United States
![Stacey Abrams - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_stacey_abrams.jpg)
While Justice Sleeps: A Novel
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A gripping, complexly plotted thriller set within the halls of the U.S. Supreme Court, where a young law clerk finds herself embroiled in a shocking mystery crafted by one of the most preeminent judges in America-from celebrated national leader and bestselling author Stacey Abrams.
"Abrams follows in Dan Brown's footprint with this masterfully plotted thriller that unfolds like the ultimate chess match-bold move to bolder move with lives hanging in the balance."-Lisa Gardner, author of Before She Disappeared
"A first-class legal thriller, favorably compared to many of the best, starting with The Pelican Brief, which it brings to mind. It's fast-paced and full of surprises-a terrific read."-Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent
Avery Keene, a brilliant young law clerk for the legendary Justice Howard Wynn, is doing her best to hold her life together--excelling in an arduous job with the court while also dealing with a troubled family. When the shocking news breaks that Justice Wynn--the cantankerous swing vote on many current high-profile cases--has slipped into a coma, Avery's life turns upside down. She is immediately notified that Justice Wynn has left instructions for her to serve as his legal guardian and power of attorney. Plunged into an explosive role she never anticipated, Avery finds that Justice Wynn had been secretly researching one of the most controversial cases before the court--a proposed merger between an American biotech company and an Indian genetics firm, which promises to unleash breathtaking results in the medical field. She also discovers that Wynn suspected a dangerously related conspiracy that infiltrates the highest power corridors of Washington.
As political wrangling ensues in Washington to potentially replace the ailing judge whose life and survival Avery controls, she begins to unravel a carefully constructed, chesslike sequence of clues left behind by Wynn. She comes to see that Wynn had a much more personal stake in the controversial case and realizes his complex puzzle will lead her directly into harm's way in order to find the truth. While Justice Sleeps is a cunningly crafted, sophisticated novel, layered with myriad twists and a vibrant cast of characters. Drawing on her astute inside knowledge of the court and political landscape, Stacey Abrams shows herself to be not only a force for good in politics and voter fairness but also a major new talent in suspense fiction.
"Abrams follows in Dan Brown's footprint with this masterfully plotted thriller that unfolds like the ultimate chess match-bold move to bolder move with lives hanging in the balance."-Lisa Gardner, author of Before She Disappeared
"A first-class legal thriller, favorably compared to many of the best, starting with The Pelican Brief, which it brings to mind. It's fast-paced and full of surprises-a terrific read."-Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent
Avery Keene, a brilliant young law clerk for the legendary Justice Howard Wynn, is doing her best to hold her life together--excelling in an arduous job with the court while also dealing with a troubled family. When the shocking news breaks that Justice Wynn--the cantankerous swing vote on many current high-profile cases--has slipped into a coma, Avery's life turns upside down. She is immediately notified that Justice Wynn has left instructions for her to serve as his legal guardian and power of attorney. Plunged into an explosive role she never anticipated, Avery finds that Justice Wynn had been secretly researching one of the most controversial cases before the court--a proposed merger between an American biotech company and an Indian genetics firm, which promises to unleash breathtaking results in the medical field. She also discovers that Wynn suspected a dangerously related conspiracy that infiltrates the highest power corridors of Washington.
As political wrangling ensues in Washington to potentially replace the ailing judge whose life and survival Avery controls, she begins to unravel a carefully constructed, chesslike sequence of clues left behind by Wynn. She comes to see that Wynn had a much more personal stake in the controversial case and realizes his complex puzzle will lead her directly into harm's way in order to find the truth. While Justice Sleeps is a cunningly crafted, sophisticated novel, layered with myriad twists and a vibrant cast of characters. Drawing on her astute inside knowledge of the court and political landscape, Stacey Abrams shows herself to be not only a force for good in politics and voter fairness but also a major new talent in suspense fiction.
