John Grisham Books

Michael Brock had grand ideals of serving humanity when he entered law school. When he graduated and joined a leadinng Washington, D.C., law firm, the realities set in. Success was measured by billable hours, and the competition to be one of the few who advanced to partner was intense. Practicing trust law meant few contacts with actual people except other attorneys. The practice of law was an jealous mistress. There was little time for anything else, and the divorce rate was high.

Invasion of the law offices by a homeless man with a gun, and the taking of hostages, redirects Brock's life. He discovers a law clinic for the impoverished, and gets a first had view of street people, shelters, and soup kitchens. Someone he tries to befriend meets a tragic death.

The novel is well researched and well written, and gives a good picture of the downside of modern society. There are people at the top who live well, and people at the bottom who are starving. They don't have bread? Let them eat cake. For some people, the lower classes are invisible, but they do have legal rights.

Many people that I know live from paycheck to paycheck. Housing prices are out of sight. Gasoline prices for commuting have gone past $4 a gallon. Grain prices are high and food prices are up. This is an era of downsizing and outsourcing. Job security may be tenuous. Everyone except the president seems to know that the country is in a recession and that things will get worse before they get better. Someone, observing the homeless, said that he was only a short step away from joining them. This novel provides a chilling picture of life on the streets. You too could end up living in your car.

Michael Brock came from an established family with enough money to pay for the best universities. He is a hard working associate of a major Washington, D.C., law firm, with hopes of becoming a highly paid partner, so hard working that he and his wife hardly see each other. Like many workaholics, his marriage is going on the rocks. The practive of law is an unforgiving mistress. Then a homeless man with a grievance enters the law office and takes hostages. Events bring about a radical change in Michael's life.

There is a big difference between working for a legal clinic, doing pro bono work for the poor, and working a major law firm handling antitrust cases. There is no billing of clients by the hour - in fact an hours time may involve several clients with problems. There is more to life than money.

Michael finds himself wrapped up in a case involving his former law firm. But he also finds a new life involving new people, and perhaps he finds a new confidence in himself.

Much of the novel is in narrative form, as told by Michael. Some readers, as reflected in the reviews, think the author is preaching a personal social agenda (with some criticism of politicans, idle rich, and such), but so have many other writers (John Steinbeck and Victor Hugo to name a couple). It does make you pause to consider the people who are less fortunate.

Booooooooorrrring!!! Too much of a snoozer to finish reading it. I can see why they didn't make a feature film out of this Grisham book

This was the first book I read by this author. I loved it. IT was so emotional! I could empathize for him. I felt like I was there in the room during the hostage part! When the guy's brain were on his face, I was disgusted along with him!!!! I could imagine it all happening! It was because this first book that I read was so good that I read (am reading) all his other books. HE HAS SO MANY!!! I won't go into what I felt along with the rest of the book because that would be a spoiler and that's not fair, and cause I don't remember exactly what happened at the very ending. I remeber up until about thirty pages before the ending, then it's all blank. If someone would tell me wht happened I would really appreciate it!!!!

This is an arresting novel about a corporate lawyer who is taken hostage by a desperate homeless mannamed Devon Hardy. He survives physically, but is forever changed internally. Michael Brock develops a heart for the homeless, while also discovering that it was his firm that wrongfully evicted this man along with 16 others.

Michael deceitfully steals a file containing the evidence for this wrongful eviction. Soon enough, his former employee becomes his enemy.

John Grisham is certainly out to prick the conscience of his readers, and he does a good job of doing so. No doubt, some will find the book a bit preachy, but you will develop an appreciation of the plight of the homeless, and hopefully, you will want to help out any way you can.

If John Grisham had stopped this book after the opening scene, in essence writing just a short story, he would have done his best work. It's breathtaking.

Unfortunately for Grisham, he decided to make a novel to follow that brilliance. The novel falls far short of the promise of that beginning.

I won't tell you about the beginning because that would spoil your pleasure, but do consider stopping there.

These are the plot premises in the book:

1. Two judges and a justice of the peace are incarcerated in a minimum security Federal prison. What would life be like for these former "law upholders?"

