Dziko la Mississippi limakhala ngati nthano yakuda yaku United States yotukuka. NDI John Grisham Ali ndi malingaliro ake kuti awone zotsutsana zakuya pakati pamakhalidwe oyeserera akumadzulo ndi malo achitetezo achitetezo ngati awa akumwera kwa zodabwitsazi komanso kusokonekera kwachilendo.
Kuyambiranso Clanton (osati tawuni yeniyeni komanso yotsatira ya Alabama koma yomwe imafotokozedwa ndi wolemba) ndikukhala m'malo odzaza ndi miyezo yotsutsana yomwe munthawi ya bukuli, zaka makumi asanu ndi anayi, zinali zamphamvu kwambiri.
Koma monga nthawi zina zongopeka ku Clanton kapena m'malo aliwonse a Grisham, nkhaniyi imadzakhala magulu azamalamulo, ngakhale mikhalidwe yake. Chifukwa chake nkhaniyi imaloza kufunikira kwachikhalidwe cha anthu, pakuwunika malire azamalamulo, zamakhalidwe ndi kutsutsana kuti ufulu wachibadwidwe uli pamwamba pamalamulo onse.
Wachiwiri kwa Shefifi Stuart Kofer amadziona kuti sangakhudzidwe. Ngakhale, akamamwa mopitilira muyeso, zomwe sizachilendo, amatsanulira chibwenzi chake pa chibwenzi chake, Josie, ndi ana ake achichepere, malamulo a apolisi amakhala chete nthawi zonse.
Koma usiku wina, atamenya Josie atakomoka pansi, mwana wake wamwamuna Drew amadziwa kuti ali ndi njira imodzi yokha yopulumutsira banja lake. Amatenga mfuti ndikuganiza zodzitengera chilungamo m'manja mwake.
Ku Clanton, palibe chomwe chimadzetsa chidani chachikulu kuposa wopha apolisi… kupatula, mwina loya wanu. Jake Brigance sakufuna kutenga mlandu wosathekawu, koma ndi yekhayo amene ali ndi chidziwitso chokwanira chomuteteza mnyamatayo.
Ndipo mlandu ukayamba, zikuwoneka kuti pali chimodzi chokha chomwe chidzachitike kwa Drew: chipinda chamagesi. Koma, pomwe Mzinda wa Clanton ukupezanso, pomwe Jake Brigance atenga mlandu wosatheka… chilichonse ndichotheka.
Mukutha tsopano kugula buku la «Nthawi yokhululuka, lolembedwa ndi John Grisham, apa:
