Rogue Lawyer

Rogue Lawyer - by John Grisham

 

Another John Grisham book that seems, in many ways, like every other John Grisham book.  That’s not meant to be a criticism, merely an observation.  The guy knows how to write a story and hook you in. Rarely do I come across an author where I literally don’t’ want to put the book down.  Even though this is the case with most of Grisham’s work, that’s not always to say he succeeds.  I’ve read many of his ‘page turners’ where the end left me unsatisfied and unfulfilled. I didn’t find that to be the case here. This is not a perfect book – probably not even in what most readers would call his ‘top ten’, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The ‘Rogue Lawyer’ is Sebastian Rudd. He’s one of those somewhat sleazy lawyers who works out of his van and seems to attract lowlifes that most ‘respectable’ lawyers won’t go near.  He really is a good guy and is pure in heart, but he’s seen so much injustice in how his world works, that he’s not afraid to bend the rules in his favor when necessary – and it’s necessary quite often. When he believes in his client, he’ll do whatever he can to prove their innocence. If he doesn’t believe his client, well, he’ll definitely do what he can without compromising his standards too much.

After reading the first couple of ‘sections’ of this book, you might think that this is another compilation of short stories (such as Ford County), but eventually many of the characters in the earlier parts of the book show up again in some fashion.  A bit of what we’re asked to believe is a bit ridiculous, such as the bombs going off while one of his clients is about to be executed (I’m being vague – don’t want to give away too much), but Grisham tells such a good story that I wasn’t really bothered by these random events of unbelievability. 

There’s also a hostile relationship with an ex-wife and mother of his son (she left him for a woman), a lot of the sport known as ‘cage fighting’, and lots and lots and lots of crooked cops.  Again, I know the police force isn’t perfect anywhere, but the level of corruption around Sebastian’s world seems a bit of a stretch.

This is something like Grisham’s 25^th book, and it feels like you’ve read so much of this before to some degree. Therefore, if you’re looking for something fresh and original, you might come away disappointed.  I certainly didn’t feel that way. Again, he tells a great story, which is why he is who he is.  Like most of Grisham’s books, I doubt I’ll remember much about the plot a couple of years from now, but that’s o.k. By then, I’m sure he’ll have churned out many more new books for my enjoyment. Yes, this book is ‘more of the same’, but for the most part, the ‘same’ is pretty darned good.