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The Client

by John Grisham (Goodreads Author)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 153,346 ratings · 1,116 reviews

Eleven-year-old Mark Sway and his younger brother were sharing a forbidden cigarette when a chance encounter with a suicidal lawyer left Mark knowing a bloody and explosive secret: the whereabouts of the most sought-after dead body in America.

Hardcover, 566 pages

Published May 1st 1996 by Turtleback Books (first published 1993)

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Aug 23, 2012 Doug Cannon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Grisham has a way of writing a real page-turner. This was one of those books that I just couldn't put down. The suspense was intense, and the story was good.

When I finished the last page, and I finally did put it down, I couldn't help thinking I had just wasted my time. I mean, I was thoroughly entertained for every minute of the book, but when I was done, I was left with nothing but the memories of my entertainment.

Good book, excellent author, but lacking in anything real. I've read 4 Grisham n...more

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Apr 03, 2008 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Client is about an eleven year old named Mark Sway and his little brother Ricky witnessing a suicide. Before the man killed himself he told Mark information about a murder case that was being looked at. Marks brother goes into shock from the suicide and he has to stay in the hospital for a while. Mark does not know if he should tell the FBI the information he received or not because he is scared for his family’s lives and his own. The Client takes place in a small town in Memphis. Mark is a...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Nicholas Villazon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So in the beginning of the story their is these two boys that are brothers and this take place around the 1960's and these two brothers ricky and mark are smokers that are bad boys. so one day they decide to go in the forest and later seems to find something that they couldnt believe . Finds out that once they stumble upon the woods they see a man trying to kill him self. as the look to see who it is the man that is trying to kill him self see them and catches one of the brothers and stick him i...more

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Jul 31, 2007 Lindsey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense, adult-fiction, guy-friendly

Mark and his brother Ricky stumble upon a laywer trying to kill himself. Before he does, he reveals to the boys that his mobster client has killed a man and federal officials are pressuring him to give up the location of the body. And then the lawyer shoots himself in the head, putting the boys in the same impossible situation that caused him to commit suicide. The police are pressuring the boys to give up the information, in somewhat unethical and dishonest ways, but the mob will kill Mark and...more

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Jun 28, 2010 Cwwj added it · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone

Recommended to Cwwj by: No one

Caution: spoiler.

I always like Grisham's books in spite of the cartoonish political spin (Republicans uniformly evil; Democrats caring, sensitive, kind). This, his fourth book, was surely not one of his best, but only because there is a mile-wide hole in the plot. The solution to the dilemma of little Mark -- who possesses the secret of where the Senator's body is buried
-- was so overwhelmingly clear within the first 100 pages that each successive machination of Reggie's, each attempt to protec...more

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Jan 10, 2009 PujanggaCinta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

U might wonder, but this is actually my childhood or... ok my teenage book. I read it for the first time around 1994 (when i was 14) and I also watched the movie. This book along with Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and Forrest Gump were my big three introduction books to non fiction novel. My transition leap from Enid Blyton, Edith Unnerstad, Astrid Lindgren and Erich Kaestner Books. It was the time I choose to read what I consider grown up books.
I like The Client more than any other John Grisham's...more U might wonder, but this is actually my childhood or... ok my teenage book. I read it for the first time around 1994 (when i was 14) and I also watched the movie. This book along with Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and Forrest Gump were my big three introduction books to non fiction novel. My transition leap from Enid Blyton, Edith Unnerstad, Astrid Lindgren and Erich Kaestner Books. It was the time I choose to read what I consider grown up books.
I like The Client more than any other John Grisham's book because it relates to a child. A child client. It was so beautiful how Mark Sway made his relationship with his one-dollar lawyer, Reggie Love. As far as I know John Grisham put his main character as a child only in this book.
And you know typical John Grisham's book: full of intrigue, someone who's important's murder and of course... packed with law idioms. It's a good thing so we will learn law without realizing it. But I don't how John Grisham's doing now? Why he never published new book based on his background, which is law? I've read a painted house and i don't like it because it's got nothing to do with the law.
One book of him I'm dying to have and read is A Time To Kill. It's very hard to have a copy of John Grisham's early books now. When I was in Bandung I used to delay to buy John Grisham's books because I thought there are still a lot of them. I was wrong. Later I found The Client in Pasar Jatinegara but since I was on the bus that day and so stupid not to get down and buy the book and regret it ever since. Thank God yesterday night I found The Client in Stasiun Tebet. Sometimes I think if you really want something and you search for it with a full concentration, you'll find it in a very unexpected way. For me, this happens all the time with books. Maybe me and books are soulmate unlike me and someone who suppose to be my soulmate (how come I haven't meet my very own soulmate? Or he's already here and I don't realize him? Well, for one clumsy woman like me, most likely.. geeezzz).
But again, read this book and you'll find it very hard to pause only for a while. You'll want to read it again and again and again... till it's finished. Mark my words!(less)

