John Grisham - The King of Torts (2003)
Tequila Watson is due to be prosecuted for the murder of Ramon Pumphrey, the victim on an unprovoked and seemingly motiveless shooting, and Clay Carter, a young lawyer from the Office of the Public Defender, is responsible for his defense. There is no doubt that Watson did it – there are witnesses and even he himself admits to the deed – although his only reason is a puzzler: "I just felt like it."
Soon after, a mysterious representative of a large pharmaceutical company comes to Clay with a shocking secret. Evidently, a new wonder drug, "Tarvan" - which cures drug addiction after a period of prolonged use - has some horrific side-effects that the company is prepared to pay through the nose to keep quiet. This is a deal that could make all his dreams come true, and possibly even entice Rebecca - the woman he loves - to come back to him. Not incidentally, he would also become a multimillionaire as the legal world's newest king of torts.
This was my first experience reading a John Grisham book, so after hearing that his latest efforts have been disappointing, I came to it with caution. I soon found all my fears, however, dispelled into the mist. Grisham seems to be yet another of several mega-bestselling authors that have unjustly fallen victim to their own popularity. The King of Torts is a marvelous tale of the inner workings of the law; thrilling, fast, and authentic.
The characters are a well-drawn, realistic lot, and their relationships are interesting. The plot in itself may not be full of action, but the book is nonetheless a page-turner, due in no small part to Grisham's writing style that is easy to read, without descending into Patterson-esque simplicity.
Grisham is a fantastic storyteller. As with some other popular writers who are supposedly going downhill, I found no evidence of that here. I suppose it might be that over-exposure to his books dulls their luster a little, but at first glance, anyway, this seems to be yet another writer, the reports of whose demise have been greatly exaggerated
Posted by Fiona Walker in Book Reviews | Permalink
