An Evening with James Grippando

Books & Books welcomes James Grippando for an evening discussion of “The Right to Remain,” the newest installment in his long running Jack Swyteck series. The novel marks the twentieth appearance of the Miami criminal defense attorney and centers on one of the most challenging cases of his career.

In “The Right to Remain,” Swyteck represents Elliott Stafford, a man indicted for murder who refuses to speak to anyone involved in his defense. His silence goes beyond invoking the Fifth Amendment. He will not address the court, his partner, or his own attorney, and there is no medical or psychological explanation for his behavior. As public attention grows and pressure mounts to abandon the case, Swyteck continues digging for answers.

What begins as a baffling defense strategy turns into something more troubling. The facts Elliott previously shared begin to unravel, including details about his past, his family, and his criminal history. As Swyteck investigates further, he comes to believe his client may not be protecting himself, but someone else, raising serious legal and moral stakes.

Grippando draws on his background as a trial lawyer to shape a story grounded in courtroom procedure and legal tension. The event offers readers insight into the latest chapter of a series that has remained a fixture in legal fiction for decades.