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May 11, 2013 Kakuli Nag rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I recently finished this 1993 publication exactly after twenty years. A book from the pre I-Phone times - A review does not require these statistics – year of publication, era. A thriller that appeals to people’s senses now - when holding a reader’s attention span beyond 400 words blogs is a huge challenge - is nothing short of a master piece.

This review is not from a reader’s perspective as it must have been done to death in the past two decades. There is a lot to learn from this book for someo...more I recently finished this 1993 publication exactly after twenty years. A book from the pre I-Phone times - A review does not require these statistics – year of publication, era. A thriller that appeals to people’s senses now - when holding a reader’s attention span beyond 400 words blogs is a huge challenge - is nothing short of a master piece.

This review is not from a reader’s perspective as it must have been done to death in the past two decades. There is a lot to learn from this book for someone who is attempting to write thrillers for the first time. I am not sure how many, in the first place, would risk building a plot around a minor as the protagonist - at least for a suspense thriller. Every paragraph, each little remark contributes either to the story or characterization and keeps the reader glued.

The plot begins with an eleven year old Mark Sway and his younger brother sharing a cigarette in the outskirts of Memphis while they happened to meet a lawyer keen to commit to suicide, who while rambling absolutely drunk, lets out an explosive and lethal secret relating to the much sought after US Senator’s body and this piece of information turns Mark’s life overnight.

Mark is now clearly caught between a brother who, having witnessed the lawyer’s assault on Mark in the woods and having heard a gunshot went to a serious post trauma stress to the extent of being comatose in the hospital, a mother who had a dirty divorce and struggling to keep up her job, a legal system, the FBI and Mafia desperate to silence Mark to cover up the crime. His only ally in his current chaotic life is a 52 years old woman named Reggie Love, who has been a lawyer only for four years and was hired by Mark for just a dollar - who was willing to take every chance possible that could win her client his freedom and innocence.

Typical of Grisham and absolutely true to his writings, while the book can be easily labeled a legal thriller, the human element of this book cannot be ignored – The unusual but interesting attorney-client relationship, a kid wise beyond his years, his frequent references to TV serials and movies to make a point, adds a different flavor altogether. This is probably yet another take away for aspiring Suspense writers how to merge the two – and not over do any.

A wonderful and timeless read! The only reason not to give this a 5 star is because the end was slightly predictable. Anything else, any other climax would appear forced perhaps, somehow Grisham here is rated by his own standards, and I expect more.
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Feb 18, 2013 Harrison Stone rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: me

I read the book The Client by John Grisham because of the involvement of a lawyer intrigued me. Based on the previous experience I had with John Grisham’s book The Street Lawyer I was eager to dive right into the realistic fiction about the adventures of Mark Sway and his little brother Ricky. Throughout the book the young trailer park kids go through remarkable trials that result in multiple near death experiences.
“Mark was eleven years old and had been smoking on and off for two years, never t...more I read the book The Client by John Grisham because of the involvement of a lawyer intrigued me. Based on the previous experience I had with John Grisham’s book The Street Lawyer I was eager to dive right into the realistic fiction about the adventures of Mark Sway and his little brother Ricky. Throughout the book the young trailer park kids go through remarkable trials that result in multiple near death experiences.
“Mark was eleven years old and had been smoking on and off for two years, never trying to quit but being careful not to get hooked.” Pg. 1
Mark had been sneaking and smoking cigarettes on and off now for two years when he was finally caught by his younger brother Ricky. Mark was now caught in a tough situation either he could be ratted out or teach his younger brother his ways. Mark had no choice but to take his brother under the fence and through the woods to witness his eight year old brother smoke his first cigarette. Right as they both lit up a black Lincoln pulled in what had seemed an abandon road.
Once it was apparent that the man was trying to commit suicide it seemed important to Mark to make an effort to stop him despite Ricky’s disagreement. Mark eventually got trapped in the car and got slapped around a bit. While in the car Mark learns information that could be valued as some of the most important secrets in the nation. As Mark finally starts to leave although a little banged up Ricky becomes traumatized. While in the Hospital for Ricky, Mark has to cover up lie after lie with more lies. The truth is slowly seeping out. Mark has one defense, his new lawyer Reggie Love. Reggie is a fairly old experienced lawyer now representing Mark against the FBI and trying to protect him from the Mob and the FBI at the same time.
The theme throughout the book is portrayed by Mark and how he decides to do the right thing even though it would have been easy to just lie. On several occasions Mark was pressured by many to do the easy yet immoral thing to do. In many cases this would have just prevented further problems yet Mark found over the course of his trials that the right way is always the best way.
“Why did you come to Memphis?” pg.21
The book takes place in Memphis, Tennessee as well as New Orleans Louisiana. The time period was recent yet not completely modern around the early 1990’s.
Overall the book was very intriguing it had me hooked for hours at a time. I found myself reading everywhere and loosing track of time. The book’s length was very reasonable and was never boring. There were several instances of foreshadowing early on that had me guessing what would happen next. Along with these foreshadowing there were also misleading pieces of evidence. This book would be a good re read for sure.
The Author of “The Client” John Grisham, has written several books such as the “The brethren” and “The Street Lawyer”.
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Jan 17, 2013 Ivan Karačić rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My first book this year was John Grisham’s book The Client . It’s a story about two innocent kids who just wanted to sneak out into the woods to smoke but become the only witnesses of a suicide. The man who killed himself was a lawyer who represented a lot of criminals and knew many things he really didn’t want to know. One of his secretes become Mark’s secret too (the older of the two boys). Short after the suicide the police started following Mark because they thought he knows something. After...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Milo Alexandra-young rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a great book, i started of (before i started to read) thinking it wasnt going to be good. I generally like fiction and sifi while this is a fiction book its a mystery fiction which i dont ussually read. This book was great from the geco, starting off with a murder with the exictment continueing throughout the book. The story unfolds nicly and keeps you interested throughout. Its about a boy who stumbles upon a mafia lawyer trying to comit suicide, this lawyer tell the boy where the body...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Tyler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Book Review of “The Client” by John Grisham
“The Client” is a 1993 New York Times best seller by renowned author John Grisham. It’s a blend of mystery, suspense and legal drama all in one compelling and intriguing ride. In one of Grisham’s best works, he conveys a feeling of sympathy and yet at the same time, one of hostility. As you read the book, you find yourself torn between rooting for true justice or an innocent child. It is an engaging read and a classic, and is thoroughly enjoyed by al...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Mamadou Diallo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Client

This book is about the mistakes and problems a boy named Mark has gotten himself into. And it shows how Reggie Love not only Mark's alibi but lawyer that is risking everything to help Mark because she believes that Mark is innocent and doesn't deserve to go to jail for something he didn't do. Reggie did everything to protect her client. Even take a last, desperate gamble that could win Mark's his freedom or can cost them both their lives. I think that if Mark hadn't been caught betwee...more

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Jul 03, 2012 William rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A bit cute in a couple of places, this is pure escape, although it starts with a suicide and includes a murder and the hint of bad bad guys who have killed before and will kill again. On the other hand, the protagonist is nicely observed, and easy enough to root for, the lawyer is good and clever and supporting good characters are enjoyable.

