Book title: The Firm
Author: John Grisham
Genre: Legal Thriller
Mitch McDeere, young and straight out of law school, is being hounded by offers from law firms all over the USA. After much deliberation over where to work he finally decides on a small four storey firm in Memphis: Bendini, Lambert and Locke. With his new job, he gets a new house, which his wife, Abby, is allowed to decorate, a new BMW and a nice pay check each month. He has to work extremely hard for the firm and aspires to be a partner in the firm within 5 years.
Abby becomes friends with his colleague’s wife, but finds herself growing annoyed with some of “the firm”’s many restrictions which apply to their families as well. However he stays oblivious to this until he is approached by an agent for the FBI. When he reports this encounter to the Board at his firm, he is quickly sent on a trip to the Bahamas. There, an encounter with a young girl leads to trouble. His suspicions arise after he returns, and finds his house and car have become bugged. Now he doesn’t know who to trust, but what he does know is enough to get many people killed!
The Firm is a fast-paced, surprising and detailed book describing how the Mob can use ordinary people without their knowledge. The book plays on our fears as humans regarding privacy and society’s Big Brother syndrome: nowhere are we safe. The story is told in third person which allows the reader to better understand what is happening with each of the characters; it also creates a sense of speed and urgency, while enhancing the feeling of being watched. The twist at the very end provides a satisfying end to a fascinating read.
