The Juror

Starred review from January 2, 1995
Single mother and struggling sculptress Annie Laird makes a huge mistake when she joins the jury at the Westchester murder trial of mob boss Louie Buffano. Immediately, Annie is contacted by ``the Teacher,'' the sleek, Lao Tse-quoting eminence grise behind Buffano, who makes it clear that life, and that of her son Oliver, depend on her saying two words: ``Not guilty.'' And so begins Green's (The Caveman's Valentine) masterfully manipulative thriller, a gem of deft plotting given added lustre through its rich, if not wholly cohesive, characterizations. Annie is an especially fine creation, victimized by her whipsawing emotions as she panics, rebels, crosses her conscience and plots to trap the Teacher. The Teacher is equally complex, an utterly logical madman whose portrait is flawed only by his unlikely romantic obsession with Annie (Buffano alone is a throwaway character, too clearly modeled on John Gotti). The plot, jittering from one brutal, clever twist to the next, will keep readers in a cold sweat. Green pushes buttons without remorse, always keeping his finger poised above the one marked ``Oliver's death''-and as it descends at book's end, the tension is nearly unbearable. 200,000 first printing; major ad/promo; Literary Guild and Doubleday Main Selection; audio rights to Time Warner AudioBooks.

November 15, 1994
Annie Laird is a single mother, a part-time data entry clerk, an aspiring sculptor, and a juror selected for the murder trial of a mob boss. When a suave, handsome art broker buys some of her work and then invites her to dinner, she thinks her luck may be changing. Her supposed admirer, a Wall Street financier and Taoist nicknamed "The Teacher," is actually the brains behind the jailed mobster. The Teacher is incredibly charming; he's also a vicious killer. He promises Annie the continued safety of her son and the assurance of a lucrative artistic career in exchange for help in acquitting the mobster. But even if Annie agrees to the plan, she and her son may not be safe because the Teacher soon discovers he's in love with her. This novel by the author of The Caveman's Valentine (LJ 12/93) is less a courtroom drama than a gripping psychological cat-and-mouse game. It should be in very high demand in public libraries.-Charles Michaud, Turner Free Lib., Randolph, Mass.

October 15, 1994
Annie Laird and her adolescent son, Oliver, lead average lives. Annie is struggling financially and artistically, earning money as a data-entry clerk during the day so she can sculpt at night. Oliver enjoys computer games and has a crush on his mother's best friend. Both of them have fantasies of a better life, but "not" the life they are about to live. Immediately after Annie is accepted as a juror for a famous Mafia case, a mysterious, sexy businessman pays $12,000 for three of her works, with the promise of further purchases. And before the initial thrill of success wears off, Annie discovers that Vincent, aka "the Teacher," doesn't need Annie's artwork. What he needs is an acquittal for his Mob-boss friend. And if he doesn't get it, well, he'll kill Oliver. A fair exchange. Watching Annie's every move, the Teacher comes to know what she will do even before she does it. In fact, he dictates through threats and pyschological games exactly what she will do. With her options disappearing before her eyes, Annie tries frantically to protect her son and escape the clutches of a very disturbed individual. But she can't outsmart this guy--she's got to kill him. A thrilling climax in Guatemala wraps everything up satisfactorily. The big publicity campaign will result in demand. ((Reviewed October 15, 1994))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1994, American Library Association.)