The Associate

Title: The Associate

Author: John Grisham

Pages: 373

Genre: Fiction, Thriller

Grade: B

Synopsis: In true John Grisham fashion, this book takes us into the life of a busy attorney working for a prestigious law firm. Kyle McAvoy was a star student at Yale Law School. His father wanted him to stay and work for his firm in Kyle's hometown, but Kyle had his sights set far higher. However, based on some incidents in his past, he is ripe to be blackmailed by some folks with deep pockets.

My Review: It's been a few months since I read this book.  I remember that I enjoyed it just as much as most Grisham books, but that it wasn't specifically memorable. Sometimes it's nice to read a thriller that sucks you in and doesn't let you go until you finish it.

The Appeal

Title: The Appeal

Author: John Grisham

Pages: 496

Genre: Legal Thriller

Grade: B+

Synopsis: There is a small town in Mississippi where the water is undrinkable and scores of people have died from cancer or have cancer.  In a related court case, a Mississippi jury hands down a huge verdict against a chemical company for polluting the ground, groundwater and contaminating the area, causing a huge cancer cluster.  The owner of the chemical company is a multi-billion dollar executive living large in Manhattan, who will appeal the verdict to the Mississippi Supreme Court.  His next task is to get a judge elected to the Supreme Court who will overturn this verdict.

My Review: This Grisham novel has generally not received very good reviews, although I found that I enjoyed it.  It preyed on the fact that many of our elected officials have to answer to the big money that gets them elected.  There probably are companies out that that act similar to the chemical company in this book, if there are, then they make me sick (both figuratively and literally).

Playing for Pizza

Title: Playing for Pizza

Author: John Grisham

Pages: 308

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis:  Rick Dockery wakes up in a Cleveland hospital, but can't remember how he got there.  As the fog lifts from his mind, and as he watches ESPN SportsCenter, he remembers the playoff game that he was playing in for the Cleveland Browns.  The Browns were up by 17 late in the 4th quarter and Dockery, the 3rd string quarterback for the Browns proceeded to throw 3 straight interceptions, leading to the Browns loss in the last game before the Super Bowl.  Dockery has quickly become one of the most hated individuals in Cleveland and he decides to lay low for a while.  His agent finds him a job in the Italian Football (real American Football) League with a small salary.  Dockery reluctantly agrees and finds that playing in Italy holds a few surprises.

My Review:  I bought this book at a garage sale a while back and I was surprised that this book had nothing to do with lawyers, courtrooms, judges, etc.  I didn't know John Grisham was capable of writing anything but legal thrillers.  There wasn't anything too special about this book, but I enjoyed having an easy read and being able to escape into Italian football. 

The Rainmaker

Title: The Rainmaker

Author: John Grisham

Pages: 14 discs

Genre: Legal Thriller

Grade: B+

Synopsis: Rudy Baylor is finishing up law school at Memphis State.  He has a job lined up with a decent firm downtown, but three weeks before he is supposed to graduate and start work, his firm is swallowed up by the most prestigious firm in town.  Rudy finds himself jobless and without any prospects, but with a potentially lucrative case against an insurance company that refuses to pay out a claim for a lifesaving bone marrow transplant.

My Review: I'm a sucker for John Grisham's books.  I thought that I had read this one before, but I probably hadn't.  This book, while a bit lengthy never seemed to overwhelm with legalities, and the main case selected was one that was very easy to understand.

The Brethren

Title: The Brethren

Author: John Grisham

Pages: 440

Genre: Legal Thriller

Grade: B

Synopsis: Three judges in federal prison have concocted a scam to snare and extort money from closet homosexuals who answer to an ad in a gay lifestyle magazine. They end up snaring a presidential candidate that is being secretly fronted by the CIA, which causes the CIA to get involved in the scam in order to protect their candidate.

My Review: I felt that the premise behind this story was the weakest of any John Grisham book that I have read. The story was still interesting and enjoyable, but it was missing the excitement and intrigue that is typically present in a Grisham thriller.

From the Book: "(p. 88) What would his friends think? The Honorable Hatlee Beech, federal judge, writing prose like a faggot, extorting money out of innocent people."

A Time to Kill

Title: A Time to Kill

Author: John Grisham

Pages: 14 discs

Genre: Fiction, Thriller

Grade: A-

Synopsis: In Clanton, Mississippi a 10-year old black girl is brutally raped and beaten by two white redneck racists - Pete Willard and Billy Ray Cobb. The girls father, Carl Lee Hailey, takes justice into his own hands and blows the two boy's brains out as they are leaving a courtroom. He is immediately arrested and put on trial for capital murder. The trial divides the town and county and brings the KKK back into Ford County (where it had been dormant for many years). Carl Lee Hailey hires a local lawyer to defend him against the charges.

My Review: Right off the bat this book is a little disturbing. The plot gets your attention and sickens you at the same time. What really makes it interesting though, is that in every sense of the word, Carl Lee Hailey is guilty and should be sentenced to the gas chanber (regardless of his kin color). Because he is a black father that killed two white men, many of the white's in the county can't believe that he even gets a trial. I'm not sure whether I would have acquitted him or not. It's a plot and story that allows for deep introspection and that I really enjoyed listening to.

The Street Lawyer

Title: The Street Lawyer

Author: John Grisham

Pages: 10 CDs

Genre: Legal Thriller

Grade: A

Synopsis: Michael Brock is lawyer at a big DC law firm, Drake and Sweeney. He is on the fast track to being a partner and will soon be making a million bucks a year. One day a homeless gunman shows up at the firm and takes a group of lawyers hostage. He seems to have no real motive but keeps asking his hostages how much money they give to feed the poor each year. Their answers don't please him but eventually a police sniper is able to put a bullet into his skull. Michael Brock tries to find more out about the man he only knows as Mister and ends up finding that there is a whole additional world of homeless people and problems living just beyond the steps of Capitol Hill in Washington.

My Review: I don't think that my synopsis does this book justice. From the various reviews I've read online, most people seem to either really like this book or really dislike it. Personally, I found it fascinating and very engaging. This is possibly due to the fact that this was really the first book that I have listened to on cd in my car since high school. I really enjoyed zoning out while I was driving and just thinking about the story. I found myself wishing that my commute was a little longer than the 15 minutes that it is - but I have since decided that it is long enough. This book got me thinking about my charitable contributions, and how I treat the less fortunate around me. I can always do better, we can always do more. This book has motivated me to try and be more generous and caring.