The Last Juror (Or Should I Say The Random Editor?)

The title of this book by John Grisham is misleading once you read it. Because it really doesn't come down to the last juror, it comes down to one of the jurors and her dear friend, also the newspaper owner/editor/writer, also the main character telling this story.
His name is Willie Traynor, and he grew up in a detached family... being someone with a shallow home life, he gets a big shock when he moves to very rural Mississippi to take over a small town weekly newspaper.
Here's the story the back of the book advertises: Danny Padgitt is put to trial for raping a killing a widowed woman with two small children. It's pretty clear he did it in a drunken rage, so in spite of his schmoozy lawyer he is convicted of the crime. Now the jury has to decide if he deserves the death penalty or not. But there's a hung jury and they can't decide, so no death penalty. Nine years later (somehow) Danny is out again, and now jurors are dying, one by one. Hence the title.
Now here's the story: Willie Traynor is reporting this case but at the same time slowly becoming accustomed to Mississippi ways and how things work in a town like this where the roots run deep. His new friend, Miss Callie, helps him discover all this. Miss Callie is a black Southern woman, only not the sterotype you hear about so much. She has impeccable manors, lives mainly off her garden, has a huge family, is registered to vote, knows Italian, and is generally a well-educated and unique individual.
Willie quickly realizes this. He also realizes although the Constitution says you can put whatever you want in your newspaper, that doesn't mean the residents of small-town Clanton will let you.
The story takes place over about a decade, and to tell you the truth, the whole murder case takes a backseat to Willie's story.
But don't think this is a bad book because it's not a complete legal thriller; there's still ton of that, plus it's way interesting anyway. Willie has many strange adventures and many quirky anecdotes to tell you of his time living in Mississippi, just listen and read and you'll enjoy this book. It makes you feel nostalgic for your home where your roots are in a way, too.
I think I enjoy John Grisham's writing more when he writes from one person's point of view only. Because A Painted House and The Last Juror? Loved those. But his others, such as The Firm or The Pelican Brief, weren't as good to me because they jumped between so many characters that I got a bit confused and never really connected with the story. But this one? Good. Good story, just don't go into it thinking it's going to be an extremely fast-paced murder thriller, because it is a thriller, just not roller-coaster scary fast. It's a rambling country thriller. ♠♠♠♠