Due to eye issues Alexa reads to me, I read this novel in 2020. I was very sick at the time with shingles which I still suffer with. I gave it 5 star so I must have enjoyed it. Enjoy reading 2020

The book tells of a boy who happens upon a mob lawyer who commits suicide. But before he commits suicide, he divulges information on where the body of the murdered Senator was hidden by his mob boss. Fearing reprisal by the mob or the FBI for lying, he hires a lawyer to get him out of this mess.

I only slightly dislike this book because the premise of the book is weak. I could not get over the fact that the kid could have avoided the whole suspense by telling the FBI the truth about the body of the Senator. In that way, he and his immediate family could have gone into the Witness Protection Program and considering his mother's miserable job, the WPP would actually be step up from his current life. Also, his lawyer could have advised him to tell the FBI so the kid would be in WPP instead of a possible target of the mafia. The excitement of the book did not have purpose to it so this is the reason the book sucked.

And what is wrong with Assistant Attorney General, he already knew the kid was not talking because he was scarred for his life and the life of his family so could he not cut a deal with the FBI to expedite the WPP?

What is wrong with the mother? Sure it would be a hastle to be in the WPP but their lives are already in danger! So, the WPP would actually be safer for them instead of having their identity known currently.

This is an idiotic and unbelievable plot.

I guess the only redeeming quality about this book is the relationship between the kid and the 52 year old lawyer in which they both alternated being the adult in the relationship. For that, I will give this book 1.5.

I revisited this story more than 20 years after I first read it, and was pleased to find that it held up reasonably well. The characters and plot are still interesting, and it was just as fun to see 11 year old Mark and his lawyer work to out-maneuver the politicians, the FBI, and the mob. Grisham's style doesn't hold up as well, and I wasn't as appreciative of the way he reveals his characters through random gobbets of exposition, but overall this is still an enjoyable story.

Audiobook, borrowed from my public library via Overdrive. John MacDonald did an okay job on the narration, but the audio quality for this version was pretty bad. It sounded like a digitized conversion of an old audiocassette book on tape, with strange random stops to insert the next tape (or disc, maybe), and it's oddly draggy. I had to increase the playback speed to make it listenable.

I felt this Grisham novel was just so so. I don’t understand how many best of Grisham lists have this book in the top 3. The whole storyline that revolves around a kid who knows a secret really didn’t do it for me. Although this book is usually categorized as a thriller, I thought the thriller elements weren’t really present. I found the first 2/3 of the novel was really slow & kind of boring. About the last hundred pages the pace does really picks up… I would not list this book in my top 10 best Grisham novels.

Really amazed that anyone got any enjoyment out of this steaming pile of crap that came out when grisham sat at the pot.

The appeal of some of grisham's books is that they are plot driven and fast paced and full of action and danger. None of whatever elements of those things that existed here could redeem this story. For a child who is apparently far more intelligent than he should be, he ought to have discovered the holes in the hack plot he was involved in. I would get into the fact that none of the adults in his life could figure out that he would be safer in wpp than walking around with a mob secret having not yet told it (he is in more danger before he tells the secret, not after, hello?). Or that his brother's progression of his breakdown made little sense. Or the idiocy of the kid speaking in ways no 12 year old speaks. But if you didn't see it yourself, why bother. It amazes me no editors or publishers cared to toss this or at least fix it due to its myriad plot holes.

I'll be honest, I didn't finish but got pretty close. Which really says something about how compelling this book actually is.

Neither a court room dram nor a gripping thriller. The climax is really over the top.

The Law, the Mob, a murder - and the mind of an eleven year old child...

Mark Sway and his younger brother Ricky set off to a secret location to sneak a quick smoke. They hear noises and realise they aren't alone. A vehicle arrives and a man in a business suit begins apparently attempting to kill himself by allowing the exhaust fumes to fill his car. The two young boys watch in horror as they realise what is happening. Mark decides to intervene...

I kept reading this to confirm the ending which was relatively predictable. The story had enough drama and excitement in places, but in others it was pedestrian and long winded.

There was some bad language, and obviously some violence due to the subject matter. Grisham doesn't tend to get too graphic and is usually tolerable even for sensitive readers. There is a suicide/murder theme.

The moral lessons here are a little topsy turvy. Mark seems to be in a position where telling the truth would place him in serious danger. He lies and adults protect those lies. However, the Bible tells us; "Be sure your sin will find you out." Mark could've told the truth then trusted God to protect him. Regardless, all truth will be revealed one day and God will be the Judge.

