The Last Juror by John Grisham

From Goodreads: In 1970, one of Mississippi's more colorful weekly newspapers, The Ford County Times, went bankrupt. To the surprise and dismay of many, ownership was assumed by a 23 year-old college dropout, named Willie Traynor. The future of the paper looked grim until a young mother was brutally raped and murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt family. Willie Traynor reported all the gruesome details, and his newspaper began to prosper.
The murderer, Danny Padgitt, was tried before a packed courthouse in Clanton, Mississippi. The trial came to a startling and dramatic end when the defendant threatened revenge against the jurors if they convicted him. Nevertheless, they found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
But in Mississippi in 1970, "life" didn't necessarily mean "life," and nine years later Danny Padgitt managed to get himself paroled. He returned to Ford County, and the retribution began.

I am on a roll - two good books in a row. I really enjoyed this one. Grisham captured the feel of a corrupt Southern town - small town law thinking they are big stuff, arrogant white men abusing blacks, and the insulated quality that means no matter how long you live there, you are never from there unless you were born there. The narrator had a great Southern accent and just made the audio book work for me. I had not too long ago seen The Lincoln Lawyer so I just couldn't help but picture Matthew McConaughey as the lawyer in this book. And since the lawyer narrates the book he was there for every minute. And since I have a huge crush on dear Matthew that was just. fine. with . me!

These all count for these challenges: