Jury duty, ahhh, I remember it well. So far, I've only been called once, but my experience(up to a point) mirrored that which Steven experiences in this story. Utter boredom while waiting with a ton of other potential jurors, then the shock of being picked, followed by endless-seeming hours in the courtroom trying to make sense of various witnesses' statements. Steven has one major advantage to help him pass the time and make things a little more interesting, one I didn't have: Mike.

Mike is the bailiff on the case and he is sort of cute, good to look at, and interesting once they get to talking over lunch. Not to mention he is also courageous when the crisis hits. And I mean crisis!

Steven goes from grumbly and badly tempered to slightly interested to full-on admiration for the man. Not that I can blame him, Mike is a pretty interesting, if slightly conflicted guy. An ex-cop, deeply in the closet, but willing to poke his nose out when pushed.

If you're looking for a character study of a man who does his civic duty only reluctantly, if you enjoy reading about first encounters, and if you're looking for a short, fun read with a bit of suspense toward the end, then you will probably like this short story.


NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review.
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