The Partner / The Street Lawyer / A Time To Kill

John Grisham writes so well it's enjoyable to read his books, USUALLY....This book dragged on...had to force myself to finish it. Which I was glad I did because the action at the end made the book worth while.

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(I only read The Street Lawyer)
Michael Brock had everything going for him. He worked in a big law firm on his way to making millions a year, one of the youngest to do so. Of course, that was before the incident with Mister. Acclaimed author John Grisham did a very good job writing this refreshing legal fiction novel, The Street Lawyer. One February morning, a shabby man in bulky layers of clothing reeking of the stench of one who hasn’t washed, walks in to the elevator behind Michael. After briefly wondering what this man would be doing in the esteemed offices of Drake and Sweeny Michael promptly forgets about him. No less than five minutes later Michael in locked in a conference room being held a gun point by the same man, who instructs his hostages to call him Mister. Mister asks each of the nine hostages how much they gave to charity and the homeless during the last year. Each one is ashamed to say very little or none. Michael is stuck for eight hours wondering if each minute will be his last. After hours of waiting, he is rescued and returns home, badly shaken, but he must go back to the office in the morning because staying at home would be considered a sign of weakness. Obviously, Michael is not okay, and begins to look into Mister’s story. Digging leads Michael to a small legal clinic that specializes in helping the homeless. Michael is moved by the generosity of its three employees and finally hands in his resignation to his law firm, literally walking away from millions. Not too long after, while collecting the rest of his personal items from his office, Michael borrows a file he thinks has something to do with Mister, fully intending to return it when he finished copying it. There was no way for him to know that he would be hit by a speeding Jaguar driven by drug dealers outrunning the police. The file’s absence is immediately noticed and all evidence points toward Michael as the thief, but file holds condemning information that could potentially cost the company millions if a lawsuit was brought against them. Michael is determined to serve justice, but how can he do that when he is faced with revocation of his lawyering license? The only way to avoid it seems to be dropping the charges against Drake and Sweeny…
t While this book was well written and mildly suspenseful, it did not keep me on the edge of my seat or beg me to read late into the night. I enjoyed reading it and never minded when I had to pick it up again, but it was not a story that made me wait impatiently for the end of school so I could read it. It was a very good story of redemption, and shows a man’s change of heart from greediness to generosity. There are several plot twists and promises to keep a reader interested from the beginning. Much of the book centers around the homeless and their hardships and was very moving to see how a few brave people cared for the homeless when no one else would. I was interested enough to want to know what was going to happen, though not enough so that I couldn’t put the book down. If you are a reader interested in fast paced adventure novels, you may want to pass on this book. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy legal fiction or a moderate drama. I would consider this a great book to bring on vacation because it is a pleasant plot that keeps you interested enough but allows for you to take your time reading it.