Book Review: "While Justice Sleeps" by Stacey Abrams
“While Justice Sleeps” by Stacey Abrams
Synopsis: Avery Keene, a brilliant young law clerk for the legendary Justice Howard Wynn, is doing her best to hold her life together--excelling in an arduous job with the court while also dealing with a troubled family. When the shocking news breaks that Justice Wynn--the cantankerous swing vote on many current high-profile cases--has slipped into a coma, Avery's life turns upside down. She is immediately notified that Justice Wynn has left instructions for her to serve as his legal guardian and power of attorney. Plunged into an explosive role she never anticipated, Avery finds that Justice Wynn had been secretly researching one of the most controversial cases before the court--a proposed merger between an American biotech company and an Indian genetics firm, which promises to unleash breathtaking results in the medical field. She also discovers that Wynn suspected a dangerously related conspiracy that infiltrates the highest power corridors of Washington.
As political wrangling ensues in Washington to potentially replace the ailing judge whose life and survival Avery controls, she begins to unravel a carefully constructed, chesslike sequence of clues left behind by Wynn. She comes to see that Wynn had a much more personal stake in the controversial case and realizes his complex puzzle will lead her directly into harm's way in order to find the truth. While Justice Sleeps is a cunningly crafted, sophisticated novel, layered with myriad twists and a vibrant cast of characters. Drawing on her astute inside knowledge of the court and political landscape, Stacey Abrams shows herself to be not only a force for good in politics and voter fairness but also a major new talent in suspense fiction.
Rating: 4.5
Trigger Warnings: drug use, references to sex work and childhood trauma, murder, evil politicians
Review: Move over, John Grisham. Stacey Abrams is here, and she is our new queen of the political thriller.
I’ve been excited about this book since I first heard about it, and within 10 minutes of opening it, I texted Moira and Shannon something along the lines of “this is a Supreme Court thriller written about the pharmaceutical industry. It may be made for me.”* Well, 400 some-odd pages later, I stand by that statement.
Honestly, I’m not sure this review is going to be able to do this wonderful book justice because we are adamantly spoiler-free around here, and half the fun of this twisty thriller is figuring out what’s happening alongside Avery, Jared, Ling, and Noah. However, I’m going to give it a try, and please don’t let my review dissuade you from picking up this masterpiece of judicial fiction.
Avery Keane, a young brilliant Supreme Court clerk, gets the surprise of her life when she walks into chambers one morning and hears that:
the increasingly paranoid Justice she works for has slipped into a coma; and.
she’s been unexpectedly granted his Power of Attorney.
This kicks off the major action of the book, as Avery tries to figure out the mysterious clues left to her by Justice Wynn and how it ties into a pending case before the Court on a biotech merger. Soon, she’s being guarded by the FBI, she’s talking to the President on his private line, and she’s spending way too much time on online chess forums. There’s little more than I can say without ruining this wild ride, but I am shocked at how complex the plot was and how well Stacey Abrams was able to pull it together.
My enjoyment of this book doesn’t mean that this book is perfect — it’s more plot than character driven, and the rag tag team that Avery has around here just happen to be perfect to fill the roles that she needs to solve this mystery. It requires a healthy suspension of disbelief, but honestly, what doesn’t these days? I loved being along for a slightly implausible ride with Avery, and honestly, I’m considering going on a long bike ride this weekend to see all the spots she went to in her quest to solve Justice Wynn’s last puzzle (the first - Kramers - happens to be my favorite neighborhood bookstore, so not exactly a hardship).
Also, I would be remiss to not mention that this book is pretty apolitical (or as much as a book set in Washington, DC) can be — Stacey focuses more on judicial ideology and the machinations of the Supreme Court rather than getting into a partisan battle. Yes, if you’re well-versed in what each party believes in, you can guess what party the main politicos are a part of, but that’s neither the focus nor the highlight of the book. Given Stacey’s background and current role in the US political system, I was a little surprised by this; but after thinking about it, it’s perfect for this book.
*For those of you that don’t know, I’m a lawyer/frequent reader of scotusblog.com, but I currently work in pharma.
TL;DR: A perfect poolside political thriller - twisty, clever, and incredibly readable.
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