What Would You Do For $90 Million?? (The Partner - John Grisham)

Member Name: Andy.mack

Product:	The Partner - John Grisham
Date:	08/12/03 (136 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Another easy flowing Grisham book

Disadvantages: A few slight Plot Holes

Well the next Grisham book I come to is The Partner and despite what some people seem to think no he’s not paying me (although any cash would be much appreciated). He seems to be an author who sticks to a set and regiment style but he makes this style work well. Although the subject matter probably doesn’t appeal to everyone, Grisham has a way of drawing you into the book.

He started his professional career as a lawyer but back in the early 90’s decided to branch out a little and started to write Novels. He draws a lot on his own knowledge of law and mixes it well with fictitious events to make a decent story. From his earliest work, A Time To Kill he has written in a way that really makes his novels simple but yet highly addictive. As I’ve said before, if you haven’t read anything by him but think it sounds good then pick one of his books up and I’m sure you’ll get drawn

This time the story focuses on Patrick Lanigan a promising young partner within a high profile law firm. He has it all a lovely wife, a new born child and a long career ahead of him but when he is killed in a car crash all this has gone. Weeks later after his funeral almost 90 million dollars is stolen from his old companies offshore bank account and this is when they realise that Patrick isn’t actually dead.

It would appear that he faked his own death and no-one knows how but it’s apparent that he had been planning it for a while. Now his company have brought in some private investigators to track him down, while the FBI are also on his trail. Eventually the private Investigators find him in Brazil under the name of “Danilo”. They capture and interrogate him before the FBI rescue him but of course arrest him.

Of course now he’s taken home to face the music and give people the chance to find out exactly how and why he managed to do it. Now back home in a prison cell everyone wants him punishe
d and his wife wants a divorce, things don’t look good for Patrick and a law suit for $90 million just adds to his problems.

This is another book like most of his others where a lot of thought has gone into the character development drawing you in and making you form an opinion on the main character. On this occasion Patrick comes across as a very clever man but one of these sort of people you would hate. Although in places, for instance during his captivity where he is tortured, you feel a little sorry for him but on the whole he’s not really got much going for him.

Although he’s the major character your desire to see what sort of punishment he gets really gets you into the book. Of course this can also put you off as I find a disliking for the main character often makes it hard going to read the whole book. However I found it captivating and the more I disliked him the more into the book I actually got.

It’s one think I notice about a lot of Grisham’s work is the simplifying of the legal terms making it easier for me to get into rather than trying to comprehend something I really don’t get. The Partner makes a good starting point for people just getting in to Grisham as it shows off some of his best abilities, but also shows some of his weaknesses. The main example of this is the Kidnap passage, where the idea is a little weak.

However with the imaginative way he fakes Lanigan’s death you can easily balance out the poorer parts of the story with the stronger points. Of course needless to say the law parts are flawless and although this is one of the weaker Grisham books I’ve read I’m sure its fair to say that it’s by no means poor. An enjoyable enough read that will keep you entertained and flicking through the pages. If you fancy giving this a try then you can pick it up from www.cd selections.com for £3.99.

Cheers
Andy

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