Editorial Reviews
"Supremely entertaining...A page-turner, plot-driven in the extreme...It succeeds brilliantly."-The Boston Globe
"Stacey Abrams delivers a taut, twisty thriller, drawing the reader into the hallowed halls of the Supreme Court along the strands of a complex web of politics, raw ambition and deadly deception."-Nora Roberts
"While Justice Sleeps is a mesmerizing legal thriller that does the rare thing: It uses the novel to get at the truth. Stacey Abrams is a powerful new voice in fiction."-Michael Connelly
"In While Justice Sleeps, Stacey Abrams firmly establishes herself as a powerful new player in the crime thriller space, with her heroine Avery providing a voice to women everywhere. Twisty, clever and full of surprises, this will be one to watch this Spring. Abrams proves she is not only a force for change in politics but a force to be reckoned with in fiction, too."-Karin Slaughter
"Glossy, gritty, breathlessly suspenseful, effortlessly authentic, and altogether wonderful. Why am I not surprised?"-Lee Child
"A political-legal thriller that should hold the reader rapt from its opening line . . . to the extraordinary climactic courtroom scene that turns the plot upside down with ironic flair and utter conviction."-Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Twisty good fun. . . . As the stakes rise, and murderous villains lurk, readers come to understand that horrific moral and ethical boundaries have been crossed. The unfolding morality tale, ‘the labyrinthine game the law demanded,' plays out in the final fireworks scene at the Supreme Court. Abrams plays it to the hilt."-The Christian Science Monitor
"Abrams' debut is a pip of a thriller - a sweaty-palm sprint through the hidden corridors of government and the shadowy streets of DC. I fervently hope she will write many more."-Kathy Reichs
"While Justice Sleeps is one of the best political thrillers I've read in years. It checks all the boxes: roller-coaster plot twists and turns, a fascinating look behind the scenes of the Supreme Court and other Washington institutions, nods to the latest trends in tech and medicine, and, most important of all, an utterly compelling main character, Supreme Court cl...
"Stacey Abrams delivers a taut, twisty thriller, drawing the reader into the hallowed halls of the Supreme Court along the strands of a complex web of politics, raw ambition and deadly deception."-Nora Roberts
"While Justice Sleeps is a mesmerizing legal thriller that does the rare thing: It uses the novel to get at the truth. Stacey Abrams is a powerful new voice in fiction."-Michael Connelly
"In While Justice Sleeps, Stacey Abrams firmly establishes herself as a powerful new player in the crime thriller space, with her heroine Avery providing a voice to women everywhere. Twisty, clever and full of surprises, this will be one to watch this Spring. Abrams proves she is not only a force for change in politics but a force to be reckoned with in fiction, too."-Karin Slaughter
"Glossy, gritty, breathlessly suspenseful, effortlessly authentic, and altogether wonderful. Why am I not surprised?"-Lee Child
"A political-legal thriller that should hold the reader rapt from its opening line . . . to the extraordinary climactic courtroom scene that turns the plot upside down with ironic flair and utter conviction."-Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Twisty good fun. . . . As the stakes rise, and murderous villains lurk, readers come to understand that horrific moral and ethical boundaries have been crossed. The unfolding morality tale, ‘the labyrinthine game the law demanded,' plays out in the final fireworks scene at the Supreme Court. Abrams plays it to the hilt."-The Christian Science Monitor
"Abrams' debut is a pip of a thriller - a sweaty-palm sprint through the hidden corridors of government and the shadowy streets of DC. I fervently hope she will write many more."-Kathy Reichs
"While Justice Sleeps is one of the best political thrillers I've read in years. It checks all the boxes: roller-coaster plot twists and turns, a fascinating look behind the scenes of the Supreme Court and other Washington institutions, nods to the latest trends in tech and medicine, and, most important of all, an utterly compelling main character, Supreme Court cl...
Readers Top Reviews
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Stacey Abrams is, by all accounts, a brilliant attorney, a savvy politician, and an accomplished writer of non-fiction in her own name and previous novels under a nom de plum. In When Justice Sleeps, Abrams seems to have decided to put out all the stops in this first novel under her real name. The result: too many plot liners, some in artful grammar, and a main character who is simply not credible. This book includes: Big Pharma, addiction, murder, genetics, politics, the law incl civil procedure, Constitutional issues, behind the scenes at the SCOTUS; eidetic memory; chess moves/strategy, chess pieces as GPS, chess as...well, lots of chess MOVES but no one is actually playing chess. Since probably a majority of the reading audience has scene Queen's Gambit, mental chess playing will seem familiar. There is way too much going on. The heroine is brilliant in so many things she is superhuman. I binged through the book because it was entertaining and well written but implausible and confusing. All of Abrams' siblings advised on various aspects of the book, and she also had professional editors, but apparently no one told her "lots" is not necessarily "the best."
StitchyStitchyTon
Thank you to Doubleday for sending me a gifted finished copy. While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams will be published TODAY! This book is a solid thriller and I’m completely amazed by Stacey Abrams. While Justice Sleeps is a page turner and will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. There were some parts that went over my head with legal jargon and the prose is very different from my normal thriller reads which made it drag just a little. For me, it really came to life and I think this would be a great tv series or movie! I really loved the main character, Avery. She is a law clerk in Supreme Court Justice Wynn’s office. When Justice Wynn’s health takes a turn that leaves him in a coma and he appoints Avery to be his power of attorney everyone is left with questions, including Avery. This book is a wild ride and Stacey Abrams can do anything!
