminates the legal issues involved but it also offers a thorough, digestible account of the steps—research, development, testing—by which a newly created drug is brought to market…No one tells this sort of story better than Turow.”
The Last Trial is another excellent courtroom drama by a proven master of the legal thriller . . . Turow is smart enough to stick to what he does best — a solid legal thriller with a page-turning story, an excellent main character, and fresh insight into subject matter that extends naturally from the trial at the center of the novel.
A fascinating portrait of friendship tested and revealed, as well as a pitch-perfect courtroom thriller.
In Turow's latest work of fiction The Last Trial, there are legal turns aplenty [and] several dollops of suspense . . . memorable, intelligent, and ultimately humane.
Narrator John Bedford Lloyd previously portrayed attorney Alejandro "Sandy" Stern in Scott Turow's BURDEN OF PROOF. This time around, the brilliant defense lawyer is about to defend his last client. Lloyd adds a weariness and a touch of confusion to Stern's voice as he struggles to defend the 75-year old doctor who saved his life with a controversial cancer drug. Turow, known for weaving trial strategy and courtroom drama into realistic legal mysteries, is in excellent form, and Lloyd adds gravitas to supporting characters like Dr. Innis McVie, the flirtatious septuagenarian; Marta, Stern's daughter and ultra-competent trial partner; and Pinky, Stern's pierced granddaughter. Filled with bittersweet reflections on aging and family, this audiobook still manages to pull the rug out from the listener once again. R.W.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
2020-02-10
Trying his final case at 85, celebrated criminal defense lawyer Sandy Stern defends a Nobel-winning doctor and longtime friend whose cancer wonder drug saved Stern's life but subsequently led to the deaths of others.
Federal prosecutors are charging the eminent doctor, Kiril Pafko, with murder, fraud, and insider trading. An Argentine émigré like Stern, Pafko is no angel. His counselor is certain he sold stock in the company that produced the drug, g-Livia, before users' deaths were reported. The 78-year-old Nobelist is a serial adulterer whose former and current lovers have strong ties to the case. Working for one final time alongside his daughter and proficient legal partner, Marta, who has announced she will close the firm and retire along with her father following the case, Stern must deal not only with "senior moments" before Chief Judge Sonya "Sonny" Klonsky, but also his physical frailty. While taking a deep dive into the ups and downs of a complicated big-time trial, Turow (Testimony, 2017, etc.) crafts a love letter to his profession through his elegiac appreciation of Stern, who has appeared in all his Kindle County novels. The grandly mannered attorney (his favorite response is "Just so") has dedicated himself to the law at great personal cost. But had he not spent so much of his life inside courtrooms, "He never would have known himself." With its bland prosecutors, frequent focus on technical details like "double-blind clinical trials," and lack of real surprises, the novel likely will disappoint some fans of legal thrillers. But this smoothly efficient book gains timely depth through its discussion of thorny moral issues raised by a drug that can extend a cancer sufferer's life expectancy at the risk of suddenly ending it.
A strongly felt, if not terribly gripping, sendoff for a Turow favorite nearly 35 years after his appearance in Presumed Innocent.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940172337086 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hachette Audio |
| Publication date: | 05/12/2020 |
| Series: | Kindle County , #11 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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