2. Felons need money when they get out. How can they earn some while in prison?

3. Felons and wardens need non-violent ways to resolve disputes in prison. How might this be done?

4. How can a presidential election be manipulated to determine the country's foreign policy?

5. How could a bunch of crooks threaten a presidential candidacy?

A lot of the answers depend on the presumption that the world is full of stupid older men with lots of money who want to have hot, young boy friends.

This book will appeal most to those who enjoy conspiracy theories about government action and inaction.

As a crime story, I've read a lot better.

But do enjoy that opening scene.

I liked a lot of this book but was disappointed in the ending. It had a unique plot that was really interesting and fun that held my interest throughout, but it left a really bad taste in my mouth at the end.

Karen Arlettaz Zemek, Author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

i was highly dissapointed by this book. All of the characters are paper-thin stereotpyes and none of them are likeable. The plot goes way beyond far-fetched. The biggest flaw is that the story just keeps making one unnecessary concession after another to the three ex-judges, for no credible reason whatsoever, except maybe to satisfy the readers' inclination to back the underdogs.

This book is absolutely marvelous. Very very funny, very very entertaining. As is usual for a Grisham book, no one is exactly the "good guy" in The Brethren, everyone is kind of their own bad guy, and you feel like cheering for all of them. I loved this- it's probably my favorite, right next to The Runaway Jury and The Painted House.

I have read just about all of John Grisham's novels and again he has not disappointed me with this story. In the Brethren Mr. Grisham took me on a journey into a political campaign, and how the government can control an election. The characters of the three judges' and their activities were believable. What I appreciated about John Grisham is that each new book that he releases takes me into a new world and I always learn something from his stories. The Brethren is a super story. Enjoy it, it's a wonderful book.

This was a great, classic Grisham novel. But what I liked most is the insight into the class action law suits that now seem to be so prevelant in today's society, whether its the tobacco suits or the suits against drug companies. Grisham does a fantasic job of getting you into the mind of the character and feeling his struggle between making a buck and the ethical delimmas that go along with it.

I think I was expecting something different when I first read this novel. However, in the vain of "The Firm," this book is way above average. It has similar elements: the young atty who has nothing, wo is immediately tempted by all the riches in the world. It even has the fun element of "revenge" against the arrogant girlfriend who dumped him and snide competitors. Also a huge education on our country's broken tort class-action system. Highly recommended; educational and fun.

I loved it. I read book after book on the train to work and I can't stop thinking about this one. It was a really fun read. A total roller coaster. Three people I work with read the book as well and thought it was great. Surprised to find that it is reviewed so low here. I've not read a Grisham novel since the Client many years ago, but I want to read more now!!

While 'The Summons' holds the distinction of being John Grisham's worst book 'The King of Torts' seems to be quite a contender for the title. From its beginning until its final word, 'The Broker' is a disappointment for even a Grisham wannabe.

The preposterous story begins in the traditional Grisham manner: a young lawyer is presented with an unbelieveable opportunity. From that point onward the book is predictable and bland. The solution to the poorly executed mystery is not only nonsensical, it is ridiculously far-fetched.

It is difficult to select the specific parts of the book which are a disappointment as there are so many of them. Suffice it to say this book is disappointing and will be a difficult thing to read for even the most dedicated fan of Grisham. If you don't like this book, do yourself a favor and don't even think about reading 'The Summons'.

Mass tort lawyers are the men who win billion-dollar class-action settlements from corporations selling bad products, then rake fantastic fees off the top, with far smaller payouts going to the people harmed by the products. Clay Carter is a burning-out lawyer at the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) in Washington, D.C., when he catches the case of a teen who, for no apparent reason, has gunned down an acquaintance. Clay is approached by a mysterious stranger, who says he represents a megacorporation whose bad drug caused the teen--and others--to kill. Thus begins the life of a tort lawyer. It's been a while since I have read a "great" Grisham, but this one was pretty good.

I was pretty disappointed with all the fictional elements of this book. There was an unbelievable plot, terrible dialogue, and characters that never develop or interest the reader. It would have been less stars but I lived in Bologna for a year and I have weakness for anything of the kind.

