The Client, by John Grisham

The first thing that always strikes me about John Grisham books is that they are vividly visual. The Client was no exception. It was as if I was in that car with Mark and Romey, the air thick with smoke, my heart beating faster with every word. This book was an experience. From the very first chapter when two young boys set into motion a remarkable series of events when they come across a suicidal lawyer with a secret, I knew I was in for a treat.

Grisham dedicates as much time to the characters as to the plot. The plot varies wonderfully in pace and has a surprise at every turn. As for the characters, with both joy and anguish I was amazed at conflicting ideas the protagonist embodied: A shocking maturity that enabled him to take responsibility for his family, a lack of maturity that deprived him of healthy fear and sound judgment when faced with potential danger, a cunning that enabled him to twist those around him to his will and a childlike fragility that reduced him to tears when he contemplated the hand he had been dealt. The Client is a tale of the absolutely improbable, told so deliciously convincingly that I found myself unable to put it down as my heart raced to the very last page.