There are foolish people who do less good than they might and actual bad people who do too much bad, or less than they might, and a distinctions are nicely...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Brian Onaissy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first saw this book in the bookstore, it intrigued me because of the author “John Grisham”, who is one of my favorite authors, and after reading the summary, I wanted to read it badly because it was one of the author’s stories in which the main character is a child.
I loved the book from the beginning to the end, because the author has an amazing way to make a reader get hooked from the beginning, even in the strangest ways. For example the story starts with an 11 year old boy who wants to...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Jenna Edmondo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is pretty intense, and it all starts when 11 year old Mark is told by suicidal lawyer Jerome cliffords where the body of U.S. Senator Boyde Boyette, who was killed by a mob hitman is.
Now the Prosecution will do anything to get the information out of Mark, and the Mob will do anything to keep him quiet. I would definetly read another book by this author because it had the perfect amount of suspense, and the other side of the crimanal/prosecution battle, the witness. My favorite characte...more

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Oct 21, 2010 Robert T rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Thought-Provoking Legal Thriller

John Grisham succeeds in writing another passionate legal thriller that keeps your mind thinking throughout. The vivid depiction of characters is the foundation of this absorbing plot. I found myself hooked on the story of Mark Sway, an eleven year old boy who was sharing a cigarette with his younger brother in a deserted lot, when a depressed mafia lawyer tells him information that would change his life forever. Mark was now stuck in an unimaginable situation...more A Thought-Provoking Legal Thriller

John Grisham succeeds in writing another passionate legal thriller that keeps your mind thinking throughout. The vivid depiction of characters is the foundation of this absorbing plot. I found myself hooked on the story of Mark Sway, an eleven year old boy who was sharing a cigarette with his younger brother in a deserted lot, when a depressed mafia lawyer tells him information that would change his life forever. Mark was now stuck in an unimaginable situation. Prosecutors would do anything to make him speak up, and the mafia will stop at nothing to keep his mouth shut. The rowdy, yet mature Mark hires a lawyer, Reggie Love, who has suffered her own hardships. After a rough divorce, Reggie lost custody of her own children, and she treats and handles Mark like he was hers. The most pleasurable element in this novel was the development of the relationship between this tentative boy and his sympathetic, stern lawyer. Grisham’s consistent usage of fast dialogue presents authentic, convincing scenes.“If I tell you something, will you ever repeat it?” he asked. “Of course not, it’s confidential.” “What does that mean?” “It means simply that I can never repeat anything you tell me unless you tell me I can repeat it.” “Never?” (Grisham, 110) This dialogue was from the first time Reggie and Mark met. Reggie’s knowledge of the legal system was able to teach me a few things, and the curiosity of Mark presents an underlying humour within the novel. Mark still has that inner child (even though he had been through a lot) that makes you want to care for the character, and helps you understand his thought process.

The Client is written quite simplistically to recognize the position of this questioning, curious child. The novel still contains descriptive writing that helps you visualize each scene. “The front-page story in the Memphis Press about Clifford’s death was written top to bottom by Slick Moeller, a veteran police reporter who had been covering crime and cops in Memphis for thirty years. His real name was Alfred, but no one knew it. His mother had called him Slick, but not even she could remember the nickname’s origin. Three wives and a hundred girlfriends had called him Slick. He did not dress exceptionally well, did not finish high school, did not have money, was blessed with average looks and build, drove a Mustang, could not keep a woman, and so no one knew why he was called Slick.” (Grisham, 138) The detail shown in the excerpt shows how innovative and in-depth Grisham’s writing style is.

