Book Review: The Second District by Jerry Banks

By Danielle Bissert

From the moment I started reading The Second District I was hooked. It’s as simple as that. The whole world could have exploded and I would still be glued to my chair, totally absorbed in the life of Arch Sinclair, cowboy movie star, who buys a sprawling ranch in Oregon. Arch is a charming good guy who trades the “back-biting” frenzy of Hollywood for fresh air and open ranges. Or so he thought. What Arch got was bad guy Congressman Justin Yarbrough, a neighboring rancher, who does everything in his power to cause Arch’s venture to crash and burn. Why? Because he wants the land.

Arch isn’t the kind of guy to back down from a fight and figures his only way to win against Yarbrough’s dirty tactics is beat him in the upcoming election. So Arch throws his hat into the political ring and that’s when the real fun begins. Yarbrough is experienced at mud-slinging and is very well-connected in the political arena. So much so that Arch winds up looking like a criminal and is forced to hire Barry O’Shea, a smart, seasoned attorney to advise and defend him against Yarbrough’s accusations. Rapidly things turn ugly and Arch finds himself in court.

Author Jerry Banks, an attorney himself, effectively brings to The Second District an enriched courtroom drama that magnifies an already suspenseful plot. I knew Banks was an attorney before I started reading the book so I prepared myself to be confused and bored by the legal format that exists throughout much of the novel. Instead, Banks provoked in me the same addiction that glues me to the TV during Law & Order marathons.

The Second District, like all good fiction, has developed characters, strong setting and a well-defined plot. The conclusion: A jaw-dropping courtroom drama.

Jerry Banks’s latest novel in the Barry O’Shea series, Vital to the Defense, is going to be released real soon. I have an advanced copy and I can’t wait to read it!

Keep them coming Mr. Banks.