A legal thriller novel written by John Grisham. It tells the story of a high-stakes trial involving a major tobacco company and the manipulation of a jury to influence the verdict in a product liability lawsuit.
The plot centers around a lawsuit filed by the widow of a man who died from lung cancer after smoking cigarettes manufactured by a fictional tobacco company called Pynex.
A secretive and influential consultant named Rankin Fitch is hired by the tobacco company to manipulate the jury selection in their favor.
However, things take an unexpected turn when a mysterious and unpredictable juror named Nicholas Easter makes it onto the jury. It turns out that Easter and his girlfriend, Marlee, have their own hidden agenda. They are playing both sides, secretly manipulating the outcome of the trial to their advantage.
"The Runaway Jury" explores themes of jury manipulation, the power of big corporations, and the ethics of the legal system.
It's hard to imagine a judge allowing any juror to take over his personal domain.