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Loading... Twenty: A Jack Swyteck Novelby James Grippando
Work InformationTwenty by James Grippando
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.  jfe16 | Feb 13, 2021 |  Eighteen-year-old Xavier Khoury is accused of killing fourteen people in a shooting spree at his school and the District Attorney is confident of a death penalty verdict based on Xavier’s Muslim upbringing and the misconception that all Muslims are terrorists. Xavier’s mother asks Jack Swyteck, whose daughter is a kindergartener at the school, to represent Xavier in proceedings to reduce the proposed sentence to fourteen consecutive lives in prison, which is a speedier process and also less onerous to the victims’ families since death penalty trials can be lengthy with many appeals. When Al-Qaeda claims responsibility for the mass shooting, the crime intersects with federal terrorism departments and jurisdictional arguments ensue. Swyteck’s investigation is hampered by governmental interference as well as his uncommunicative client. Yet, circumstances point to either Xavier being groomed for the shooting by extremist factions or that he is being set up and is actually innocent. This 17th book in the Jack Swyteck series is a low-key legal thriller for the first two thirds of the book, after which the action heats up to inferno proportions. Hold on to your seats after that. Grippando and legal thriller fans will not be disappointed. (  ) EdGoldberg | Jan 26, 2021 | no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesJack Swyteck (17)
Jack Swyteck and his family are caught in the crossfire after a deadly school shooting claims twenty casualties--Florida's fifth mass shooting in as many years--in this provocative and timely thriller from Harper Lee Prize-winner James Grippando that touches on some of the most contentious issues roiling America today. It is the message every parent of a school-age child fears: "Active Shooter on Campus." Jack Swyteck is at his office when he receives the emergency text from Riverside Day School. Both his daughter, Righley, and his wife, FBI agent Andie Henning, are in danger. Andie is in the school's rec center when she hears the fire alarms, then loud popping noises and screams coming from the hallway. A trained law-enforcement officer, Andie knows she's supposed to stay locked down inside the room. But Righley is in her kindergarten classroom and Andie must get her to safety. The tragedy prompts mass hysteria--and dangerous speculation. The police haven't identified the shooter, but they find a handgun on the school grounds registered to a parent, a Muslim man named Amir Khoury. News of the gun and its owner leaks and quickly goes viral. Within minutes Al Qaeda claims responsibility. Andie is shocked--Amir is married to her friend, Lilly, a WASP whose bloodline goes back to the American Revolution. When Xavier, Amir and Lilly's oldest child and an eighteen-year-old senior at Riverside confesses to the crime, the local community's anti-Muslim fervor explodes to levels unseen since 9/11. Terrified for her son's life, Lilly asks Jack to step in. A seasoned defense attorney with a passion to see justice done, he's taken on plenty of complicated cases. Xavier's, however, is not one he's inclined to take--until an old friend who lost his daughter in the shooting tells him that he must. With the public calling for blood and prosecutors confident their case is air tight, Jack must unearth the Khourys' family secrets in order to expose the shocking truth and save his client from certain death. But he may not be able to save everyone--including himself. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54 — Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (4.18)
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Wikipedia in English
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The confession of the shooter, an eighteen-year-old student at the exclusive private school, causes his mother, Molly, to ask Jack to save her son’s life. But Jack is not inclined to accept Xavier’s case until a friend who lost his daughter in the shooting tells him that he must.
Despite cries for justice and the prosecutor’s confidence in his case, there is much more at play here than anyone knows and Jack finds that he may not be able to save his client . . . or himself.
“Twenty,” the seventeenth book in the Jack Swyteck series, works well as a standalone for readers new to the series. Opening with a frightening scene, the unfolding story continually builds suspense into the telling of the tale as it addresses several prejudices and contemporary themes: Muslim terrorism, radicalization, prejudice, the power of national law enforcement agencies, mass shootings, and active shooters on school campuses.
A strong sense of place anchors the story; the story puts characters and readers alike on an emotional roller coaster and keeps the pages turning at a frantic pace. The combination of the legal backdrop, the easily-recognized and timely social issues, the impact of family dynamics, and the machinations behind terrorism create a complex, compelling tale with enough unexpected twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the final surprising revelation. It’s a not-to-be-missed story that should top every reader’s must-read list.
Highly recommended. (