’’The Firm’’ was the first book by John Grisham that I had ever read. I have since read nearly all of his others, and, after a recent reread, this still remains my favorite of the bunch.
’’The Firm’’ is about a young lawyer named Mitch McDeere. Mitch is graduation in the top five from Harvard’s law school, and could have his pick of any number of large, prestigious law firms in which to set up his practice. Then along comes Bendini, Lambert, and Locke, a small firm located in Memphis, Tennessee. This firm is desperate for Mitch’s services. They throw a huge salary, a new car, and so many other benefits in Mitch’s face that he’d be foolish not to accept. So he does.
It turns out that Mitch’s foolish action is the acceptance of the offer. Mitch is soon approached by the FBI. They tell him that his house was bugged by the firm and that the two lawyers that died in a mysterious boating accident were actually killed by the firm. Then they drop the shocker--Mitch’s firm is the sole legal counsel for the Mafia, and the FBI wants Mitch to help them from the inside to bust the firm and therefore the Mafia.
The characters are powerful and well-developed; the story-line is filled with lots of detail and the sub-plots are interesting and lead to the overall excellence of this book. In the book, Mitch is less superhuman and more realistic guy. His wife behaves as a typical wife whose husband is gone 18 hours a day would, and he pays the consequences. His plan of action doesn’t proceed flawlessly.So this book is rather believable.
’’The Firm’’ is a quick and interesting read. One page has a way of dissolving into the next, and you can feel Mitch’s despair and confusion right along with him. I highly recommend it to anyone with even a remote interest in the law.