Nelda BrangwinSti
First off, let me way Stacey Abrams is WAY SMARTER THAN ME. First, she was writing romance novels, then she ran for Governor of Georgia. When she lost, she did not turn to anger, instead she empowered many to vote for the first time. Now she is writing legal thriller. 26-year-old Avery Keene is the law clerk to a Supreme Court justice. When he falls into a coma, she discovered he has made her his legal guardian. He is the key vote in a decision about the merger of two biotech firms that could lead to the cure for a nasty brain syndrome. Avery has to figure out the answers and while much of the medical research information was way beyond me as were the clues in a real chess game he left her to help her uncover the truth, the fact that a corrupt President of the United States was involved in the shenanigans made sense to me. When Justice Sleeps is a page turned that will keep the reader up past bedtime.
AnnieNelda Brangw
I loved it. It was riveting, human, clever, and challenging! I don’t know how she found time to write, but I am thankful that she did!
Short Excerpt Teaser
One
Sirens shrilled outside the dingy casement window. The high whines seeped in, piercing sleep with pinpricks of sound. Avery Keene rolled to her side and tugged the lumpy pillow over her head. She continued to drift along the Danube, serenaded by the lead singer of some innocuous boy band clad only in his Calvin Klein finest. The sounds jangled louder, transforming into the insistent chime of a phone ring. Avery flung out a searching hand and fumbled blindly for the cell phone. Green eyes shut tight, she grabbed the device.
"What?"
"Avery, baby." A rasping cough. A sullen giggle. "It's Momma."
The sirens dropped away, leaving a more jarring reality. Wearily, Avery slid up to lean against the wall, braced against a raft of pillows. She hadn't been able to justify the expense of a headboard yet. One more year. Peeling open tired lids, she tracked the neon flickers against rain-spattered glass. "Rita. Where are you?"
Another giggle. "Adams Monathalan."
"Adams Morgan?" With her free hand, she shoved the heavy fall of black away from a smooth, caramel-toned forehead, the kinky-curly mass tumbling down bare shoulders squared with tension. Sleep cleared quickly, and she checked the bedside clock. Nearly three on Sunday, no, Monday morning. Figured. Nothing good would be happening for her mother in the Adams Morgan neighborhood at this time of night. After the well-to-do retired to their neat row houses, the clubs spewed out partyers looking for hotter action. "Are you in Adams Morgan, Rita?"
Rita Keene harrumphed. "Absolutely. I said so. Adams Morahan."
Recognizing the rise of belligerence, Avery spoke quickly, tightly. "Are you in jail?"
"Won't be if you come and give this cutie pie some money."
Cutie pie? Brows furrowed, Avery puzzled over the statement. If Rita was in jail, arraignment wouldn't come until morning. Sunday night busts had to wait until the judges arrived for Monday morning calls. But just in case, she asked, "They've set your bail? Already?"
A sudden shout forced Rita to raise her voice. "No bail, baby. No jail. Friend's house. He's a good friend. I just need to settle up. Can you come by?"
"I've told you before, Rita. No more." For God's sake, no more.
There was momentary silence. "I'm not getting wasted. I promise. But I have to be good for my word," her mother wheedled. "I know you can spare a hundred dollars for your mother? That's all I'm asking. If not, he might get mad."
"I can't."
"Won't," Rita corrected. "Stuck-up bitch. Too good to help your mother out of a jam." The cajoling tone slid into a string of expletives.
"Rita." Avery had heard it all before, and she silently recited the Al-Anon mantra, but serenity was a slippery commodity when your mother was holed up in a crack house cursing your birth like a drunken sailor. Hearing a break in the rant, she asked quietly, "Give me an address, and I'll pick you up." Hell, she was going to get only four more hours of sleep anyway. Might as well kick off the week with the great whirligig of fun that was her mother. "Momma, where are you?"
"Not gonna tell."
"Why not?"
"I'm not going to another goddamned rehab. All I need is a hundred. That's it. Maybe if you took the stick out your ass, you would help your mother out. Just this once." In the background, a man asked if the daughter was pretty. "Not ugly," came Rita's stage whisper reply. "But you want the original, honey, not a secondhand copy. Especially when I can trade you-" The rest ended on a high, desperate laugh.
Heat snapped through Avery's veins, seared her cheeks. She wanted to disconnect the call, but the shaky laughter signaled that her mother was nearing a crash and worse. Years of training had her tamping down the riot of emotion she swore each time would not return. For an instant, she wondered how different life would be if her father were alive. With his deep brown eyes that crinkled at the corners and his hickory skin stretched tight over a square jawline. His ready patience and easy smile-she'd inherited neither of those traits. Who would Rita have been if he'd survived?
