With Prejudice

By: Robin Peguero

Narrated by: Chris Ciulla

No one knows what happened that night. Seven strangers must decide.

Earl Thomas, a straight-laced taxman with his fair share of police encounters, is the begrudging foreperson in a high-stakes trial in Miami. Laura Hurtado-Perez is a physician whose unassuming manner conceals a private pain. Joseph Cole is the founder of his local neighborhood watch, unduly obsessed with the families around him.

Along with four others, these jurors of varying ages and walks of life whose paths would likely never have otherwise crossed must come together to make one of the most important decisions of their lives.

On the night Melina Mora, a free-spirited woman both proud and kind, was murdered, she was seen with a young man of Gabriel Soto’s description. Two strands of her hair were found in his bedroom. Sandy Grunwald, a young prosecutor whose political ambitions depend on securing a conviction, finds herself pitted against Jordan Whipple, a preening public defender armed with a freshly discovered, dynamite piece of evidence on the eve of the trial—if the Honorable Darla Tackett will admit it.

What Sandy, Jordan, and Judge Tackett all know, however, is that the criminal justice system is complicated, and everyone has a story—especially the jury. And it’s their experiences, biases, and beliefs that will ultimately shape the verdict.

With striking originality and expert storytelling, Robin Peguero’s debut novel explores the prejudice that hangs over every trial in America. You’ve never heard a legal thriller quite like this. There’s never been a thriller writer quite like Peguero. And you will not be able to predict how it all ends.

©2022 Robin Peguero (P)2022 Grand Central Publishing

Critic reviews

“With Prejudice is one of the best legal thrillers I've ever read. The story is tense, exciting, and full of twists and turns, with fascinating insights into the intricate workings of the courtroom. But what the author describes is about more than evidence, testimony, and legal strategy. It's a gauntlet where the law is punched, kicked, and shaped by people with vastly different agendas. With Prejudice is a deeply human story that reveals all the ways that justice isn't blind. It sees through many eyes.” (Joe Ide, author of IQ and Smoke)

"With Prejudice is a completely unique, utterly captivating legal thriller. Former prosecutor Robin Peguero's keen understanding of the justice system—and all its flaws—propels this fast-paced, deeply original novel, leading us into the dark corners of the human mind and heart. The characters are vivid, the storyline compelling, and the writing razor sharp. I tore through it." (Julia Dahl, author of The Missing Hours, Conviction, Run You Down, and Invisible City)

Not halfway through...

Literally every other character is portrayed as racist. It's tiresome. Not very cohesive the way the narrative bounces around. Not enough character depth yet to relate or favor anyone.

First book amateurish!

Not a bad story but often clumsy choice of words. I didn't bother to finish it.

Poorly done

There might be a good story here, but it is tough to tell. It is hard to get past the poor writing, cheesy awkward dialogue, and terrible pacing. The narrator doesn't help. He comes across as melodramatic and snarky. This book is another clichéd, stereotypical courtroom drama, with nothing compelling to distinguish it from others written by masters of the genre.