Title: The Litigators
Author: John GrishamPublication Year: 2011
Publisher: Random House Audio
Edition: audio book
Reader: Dennis Boutsikaris (excellent)
Setting: Chicago, IL
Source: Library
Date Completed: 11/18/2011
Rating: 4/5
Recommend: yesI use to enjoy the earlier novels by John Grisham and then for some reason, I lost track of what's been published in the last few years. When I saw his latest book was available in audio, I felt it would be a perfect selection for my work commute, especially since the reader was Dennis Boutsikaris one of my favorite readers.
In this novel, the law firm of Finley & Figg, has been in business for 20+ years, but it would be hard to categorize this firm as successful. The partners are Oscar Finley and Wally Figg, a couple of ambulance chasers who specialize in fast divorces and auto accidents for the most part. Their run down office is located in a seedy area of Chicago next to a massage parlor. Oscar is unhappily married and waiting until he can retire from this small time operation. Wally is a recovering alcoholic, married and divorced numerous times. He recoups in fees in other ways when his female clients are low on cash. Needless to say Oscar and Wally's firm is unlikely to win any prestigious awards or high profile cases, but they do manage to create some wild and crazy situations for themselves.
Then one day it seems like their luck is about to change. David Zinc, is a young 30-something, Harvard Grad. A high profile attorney from a huge hot-shot firm, David is fed up with the pressure of the fast track corporate life. One day he has a panic attack at work and up and leaves. He heads for a downtown bar, spends the day and night drinking and ends up passed out in front of Finley and Figg. When he realizes what he's done and finds himself without a job, he convinces Oscar and Wally that he can help them out. Before long the threesome sees that a class action lawsuit filed by an out of state law firm, against a huge pharmaceutical company called Varrick Labs may be the big break they've been waiting for. The drug Krayoxx, a cholesterol drug, may have caused heart attacks and even death for some who have taken the drug. All is not as easy as it appears on the surface, especially for some bumbling lawyers who have never argued a case in Federal court.
I actually enjoyed listening to the audio book a lot. It's a story that held my interest, I didn't need to hang on their every word and still was able to follow and more importantly, enjoy the story. I loved when a story like this can make me chuckle. It's certainly a lighter story than what I've read recently, but was fun all the same. This would be a fun one to listen to on a longer trip as well.
Sounds very interesting!
ReplyDeleteI used to like John Grisham but then got tired of his style and got pissed off by the movies, based on his books. Maybe it's the time to refresh our acquaintance!
ReplyDeleteMy hubby is reading this now. Yesterday I heard him chuckling and asked what he was reading. He told me and then said "you can tell Grisham had fun writing this".
ReplyDeleteI used to be a fan of Grisham, but not so much anymore. It sounds as if this one might be a little more to my liking than some of his previous books, so I will have to take a look out for it. Great review on this one. I enjoyed reading your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds good - I was wondering what it was about! I really have liked Grisham in the past also.
ReplyDeleteA good friend of mine said Grisham has his groove back with this one. I'll have to look for it.
ReplyDeleteI always used to read Grisham too, but haven't lately. I may give him another try.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Grisham in a long time either. I may have to listen to this one.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read your review because I'm reading it now, but am glad to see the 4/5. I have (and have read) all of Grisham's books (oops! not his YA), but admit that they are not all stellar. However, I am always happy and excited to get to his newest. So far, I'm enjoying this one very much.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading this right now, so I just checked to see if you recommended it (yay) because it's gotten off to a slow start for me.
ReplyDeleteI had the same experience with Grisham. I read and liked his early books and then sort of gave up on him...maybe time to start again.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear that Grisham is back to writing good books, unless several other novelists who seemed to get bored with their novels and got worse and worse, then hired ghost writers. Hopefully, Grisham will continue on this upward track.
ReplyDeleteI do like Grisham, and I mean to read more of his work. As a matter of fact, I am re-reading his Skipping Christmas right now, and liking it just as well as I did almost ten years ago.
ReplyDeletePS I loved the film of The Pelican Brief and have seen it many times.
ooh! i like the sound of this book. i haven't read a grisham novel in a really long time too.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed this - I've bought it for Mum for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteGreat characters and a story line that is at least plausible. I'm sure that we all know a Wally and Oscar in our lives, and these two left me shaking my head with each wrong turn.
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