November 2015: The Litigators by John Grisham

Our first book was chosen together, but it has to be said that Chantal has read most of Grisham’s books while Chris was reading a Grisham for the first time.

Chris:

I didn’t know what to expect from this book and I still didn’t know for the first couple of chapters until David formerly of the prestigious Chicago Law firm Rogan Rothberg, burst into the offices of Finley and Figg a two-bit law firm on the Southside.

The Litigators follows the story of David a young Harvard-educated lawyer who has worked too hard and thinks a bit too much for his boring but well paid job. One day he cracks and ends up working for Finley and Figg. Oscar Finley and Wally Figg run this ‘boutique’ law firm and specialise in injury cases and car wrecks. Oscar worries about the finances and hopes for retirement, while Wally looks for the next big case that will make them millions, never finding one. Then Wally stumbles upon goldmine. One of his old clients is struck dead by a heart attack. His son is putting the blame on the cholesterol drug Krayoxx, developed by the unscrupulous pharmaceutical firm Varrick Laboratories.
 
Wally smells millions and armed with some promising research embarks on an whirlwind adventure to find more cases and joins the mass tort case stirring up in different parts of the country. David finds himself thrown into this case with little experience and little confidence in the partners at Finley and Figg.
 
It’s an engaging story, with several laugh-out-loud moments particularly the courtroom scene, when Oscar finds himself in trouble and Wally sees the funny side. The book will keep you guessing until the end and will leave you with a smile.

Chantal:

For me, John Grisham has always been a safe choice. If I wanted a page-turner that would distract me from my life for a few hours, I knew I could rely on him. But after reading ‘The Litigators’ my opinion has slightly changed.

I felt the real John Grisham style only come out in the last fifth of the book. The first 80% of the book were a long and rather boring prelude. I was unable to put the book down during the last fifth though.

The story is somewhat unusual, with several main characters. David an overworked lawyer quits the big firm to join a boutique operation of two slightly dodgy ambulance-chasers, Wally Figg and Oscar Finchley. The story follows the firm’s attempt at a mass tort case against major pharmaceutical complex for a drug meant to lower cholesterol which is also said to cause heart disease. Several side stories make the book a lot more digestable and bring the characters to life.

The book was worth it in the end, but it cannot be compared to any of his classics — The Firm, The Jury.. even the more recent ‘The Associate’ kept me on my toes for the whole book.