This was readable if a little long...

সত্যি বলতে, বইটা পড়ে আমি রীতিমতো অবাক হয়েছি। কারন আমি জাস্ট কৌতুহলবশেই বইটা কিনেছিলাম, কাহিনী সংক্ষেপ আমাকে আকর্ষণ করেছিলো। বইটা পড়ে আমি কেবল ভাবলাম এত ভালো একটা বই এত আন্ডাররেটেড কেন? এই বই নিয়ে তো এত নিশ্চুপ থাকার কথা না। ঠিক একই রকম ফিলিংস হয়েছিলো ক্যারেন স্লটারের 'ফলেন' পড়ার পর। কে জানে আমরা হয়তো কেবল সিরিয়াল কিলার নির্ভর উপন্যাসের দিকেই বেশি ঝুঁকছি যার জন্য এ ধরনের টানটান কাহিনী থাকা সত্ত্বেও একটা বই তার প্রাপ্য রেপুটেশন পায় না -_-


যাই হোক, গল্পের নায়ক পিচ্চি মার্ক সোয়েকে আমার দারুন লেগেছে। খুবই স্মার্ট একটা বেবি, কে ভাবতে পারে একটা আমেরিকান থ্রিলারের প্রধান চরিত্রের বয়স মাত্র এগারো!!! আর এই উপন্যাসের কাছে আমি বিশেষ কৃতজ্ঞ, কারন মিস রেজি লাভের উপর আমি বলতে গেলে ক্রাশ খেয়েছি। বায়ান্নো বছরের এই মহিলার তীক্ষ্ণ ব্যক্তিত্ব আমার দারুন লেগেছি। ব্যক্তিগতভাবে এখন থেকে মিস জেন মার্পলের পরে আমার প্রিয় নারী চরিত্র রেজি লাভ।

সবশেষে বলবো এটা একটা দারুন থ্রিলার। কোন এডাল্ট কর্মকান্ড কিংবা রক্তারক্তি নৃশংসতা ছাড়াও যে জমজমাট থ্রিলার লেখা যায় তার একটা পারফেক্ট উদাহরণ দ্য ক্লায়েন্ট। একটা অপরাধ দেখে ফেলা অনেক সময় নিজে অপরাধ করার চেয়ে বড় পাপ হয়ে দাঁড়ায়— তার প্রত্যক্ষ নিদর্শন এই উপন্যাস।

শেষ কথাঃ জাবেদ রাসিনের আর কোন অনুবাদ আমার পড়া হয়নি। অনুবাদে তাকে দিবো ৪.৫/৫ আর ঈ কার এর জায়গায় বহু শব্দে ই কার ব্যবহার হয়েছে, রীতিমতো দৃষ্টিকটু ভুল। আশা করি পরের এডিশনে বাতিঘর শুধরে নেবে।

For sure, that's Grisham at his best! This one has everything to satisfy even the pickiest thriller reader: a very good plot and a perfect timing, at least two memorable characters, plenty of drama, a lot of human kindness, and for old naive fools like myself, a happy ending.

PS: The 1994 movie made after the book was also a big hit. Unfortunately, "the Client" himself, Brad Renfro as Mark Sway, passed in 2008, aged only 25...

This is perhaps one of my most favorite books by John Grisham. I thought it was The Last Juror but it’s definitely this one. I can’t believe I’ve been sitting on this one for so long and hadn’t read it yet.

The back and forth between the judge and lawyers and Oh My God Reggie. I absolutely loved Reggie. The way she talks to the Attorney General and the FBI agents and Diane’s employer.
And Judge Roosevelt and his courtroom. This is what I love in courtroom dramas.

This is by far the best John Grisham book. Not only the best John Grisham book but the best book I’ve read in a long time.

I remember when Grisham books were all the rage and surely read this one back in the day but honestly, I remember almost nothing about it. I believe it was your typical adult thriller but with almost no sex (this was the 80s after all) and just the typical jumping the shark kinds of hijinks. I know it because both a film and a TV series based on the idea of toxic waste by powerful companies and the way they attack whistleblowers and that is all great but I honestly don't recall being blown away by the quality of the writing itself.

A friend suggested I read this, but I almost just gave it back to her. Then I changed my mind and began reading it and couldn't put it down.