Jury of One

"“Give me five minutes to clear out, then call 911," says Judge Daniel Borders. "It’s best we keep our distance." And thus begins John Warley's powerhouse new novel. Part-legal thriller, part-excavation of life in the South Carolina Low Country, all moral quandary, Warley is as good at evoking a courtroom as he is the rural backroads of Beaufort. A page-turner in the spirit of John Grisham and Greg Iles, you won't put this one down until the very end." Mark Powell, author of Lioness

"A promise made over a dead body conjoins two disparate lives in a compelling novel that's equal parts taut legal thriller and thought-provoking moral quandary. Jury of One keeps readers on their toes to the very end–and then delivers an upending revelation so shocking as to demand a second reading. A welcome addition to masterful storyteller John Warley’s oeuvre.” –Jonathan Haupt, coeditor, Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy.

John Warley’s Jury of One is a penetrating tale that entertains while at the same time requiring us to reflect on our lives and the oft-stated maxim “there but for the Grace of God…” The story is built around a trial judge’s idea for transforming the death penalty in an intriguing way that creates for him a potential path to South Carolina’s highest court. But that path is clouded by one night’s dalliance with an attractive woman that changes their lives forever. As the plot unfolds, you can see the inexorable finale coming in the judge’s courtroom, but you have no idea how that fateful moment will arrive. John Warley is a master of his craft, as you will readily agree while turning the pages of this compelling story of people captured by their choices. Wyatt Durrette, Virginia trial lawyer. 

"Jury of One tells the story of two people whose futures each depend upon the other keeping a promise made on the worst night of their lives. It will keep you guessing until the end, and thinking long after you close the book. John Warley demonstrates beyond dispute that he is a writer in full." William P. Ritchie, retired partner, Jones Day

In Jury of One, John Warley takes on the ultimate moral dilemma: a judge in a small Southern town, a decent and highly respected man of honor, is torn between doing what is right and doing what is just. His decision will not only affect the lives of others but also change the kind of person he sees each time he looks into a mirror. This fast-paced, skillfully rendered courtroom drama is filled with all-too-human characters who speak to the struggles all of us face in the age-old battle between right and wrong, justice and injustice. Cassandra King, author of Tell Me a Story: My Life with Pat Conroy

For my best selling book, A Southern Girl (U. of South Carolina Press, 2014), Pat Conroy's praise of that novel, "I wish I'd written this book," sold a lot of copies. I spoke to over 200 book clubs, book stores, libraries, and civic groups plus TV and radio. I expect to do the same for Jury of One, with aggressive social media and platforms such as NetGalley.