I'm not an avid reader of Grisham's - I might have read a couple of his early books in high school - so I can't really measure this against previous work. As a suspense/thriller type book, it's fine as far as it goes. The plot isn't terribly complicated and it is difficult to get very involved...at the end of the book, I was left with a feeling of, well, not much. Still, it is a fun read and has inspired me to visit Bologna!

This is the only John Grisham book I have read, and I was very disappointed.
Basically, the plot takes the standard ingredients of a spy novel (foreign countries, powerful Washington players with hidden motives, secrecy, scary technology, etc.) and throws them in a bowl, expecting a great thriller to automatically come out. The plot keeps hinting at intrigues, keeps building up to a big climax, but never reaches it.
For instance (spoiler alert, but it shouldn't matter because I don't recommend the book to anyone), it introduces the character of this great Chinese assassin, builds him up to be the deadliest, most effective assassin in the world, shows him closing in on the target, and then -- nothing. He's completely dropped with no explanation!
I actually liked the whole sub-plot of the protagonist having to learn Italian in a hurry. But it was all for nothing, because he never had to use it in the end. Use that in another book, it would be great!
This book was a waste of time! I'll give Grisham another try, with something more well-liked by his fans, but for anyone considering this book, I wouldn't recommend it at all.

Joel Backman is "the Broker"--a Washington power broker-lobbyist. Then his empire collapses when a deal collapses involving a hacked spy satellite that nobody acknowledges, and Backman ends up in jail, broke.

Six years later, he's pardoned by a lame duck President, and whisked away to Italy by the CIA. Everyone's after him, including the CIA, though they're more interesting in finding out who kills him than in either killing him themselves or keeping him safe.

So Backman is completely out of his element, under constant surveillance, and kept deliberately short of money and paperwork so he can't run far, even if he tries. But he didn't get to be "the Broker" by being stupid, either.

This was a fairly low-key suspense book, but I enjoyed the transformation from wealthy cold-hearted power broker to someone who's dependent on others for everything, and who's learning to reevaluate his priorities. It was also quite lovely to revisit Italy.

Not everything John Grisham writes is a winner. Remember 'The Brethren' about some highly unlikely judges in jail? And 'The Testament' was also a clunker. But basically Grisham is a safe bet, with a good tale, well told and the usual young and struggling Mississippi lawyer hero who appears under different names but always gets justice in the end. Well, forget all that. Here, our hero lives in Italy and he's not really a hero at all. But he's a hell of a lot nicer than the guys who are after him.

The Broker is a lot of fun. It's a just a great read - pick it up and whizz through it. It's not great literature, but it is Grisham doing what he does best - producing an intriguing plot, credible characters and a setting spiced with real detail that comes from knowing the location well. I liked it and I think you will.

I've read every single Grisham legal thriller to date, and sorry to say, this one is bad enough to motivate me to write this review. It may be bad enough to turn me off Grisham altogether. I kept turning the pages, yes, but my stomach was turning too. It took a great and clever setup, then went in a single uninteresting and unfulfilling direction. If you're considering this, here's what you should read instead:

A Civil Action, an absolutely compelling true story about toxic water. The book is better than the movie.

The King of Torts, Grisham's GOOD book about class-action lawsuits.

The Runaway Jury, Grisham's best and most important book. The book is better than the movie.

Skip this one. You won't like it.

-Steve.

I loved it but hated the ending. I felt like he just got tired of writing and left us hanging. I wanted to know more about what happened....things were left unresolved....and of course I wish the "good guys" would have won in the end

Grisham stacks the deck for us, making his heroes really good guys and the villains contemptibly villainous. OK, John, we're aching to see justice triumph and the baddies get their comeuppance. But instead the good guys get trampled into the dust while the villain sails off on his yacht, chortling. Whoa! Is this entertainment? The plot consists of sledgehammering readers about the dangers of tort law reform, wrapping up with a last-minute turning of the tables that the author must have realized made an impossibly hokey basis for a happy ending. So he didn't give us one.

THE APPEAL wins my nomination for the Upton Sinclair Bleakest Fiction of the Year Award.

I thought the book was absolutely awesome until the ending. I guess I'm naive but I actually thought justice would prevail. And if this is a true reflection of our judicial system, we are serious trouble.