I found that The Client was a thought-provoking thriller that kept me on the edge of my chair while reading. The ability to create compassionate and unique characters truly adds to the suspense of the plot. By developing a real interest in the characters, I was able to see how hard it was to put this book down. Grisham separates himself from other legal suspense writers because his in-depth characterization pulls together this captivating plot. I would certainly recommend this book to any reader out there, anyone who has ever been young will be caught up in this passionate plot. Well done!
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Sep 10, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: legal-suspense-thriller, 5-star-other

What a great story. I loved the characters, especially 11-yr-old Mark with his intuitive smarts, risk taking, and good judgment.

STORY BRIEF:
Mark and his younger brother live in a trailer park with their single mother who works a low wage job. The boys went into the woods to sneak a cigarette. They discover a man they don’t know trying to kill himself by running a hose from his car’s tailpipe into the car window. Mark pulls the hose from the tailpipe twice before the man (Jerome) sees him. Jerome...more

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Oct 10, 2009 Tony rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John Grisham- The Client (Island Books 1994) 4.75 Stars

Mark Sway was just an eleven-year-old boy taking his younger brother out for a smoke when they stumbled onto something that would change their lives forever. A mob lawyer reveals a secret Mark wishes he did not know; the location to a dead senator. Now Mark is a target of the mob as well as desperate FBI officials who want the information he holds. The only person between Mark and the two sides is his lawyer Reggie Love and they are about to...more

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Sep 17, 2009 Keegan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller

I really like this movie and watched it before I'd ever read the book. But I remembered that this was one of the few cases where I liked both the book and the movie even where they didn't match up. I don't know that I'll read it again ever though because I did like the movie better this time around. I liked that there were just the three primary characters, for instance. And I admit that I liked that Foltrigg (while still being a loud mouth) wasn't quite the moron he is in the book-- but I'm sur...more

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Sep 14, 2009 Majed Alorene rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

this book about eleven years boy his name is Mark. Mark and hs young brother witness a man try to kill his self. Before he killed his self he noticed Mark. the man caught Mark and entered hem his car, and tell hem that he is a lawyer of one of Mafia member. His client killed a senator and hid the body in the lawyer house. Then the lawyer killed hem self. Mark and his brother run to their house and call 911, and tell them there is a dead man on the road. when the police began to investigate they...more

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Apr 10, 2008 Henrik rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my first John Grisham book, and I'd certainly read more of him. The book, as do the movies, provides an interesting look into the culture of the legal profession. The book's hero is an 11-year old boy, and he is just too much to be believed. His perception, composure and demeanor are way beyond his years, as are his general willingness to take risks and act in an adult way. So, it's not fatal, but it does sometimes make it a little harder to be immersed in the story.

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Jul 15, 2007 Jeni rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like John Grisham books because they grab your attention and they are pretty easy to get through. After reading a book, I usually find myself applying it to myself & seeing what I get out of it (either by looking for a moral of the story, by comparing the characters to my personality or by seeing how uplifting the book is). I never seem to get a response from myself after reading Grisham. But they are good books to read in the airport when waiting for a delayed flight.

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May 03, 2007 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: only-read-it-in-highschool

Then I read a THIRD Grisham book in a row - I tell you, the bored, summer teenage mind can choke down a lot of crap in the form of mediocre prose. This is the one with the little kid that sees the murder, right? The one they made into a movie with Susan Serandan? I think so. Anyway, if you liked Grisham's other someone-stumbled-on-a-conspiracy-and-now-they're-running-for-their-lives books, I'm sure you'll like this one too. I don't remember it being any better or worse.

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Feb 22, 2010 Patrick rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book tells of a boy who happens upon a mob lawyer who commits suicide. But before he commits suicide, he divulges information on where the body of the murdered Senator was hidden by his mob boss. Fearing reprisal by the mob or the FBI for lying, he hires a lawyer to get him out of this mess.

