"Karin Colby has not only committed murder... she's ruining my life and she's unaware of either. Damn her."
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Call for Duty by JR Reynolds Trafford Publishing
book review by P. Hooper
Joella Simpson, a mom of six kids, enjoys her busy but predictable life as a stay at home mother. The day she receives a summons for jury duty changes everything. Joella is chosen to serve as a juror on the trial of a young woman who has beaten a man to death. From the very beginning, Joella notices flaws in the legal system that she believes undermine justice.
As a juror, it is Joella's job to determine not just if the woman is guilty, but also whether she is sane. This brings up profound questions about sanity and moral agency for which Joella can find no easy answers. Joella's conscience will not allow her to merely go along with the rest of the jurors, causing a great deal of conflict.
Reynolds portrays the complicated case and characters realistically; the reader will easily feel as if he were inside Joella's mind. Further complicating Joella's feelings are problems in her family. Her brother-in-law Mark, a Vietnam veteran who has been exposed to Agent Orange is falsely accused of rape. Joella desperately tries to help her sister, and researches the effects of Agent Orange, hoping someone will help her family. Mark becomes more and more ill as his trial date approaches, and Joella, disillusioned by her trial experience, fears justice will not be served.
Reynolds' novel describes the jury duty system in vivid detail, while at the same time highlighting many fascinating moral questions. Reynolds does not dispense answers, but gives the reader many questions to ponder.