I think the name of my review says it all. While I have not read all of Grisham's books this is the first that I have read that has a clear political message - it yells "HANDS OFF TORT REFORM" and "JUDGES NEED TO BE APPOINTED".

While I don't have a problem with the point that he is making (I am personally against too much tort reform) his delivery is far from perfect. Grisham relies too much on outlandish scenarios and over-the-top characters in order to make his case. I think that the point could have been made more effectively if everything was just a bit more subtle. The book would have been much more believable (and as others have mentioned) far less predicatble.

How is the plot over-the-top-

I worked for many years in Mississippi, and I know first hand how their Department of Environmental Quality works. Trust me - a scenario where enough pollution could be dumped into the local water table to cause this type of scenario is laughable. I know that "The Appeal" is fiction, but with it having such an obvious political message I would prefer the examples that Mr. Grisham gives to be grounded in reality (Such as Upton Siclair's "The Jungle").

Final Score - "C" and a rare Grisham mulligan.

And no offense to Ms. Cartland. This book starts off well. The first 10 pages are a delight. From there, it's all downhill. The story reads almost like a travelogue, starting with the importance of wearing the proper clothes in Italy, meeting a girl who wants to travel a lot - and giving details on all of the what-and-where sites they visit, detailed descriptions of many Italian dinners, implied casual sex throughout yet never any involvement, attending an opera and actually explaining the plot of the opera scene-by-scene, far too much play-by-lay dialogue and activity, an easily predictable outcome for their football season and very thin personalities. If you don't really want to read a book, yet feel a compulsion to say you read one this summer, then this might be the ideal reading companion. Never enough substance to make you think, letting you idly flip the pages.

Okay, I didn't like the book. However, I do like John Grisham's writings and have enjoyed his legal books and especially "The Painted House", which was impressive. This book just read as though he wrote the whole thing while flying back from Italy to kill time. His other writings are so superior and have real characters and real emotion - but not here. Despite my comments, I'm always looking forward to his next work.

We obtained this on CD and listened through 4 discs with increasing bewilderment before we tossed in the towel.

There doesn't seem to be anything going on.

For Grisham this is astonishing.

Not typical Grisham -- but you may already know that. This is a great beach/airplane read as it is simple and fun. Rather predicatble, but that's ok. Basic story about a man at the end of his career rope and he manages to hang on for little while longer and find a rich cultural nook in a place he had not expected (or wanted) to be. I enjoyed the Italian characters, including the city of Parma. Grisham's writing syle is simplistic and straightforward, which fits the main character's personality. Don't expect any major plot twists or surprises!

As one who has been a big John Grisham fan, I found myself to be disappointed with this book.

It is a fictionalized account of a third string pro quarterback who finds himself playing in the Italian version of the NFL. It is interesting in spots, but bland overall. It is not remotely on a par with a typical Grisham novel.

Although he has written a couple of other books that were not great (A Painted House, Bleachers), Grisham's books are normally fast paced and keep the reader's attention. Not so with this one. Even as a fan of both the author and pro football, I would not recommend 'Playing For Pizza'. For the hardcore fan who thinks he/she must read everything Grisham, it would be best to get this one in a used bookstore, or better yet, at a library.

Though this is not your typical "lawyer" book by Grisham, it is a fun read. You must read it with an open mind. It IS fiction! I enjoyed all aspects of the story, from the football playing, to the little bit of love story mixed in. I thought it was well-written and am happy to have it in my Grisham collection.

So glad to see a return to the strong Alex Delaware books of yore after being disappointed in the last few entries in this series. Readers can expect psychological thrills, violence, mayhem, and some serious sleuthing by Delaware, Milo, and friends as they track an apparent homicidal "do-gooder" who takes it upon himself (herself?) to rid the world of those he (she?) deems unworthy of life.

I figured this one out early on, but still enjoyed the plot twists that kept me guessing. Great characters, even for those who make minor appearances. I still take issue with Robin's two-dimensional character -- I'd like to see her as more than a convenient helpmate who has no wants or needs of her own.

All the same, a good read for fans of Kellerman and psychological thrillers.

