The Client

Let me begin with a brief but crisp introduction about the author. John Grisham is a famous American novelist, attorney and a politician, best known for his works in legal thrillers. An attorney by profession, you can smell every corner of the courtroom in all his works.

This legal thriller revolves around a eleven year old Memphis boy, Mark Sway, who gets rat-trapped by his own over-smartness. FBI, attorney, mental illness and torture, criminals and mafia are not the things any eleven year old kid would love to get involved with. This is exactly what he has to face. How this protagonist gets involved in this vicious circle, what all he does to save himself, his eight year old brother, Ricky Sway, and his divorced mother are beautifully described in this novel.

“Smoking is injurious to health”.

We all have heard this phrase in our everyday life. We understand by this is the obvious diseases it causes and the impact it has on our mind and family. But you will be astonished to know that this habit of smoking is the only reason that Mark has to go through all of the mentioned things above and hence was the birth of this novel. Hilarious isn’t it that a whole novel can be written only because of eleven year old smoking !

After being introduced to our protagonists let me shed some light on the supporting characters of this story who help shape the story.

Rick Sway, is an ideal eight year boy, emotional, immature, scared and timid. He ends up in a city hospital after going through a mental trauma. How does he get there ? It is left for you to find it out.

Diana Sway, the mother of two, divorced due to obvious reasons, is a caring and loving mother. She bills a few dollars per day in a small firm and has had a very tragic past which has made her dodgy over the years. She along with the kids resides in one of the dirtiest trailer parks of Memphis.

Reggie Love, an dedicated attorney, is hired by Mark for just one dollar. Yes you read it right, for one dollar. She, in her late fifties, who agrees to represent an eleven year old for just a buck shows her love towards children. Yes you guessed it right. She is an reputed attorney representing poor children for their rudimentary rights. As the story moves, she comes out as an very supportive, strong and a diplomatic lawyer. She has forgotten her dark past and lives her present to the fullest giving her best at whatever she does.  

We all know how difficult it is to testify against a mafia in the court especially when the mafia is behind you. There are so many challenges and those are brought out very aptly by the author.   

My favorite character is Mark Sway. Having faced so many things at the age when we can’t even think about those is a gutsy work. Another trait I adore in him is his responsible and mature behavior which is seen in every chapter of this book. He is a very knowledgeable boy and his presence of mind has worked wonders for him. I just admire him to the fullest and probably you also will. It is interesting to see how Mark executes his stratagem to find the dark secrets of mafia which would prove him innocent and this is my favorite part of the story. 

In my opinion this book is the best for the people who love reading legal thriller as a genre. The sequences of all the events are all clearly brought to surface by John Grisham. The book keeps you engaged at all times and the author has left no scope for you to loose the grip.

I would recommend this book for all the reading enthusiasts. Though it’s a legal thriller, there is no requirement for any prior knowledge in Law as the author presents it in a very simple and understandable way. 

What exactly happens which pushes Mark into this rubble, How the mafia gets behind Mark, What all he does to save himself and his family from mafia, Does he get successful in achieving his target or has to succumb to the hands of mafia is all left for you to answer.