While Justice Sleeps

A Novel

By: Stacey Abrams

Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo, Stacey Abrams

A Go On Girl! Book Club Pick

From celebrated national leader and best-selling author Stacey Abrams, While Justice Sleeps is a gripping, complexly plotted thriller set within the halls of the US Supreme Court.

"Brilliant and mesmerizing. 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)

"Stacey Abrams is a true novelist, and While Justice Sleeps is 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)

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.

With an audio-exclusive original introduction written and read by the author

©2021 Stacey Abrams (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic 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)

Heart pounding.

Loved it, but frighteningly believable.
I was a bit distracted by the narrator's voice because of her consistent end of sentence inflection. Not my favorite narrator.

The narration derails this great (I think!) story

This is exactly the kind of story I love: a little murder, a little intrigue, some legal wrangling, a peek at the inner workings of some institution or other. It's got it all. Unfortunately, it's also got Adenrele Ojo as a narrator. Her over-dramatization of even the most mundane descriptions, her odd inflections, and her strange idea that women should sound either like a pre-teen or like a man, and that every man should speak in a gruff and aggressive manner, would have been comical had it not been for the fact that it ruined the book for me. I am returning in favor of the print version, or a re-recorded audiobook.

Great story

So much fun to get to know Stacey
Abrams the author. I’m already a fan of her as a leader and activist. This story is fascinating, the plot line is intricate. Characters are well developed. A totally satisfying read.

RECUSE is the word

Narrator was not as terrible as some other reviewers have stated. However, at least twice she misread RECUSE as RESCUE. This did not make sense in the context of the story!
Great listen otherwise.

THIS IS ONE YOU'LL WANT TO READ!!!

THIS is a great book, and it's engaging from start to finish! All the great reviews I read before deciding to read it for myself were all correct. I stumbled upon Stacey Abrams' books, and this woman can write. This is the second book by her that I've read, and again, I'm not at all disappointed. I could certainly read this one again.

Narrator's Upspeak

The narrator's voice becomes very difficult to listen to, as every sentence ends up. She reads it as if Abrams wrote a book that was just a series of questions.

Narrator almost destroyed this book for me

I HAD to just finish this book regardless of the narrator as I thought is was worth the read. I feel badly for S Abrams as this was a well thought out "first" novel. Unfortunately this was also my first book with the narrator Adenrele Ojo and it just did not work for my ear. Too breathy, every single sentence was the same tone, cadence, inflection and ending with a puff into the the void. Was it a question or a style to recite not read this book? Did not work for me I just downloaded and sadly returned Love Songs of W.E.B DuBois as I just finished S Abrams book and thought I had returned to it with the exact same cadence, tone, breathy end to EVERY sentence. I will buy in hard cover as I really wanted to listen to this one while swimming, working, gardening etc. but will NEVER listen to another one of her narrated books. I am sure she is talented but too redundant for me.

Annoying narrator!

I love Stacey Abrams but am so disappointed in this narrator. I cringed every time she raised her voice at the end of a sentence. The story was masterful from a legal point of view!

Horrible narration

I enjoyed the story, but the narration was awful. It was hard to listen to.

Strong story! Engaging narration!

Abrams' tale of intrigue being guided by a law clerk from the offices of the highest court in the land is riviting.