''Decision'' is a 1983

political novel Political fiction employs narrative to comment on political events, systems and theories. Works of political fiction, such as political novels, often "directly criticize an existing society or present an alternative, even fantast ...

Allen Drury Allen Stuart Drury (September 2, 1918 – September 2, 1998) was an American novelist. During World War II, he was a reporter in the Senate, closely observing Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, among others. He would convert th ...

which follows a newly appointed

Supreme Court Justice The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest-ranking judicial body in the United States. Its membership, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869, consists of the chief justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme ...

as he is faced with the most difficult decision of his life. It is a standalone work set in a different fictional timeline from Drury's 1959 novel ''

Advise and Consent Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts. It describes either of two situations: where a weak executive branch of a government enacts something previo ...

'', which earned him a

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It recognizes distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, published during ...

. The novel was

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for several years until

WordFire Press Kevin James Anderson (born March 27, 1962) is an American science fiction author. He has written spin-off novels for '' Star Wars'', '' StarCraft'', ''Titan A.E.'' and ''The X-Files'', and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the ''Dune'' pr ...

reissued it in

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and

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formats in 2014.

Plot summary

Tay Barbour has just achieved his ultimate goal—a seat on the US Supreme Court—when his marriage crumbles and a terrorist bombing puts his daughter in a coma. The deterioration of the criminal justice system is illuminated as ambitious minds with their own agendas swirl around the terrorist's compelling case. And when it reaches the Supreme Court, Barbour faces the greatest challenge of his life: recuse himself and allow a probable deadlock, or take on the case and either follow his anti-death penalty principles or spurn them and seek justice for his daughter.

Critical reception

Diane Rehm, on her nationally syndicated radio show, said that "Decision takes us inside the Supreme Court, as the human beings on that Court struggle with their personal biases and their public duties. At the center are characters who are real, ambitious, murderous, caring: all the stuff of Washington and political life." The crime at the center of ''Decision'' takes place in South Carolina and is prosecuted according to the laws of that state. South Carolina trial attorney R. Howard Grubbs, writing in the ''

American Bar Association Journal The ''ABA Journal'' (since 1984, formerly ''American Bar Association Journal'', 1915–1983, evolved from '' Annual Bulletin'', 1908–1914) is a monthly legal trade magazine and the flagship publication of the American Bar Association. It is no ...

'', wrote that Drury “entertains with verve and informs with skill and precision.” He praised the liberal outlook of Tay Barbour, and says that the writing shines in the conference where the Supreme Court discusses the case. “As the decision is made, Drury focuses on the human element and philosophy of each (justice), embellishing the text with dialogue that crackles with wit, accuracy, and compassion.” He said the conclusion of the book reinforced “the theme of the text—reconciliation of individual rights with the security of society—indelibly in the reader’s mind.” This appears to be the only review by a legal professional. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' summarized the novel as "the Supreme Court reduced to shrill, sometimes crudely effective melodrama", and noted:

References

{{Allen Drury 1983 American novels American political novels Novels by Allen Drury Novels set in Washington, D.C. Doubleday (publisher) books