Good evening.

This is Inside the Cover and I am your host, Ted Ayres.

Earlier this year, I found Scott Turows book, The Laws of our Fathers, at my local little free public library.

In reading that book, I was reminded of how much I had over the years enjoyed Turows writing.

So on a recent visit to the Rockwell branch of the Wichita Public Library, I was motivated to check out his book, The Last Trial.

I love this book and found it to be an entertaining and thought provoking read.

And I want to share this book and Scott Turow with you.

It is now time to go inside the cover.

Scott Turow is an interesting man and a talented author.

Like other successful lawyer writers, such as Steve Martini and John Grisham.

Turow uses his education and experience to entertain and inform.

It is interesting to me that in 1977, Turow wrote One L, a book about his first year in law school while still a student at Harvard Law.

For those of you out there with a law degree, One L will certainly bring back memories.

Some good, some bad.

And for those of you anticipating a legal education, I would suggest that it will serve as a user manual about the experience of law school.

In my view, the first year of law school is a make or break year.

The protagonist of The Last Trial is Alejandro Sandy Stern, an 85 year old lawyer who is indeed engaged in his last courtroom experience defending his longtime friend, Dr Kiril Pafko, a former Nobel Prize winner in Medicine in the case of U.S. v. Pafko.

At age 78, Pafko is in Federal court faced with charges of insider trading, fraud and murder, all arising from the development, approval, testing and marketing of the miracle drug, G-Livia, that has proven effective in fighting cancer.

A drug that has in fact worked for Sandy.

Turow does an excellent job of explaining the nuances of this very complex litigation.

Over 20 criminal charges are alleged, and I suggest his own experience as a US attorney has served him so very well in this regard.

In the defense, Sandy is joined by his daughter and longtime law partner Marta, who has also decided to retire after this case and his tattooed and pierced granddaughter, Pinky, who no one seems to understand or appreciate, But Sandy.

Turow takes us deep into the life of Sandy Stern.

His two marriages.

His children and grandchildren.

His longtime friendship with Pafko and his wife Donatella.

His childhood experience as an immigrant escaping the Holocaust.

And his lifelong devotion to the law, particularly the criminal defense bar of Kendall County.

Turow also sheds light on the self doubt of Stern as to whether he is physically and intellectually able to meet the rigorous challenges of a long and complex litigation, often questioning in his own mind whether Pafko would have been better defended by other counsel.

In my opinion, Turow fully captures and shares the stress and complications of the courtroom and criminal law.

And I loved how he devoted a whole chapter of 23 pages to share Sandy's closing argument to the jury, which, of course, was masterfully done.

In this regard, note the following quotation: “His closing is lurking in his mind right now at all moments.

It has always been this way as the trial nears its end.

Everything that happens in life is tested to see if it might add an element to his argument.

” Tonight's book has been The Last Trial by Scott Turow, the surprising and rather electric scene set forth in the first chapter sets the stage.

And this book had me engaged and engrossed from the very beginning.

I am happy to recommend it to you as a notable and worthwhile read.

Good night.

See you next time.

I look forward to our next conversation.