As usual, this latest installation of the Alex Delaware novels co-starring stalwart Detective Milo Sturgis, is a page turner from beginning to end.

Making the streets of Los Angeles come alive with his description of the ordinary denziens, we watch Delaware and Sturgis pull together all of the pieces of the mysterious killer without a face.

Great summer read.

I have read all of Kellerman's Novels.I love Alex Delaware--however, I really think that it's time to retire him and Milo. They seem to have run there course. I found this book to be a total bore and did not even finish it.

This is one of the most disappointing books of Kellerman. The story line was flimsy and you didn't really understand or buy the progression of the "bad guy" in the book. He just sort of developed out of no where and most importantly - you didn't even care. I didn't care about any of the characters, or the fact that Robin was back and Milo, always interesting, was just a shell of himself. Nothing inspired me to keep reading, nothing intrigued and I only finished because I always finish a book once I start it no matter how bad.

Not his best but it still got me and held my attention. There is also a new kid in town to watch, who echos some of his greatness. Try the book Refraction. There are some good parallels in the psychology that the authors hooks us with. I always love to read books with good twists and turns that I don't see coming.

I loved this book. I think it addressed an important issue we all throw to the wayside. It was a real eye opener and it can be an example to its many readers.

I loved this book. I think it addressed an important issue we all throw to the wayside. It was a real eye opener and it can be an example to its many readers.

This one kind of disappointed me. It based itself on an issue that is valid, and the message about the pilght of the homeless is an important one. But the anticipation for another hot Grisham made this book seem unfulfilling! Otherwise, it is a great read!

First let me say that all previous books were very well written and lived up to the rave reviews. However "The Street Lawyer" lost all interest for me after the second reference to the eeeevil Republicans not taking care of us all from cradle to grave. I shall not read another John Grisham book.

I enjoyed this book after the first half. I must admit that I'm not a die-hard fan of Grisham, and that his books all seem, at least to me, to be like research papers. This one was a pleasant break from his other works that I have read, as he didn't spend the entire book discussing one's thoughts and describing every stupid thing in detail. The book gets going slowly, but comes to an exciting (yet very predictible) end. It's less court thriller and more mystery. My favorite of his books.

This was one of the most boring books I have ever read. I thought, judging by the glowing reviews, that it would be very good. It is, instead, just a big blah. The characters are boring. There is little action. If you like books that offer nothing but wordy self-debates by dull characters, put your money on the counter. Otherwise, go home.

I love all JG books. This one is typical of his legal thrillers. Definatley worth reading.

Story:
Ray and Forrest are the sons of old judge Atlee, who's health is rapidly declining. Ray is a successful law professor who widely respected and popular with his students. Forrest is the black sheep of the family and has proably tried every illegal susbstance there is and been to every detox facility on the map. Both son's are summoned by the judge to hear what he has in his will before he passes. Both come reluctanly due to the strained relationship that they have, for various reasons, with their father. Ray arrives first and find that the old judge has passed away. In his shock and grief he starts rummaging around looking for the will the judge left when he stumbles upon some boxs he has never seen before. To his amazement these boxes contain over 3 million dollars. Before Ray has time to think his brother shows up. What does Ray do? What follows is a story about family secrets, greed, and judgement.
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To me this was a pretty good story. It follows a group of people who were family but were never very good at communicating with each other. The father passes away and the "good" son finds some money that old man had stowed away. Almost imeediatley the son becomes paranoid about the money and doesnt tell his brother about it. The thing with that was that before the judge passed away he had written a new will saying that a good amount of any money found or in the estate was to go in a trust find for the "bad" brother to be used to help him get his life straightened out and the "bad" brother knew this while the "good" brother didn't. How Forrest "tests" Ray and how the book ends was different and interesting. I would recommend this to any one who likes John Grisham and any one who likes stories where who was right and who was wrong is a little unclear.
-m.a.c

Grisham does it again. A great story but not a great writer, he manages to create suspense and intrigue in his own personal manner. And the best part is that you can read it in a weekend.

Besides the fact that you might need a dictionary handy(a bit of legal mumbo jumbo!)-This is a keeper! Don't get discouraged by the first two chapters. You'll get hooked immediately after that!