Cutting off the useless musing, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Dad was dead. Rita was high. And she lived stubbornly in reality. In the dark, she felt around for her tennis shoes and a baseball cap. Luckily, she'd chosen to sleep in running shorts and a tank, a vain attempt to stave off the coming DC summer heat. "Rita-Momma, tell me where you are."
"No. Stuck-up little bitch . . ." Just as quickly as the venom pour...
Sirens shrilled outside the dingy casement window. The high whines seeped in, piercing sleep with pinpricks of sound. Avery Keene rolled to her side and tugged the lumpy pillow over her head. She continued to drift along the Danube, serenaded by the lead singer of some innocuous boy band clad only in his Calvin Klein finest. The sounds jangled louder, transforming into the insistent chime of a phone ring. Avery flung out a searching hand and fumbled blindly for the cell phone. Green eyes shut tight, she grabbed the device.
"What?"
"Avery, baby." A rasping cough. A sullen giggle. "It's Momma."
The sirens dropped away, leaving a more jarring reality. Wearily, Avery slid up to lean against the wall, braced against a raft of pillows. She hadn't been able to justify the expense of a headboard yet. One more year. Peeling open tired lids, she tracked the neon flickers against rain-spattered glass. "Rita. Where are you?"
Another giggle. "Adams Monathalan."
"Adams Morgan?" With her free hand, she shoved the heavy fall of black away from a smooth, caramel-toned forehead, the kinky-curly mass tumbling down bare shoulders squared with tension. Sleep cleared quickly, and she checked the bedside clock. Nearly three on Sunday, no, Monday morning. Figured. Nothing good would be happening for her mother in the Adams Morgan neighborhood at this time of night. After the well-to-do retired to their neat row houses, the clubs spewed out partyers looking for hotter action. "Are you in Adams Morgan, Rita?"
Rita Keene harrumphed. "Absolutely. I said so. Adams Morahan."
Recognizing the rise of belligerence, Avery spoke quickly, tightly. "Are you in jail?"
"Won't be if you come and give this cutie pie some money."
Cutie pie? Brows furrowed, Avery puzzled over the statement. If Rita was in jail, arraignment wouldn't come until morning. Sunday night busts had to wait until the judges arrived for Monday morning calls. But just in case, she asked, "They've set your bail? Already?"
A sudden shout forced Rita to raise her voice. "No bail, baby. No jail. Friend's house. He's a good friend. I just need to settle up. Can you come by?"
"I've told you before, Rita. No more." For God's sake, no more.
There was momentary silence. "I'm not getting wasted. I promise. But I have to be good for my word," her mother wheedled. "I know you can spare a hundred dollars for your mother? That's all I'm asking. If not, he might get mad."
"I can't."
"Won't," Rita corrected. "Stuck-up bitch. Too good to help your mother out of a jam." The cajoling tone slid into a string of expletives.
"Rita." Avery had heard it all before, and she silently recited the Al-Anon mantra, but serenity was a slippery commodity when your mother was holed up in a crack house cursing your birth like a drunken sailor. Hearing a break in the rant, she asked quietly, "Give me an address, and I'll pick you up." Hell, she was going to get only four more hours of sleep anyway. Might as well kick off the week with the great whirligig of fun that was her mother. "Momma, where are you?"
"Not gonna tell."
"Why not?"
"I'm not going to another goddamned rehab. All I need is a hundred. That's it. Maybe if you took the stick out your ass, you would help your mother out. Just this once." In the background, a man asked if the daughter was pretty. "Not ugly," came Rita's stage whisper reply. "But you want the original, honey, not a secondhand copy. Especially when I can trade you-" The rest ended on a high, desperate laugh.
Heat snapped through Avery's veins, seared her cheeks. She wanted to disconnect the call, but the shaky laughter signaled that her mother was nearing a crash and worse. Years of training had her tamping down the riot of emotion she swore each time would not return. For an instant, she wondered how different life would be if her father were alive. With his deep brown eyes that crinkled at the corners and his hickory skin stretched tight over a square jawline. His ready patience and easy smile-she'd inherited neither of those traits. Who would Rita have been if he'd survived?
Cutting off the useless musing, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Dad was dead. Rita was high. And she lived stubbornly in reality. In the dark, she felt around for her tennis shoes and a baseball cap. Luckily, she'd chosen to sleep in running shorts and a tank, a vain attempt to stave off the coming DC summer heat. "Rita-Momma, tell me where you are."
"No. Stuck-up little bitch . . ." Just as quickly as the venom pour...
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