I only slightly dislike this book because the premise of the book is weak. I could not get over the fact that the kid could have avoided the whole suspense by telling the FBI the truth about the body of...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Devina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: J.Grisham fans,people who love suspence and legal thrillers

Shelves: legal-thriller, library, liked-it

Eleven year old Mark Sway and his little brother Rickey witnessed the suicide of mob member's, Barry the Blade, lawyer, Rommel Clifford; Romey his friends had called him. Rickey goes into shock and poor Romey spilled the beans on the whereabouts of the late Senator Boytte's decomposing body to Mark before eating the bullet. Both the FBI and the Mafia are after Mark the only difference being the Mafia wanting Mark to keep his mouth shut!
That's basically it, so what could John Grisham possibly wri...more Eleven year old Mark Sway and his little brother Rickey witnessed the suicide of mob member's, Barry the Blade, lawyer, Rommel Clifford; Romey his friends had called him. Rickey goes into shock and poor Romey spilled the beans on the whereabouts of the late Senator Boytte's decomposing body to Mark before eating the bullet. Both the FBI and the Mafia are after Mark the only difference being the Mafia wanting Mark to keep his mouth shut!
That's basically it, so what could John Grisham possibly write to fill up five hundred and sixty something pages? Well he pulled it off nicely, that's for sure.

Mark's really something! He hired a lawyer, Reggie Love, hours after his brother was admitted to the hospital. The kid's obviously watched too much T.V, but he's brave, got a big mouth and full of crazy ideas, but he's also a scare little boy. Who wouldn't be, with the Mafia threatening you and your family and the annoying FBI shooting questions left, right and centre, with Roy Foltrigg in tow?

The characters were very well written, you’d believe they actually existed. Let me tell you about that idiot Rev. Roy Foltrigg. He was an annoying attention craving git."Pompous ass" was an accurate shorter version. He’d do anything to find the body so that he'll nail Barry and move up the political ladder. He loves to hear himself talk and while he's doing the talking he's got dozens of other people doing the work, those same people can't wait to get him off their hands.

Attorney At Law Ms.Reggie Love was a force to be rekconed with,she would appreciate if you called her Reggie. Reggie’s on a first name basis with everyone and not anyone can pull that off with the director of the FBI.She fought hard for the Sways. I particularly enjoyed two of their (the feds) agents', McThune and Trumann or was it Fink, reaction when she revealed the tape she had caught them on! Priceless.

The Sways had gone through a lot and there are many people like them out there right now, witnesses of brutal crimes and live in fear of their lives from these very real gangsters, those bullies who take advantage on the helpless with the help of the corrupt. It’s a very hard, unfair and a cruel world out there and this is one book that reminds of this undeniable fact.

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Sep 13, 2010 Waven rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, suspense

This is my third Grisham and my favorite thus far. It was an interesting read with enough action and suspense to keep the pages turning without overwhelming credulity (although he stretches it rather thin in several places). The protagonist family Sway is likeable, the antagonist Muldanno and cronies are frightening but low-key, and there are a few characters who scramble back and forth between the two, making things a bit more interesting. Many scenes and descriptions date the writing but can b...more

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Aug 12, 2011 John rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok, so I was right- John Grisham was better at this back in the early 90s than he was a decade later when he was writing crud like "The Broker". But he wasn't THAT much better. I read The Firm and the Pelican Brief back when they came out and I remember reading a few chapters of this one and liking it, but getting distracted, putting it down, and never picking it back up again. Revisiting it, it is certainly a page-turner and not bad, but it is also repetitive and goes on a bit too long, and has...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Prateek Gupta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rating 4.5 stars

To reiterate, John Grisham is a great writer with his descriptions and fast dialogues.

In The Client the characterization and plot are quite extrodinary. The novel is formulaic from start to finish, complete with shallow, stereotyped characters, including Mark who is a smart and tough, yet he still has his childlike tenderness. He is the protagonist who apparently is eleven going on forty in terms of his outlook and behavior!

The story is suspenseful and humorous. It is an excellen...more

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May 10, 2012 Kei Ci Bautista rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I gave this book a 5-star because back in elementary, despite the fact that I believed I was too young for this kind of book, I was able to comprehend it up to the last page, which is not to say this book lacks profoundness.

