The Client - John Grisham

Published by Arrow/Random House: Australia, 1993.

I quite like John Grisham novels. I like the fact that I can pick one up and enjoy it without having to think too deeply. Not that John Grisham novels are 'simple' in any way, but there is a reason that so many of his works have been adapted into action/thriller films (this book included): they read like a film.

The Client follows the story of Mark Sway, whom, along with his younger brother Ricky, witnesses the suicide of a lawyer whose client was a violent mafia member. The mafia member, Barry 'The Blade' Muldano, has killed a US senator and hidden his body somewhere. The FBI know he did it, but cannot find the body.

Mark, however, has learned where the body is hidden, and is now a target both for the FBI (who want him to talk) and the mafia (who want him silenced permanently).

Mark is eleven years old, and although he is very mature for his age (he has witnessed a lot in his time that has made him grow up too quickly) he also has moments where he acts very kid-like - which is keeping within character. This mix of maturity and impulsiveness keeps him in good stead, and through a series of events he ends up hiring a lawyer, Reggie Love - a 52-year old woman who has faced a number of traumas of her own. 

Reggie is a woman who deeply cares for her clients, and she is forced to balance her professional responsibilities with her desire to keep Mark safe. For example, she realises early on that the safest thing for Mark to do would be to publicly testify that he doesn't know where the body is buried, however she cannot advise him to lie under oath. If there is a theme in the book, it is probably tied to this idea of the responsibility to do the right thing versus thinking of what is helpful for yourself as an individual. 

As with any John Grisham book, The Client is an easy read, with enough twists and turns to keep it interesting, as well as occasional lighter, or even humorous moments (such as when Mark gets 'revenge' on a cop he doesn't like by ordering a number of pizzas to his station).

Easy to read, and to recommend.

Completed 21 March 2021.


Previously completed 16 May 2017.
(2017 List)

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