Meanwhile, I would consider it as a page-turner. Indeed how else would I have made it to the very end at that time. I got even hyped when I realized (when I got into high school) that it made it to the big screen.

I believe it is one of those heavy-laden books back in my eleme...more

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May 02, 2012 Max Ostrovsky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, pop

Finally! A Grisham book without some sort of disdain for lawyers. And my first without some sort of crap landing on the ending.
The main character, a boy named Mark, is smart and a smart ass. Love it! The lawyer, also smart and a smart ass. Towards the end, her character weakened, but it was justified because Mark showed more strength. I really appreciated that earned balance. There were some mob and FBI cliches, but I understand the difficulty of writing about either without leaning on those cl...more

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About John Grisham

"Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel.

Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of...more "Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel.

Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of being a professional baseball player. Realizing he didn't have the right stuff for a pro career, he shifted gears and majored in accounting at Mississippi State University. After graduating from law school at Ole Miss in 1981, he went on to practice law for nearly a decade in Southaven, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation. In 1983, he was elected to the state House of Representatives and served until 1990.

One day at the DeSoto County courthouse, Grisham overheard the harrowing testimony of a twelve-year-old rape victim and was inspired to start a novel exploring what would have happened if the girl's father had murdered her assailants. Getting up at 5 a.m. every day to get in several hours of writing time before heading off to work, Grisham spent three years on A Time to Kill and finished it in 1987. Initially rejected by many publishers, it was eventually bought by Wynwood Press, who gave it a modest 5,000 copy printing and published it in June 1988.

That might have put an end to Grisham's hobby. However, he had already begun his next book, and it would quickly turn that hobby into a new full-time career—and spark one of publishing's greatest success stories. The day after Grisham completed A Time to Kill, he began work on another novel, the story of a hotshot young attorney lured to an apparently perfect law firm that was not what it appeared. When he sold the film rights to The Firm to Paramount Pictures for $600,000, Grisham suddenly became a hot property among publishers, and book rights were bought by Doubleday. Spending 47 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, The Firm became the bestselling novel of 1991.

The successes of The Pelican Brief, which hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and The Client, which debuted at number one, confirmed Grisham's reputation as the master of the legal thriller. Grisham's success even renewed interest in A Time to Kill, which was republished in hardcover by Doubleday and then in paperback by Dell. This time around, it was a bestseller.

Since first publishing A Time to Kill in 1988, Grisham has written one novel a year (his other books are The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, The Partner, The Street Lawyer, The Testament, The Brethren, A Painted House, Skipping Christmas, The Summons, The King of Torts, Bleachers, The Last Juror, and The Broker) and all of them have become international bestsellers. There are currently over 225 million John Grisham books in print worldwide, which have been translated into 29 languages. Nine of his novels have been turned into films (The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Chamber, A Painted House, The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas), as was an original screenplay, The Gingerbread Man. The Innocent Man (October 2006) marks his first foray into non-fiction.

Grisham lives with his wife Renee and their two children Ty and Shea. The family splits their time between their Victorian home on a farm in Mississippi and a plantation near Charlottesville, VA.

Grisham took time off from writing for several months in 1996 to return, after a five-year hiatus, to the courtroom. He was honoring a commitment made before he had retired from the law to become a full-time writer: representing the family of a railroad brakeman killed when he was pinned between two cars. Preparing his case with the same passion and dedication as his books' protagonists, Grisham successfully argued his clients' case, earning them a jur(less)

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“You advised him not to get a lawyer, giving as one of your reasons the opinion that lawyers are a pain in the ass. Gentlemen, the pain is here.
-Reggie Love” — 11 people liked it

“It's amazing how lies grow. You start with a small one that seems easy to cover, then you get boxed in and tell another one. Then another. People believe you at first, then they act upon your lies, and you catch yourself wishing you'd simply told the truth.” — 6 people liked it

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