It’s been a while since I’ve read a Grisham novel, but decided to give this new one a go. And I’m glad I did. The Litigators is  not spectacular, but it has a nice, feel good ending.

David Zinc, a young attorney, turns his back on his fancy downtown firm, ending up at the small office of Finley & Figg after a day of drinking. Finley and Figg are two street lawyers, ambulance chasers, who seem to specialize in quickie divorces. But Wally Figg has run across their ticket to riches. A class action lawsuit is forming against Varrick labs, a huge pharmaceutical company, because of their cholesterol-lowering drug, Kryox. As Wally sees it, they can scrounge up some clients, joint the suit and just hang on for the ride. Money with little work. Of course, it’s not going to be that easy and by the end both Finley and Figg are relying on the inexperienced David.

I actually liked Oscar Finley and Wally Figg. They’re sleazy, two-bit lawyers who lie to their clients on a regular basis, but they made me smile. They bicker and argue with each, manipulate and deceive people, but they’re just two not very talented lawyers trying to make a living in a big city. Their ethics are not good, but I was still rooting for them.

David is the good guy, the one who turns his back on the big boys, the one who really wants to help the little guy. After the stress of the big firm, he’s actually coming to like Finley & Figg, a place where he can make a difference, both for clients and for the firm.

There aren’t many surprises  or twists in the plot, but the characters are fun. And Grisham provides great courtroom scenes, as always, although there is not suspense in the book. It’s a light story. You know somehow the good guy’s going to get a happy ending, and the road is actually pretty straight.

I listened to this one, read by Dennis Boutsikaris. It didn’t take too much concentration or thought, which is a perfect choice for me for audios. I tend to do other things while listening – walk the dog, do the laundry, make dinner, so I need something entertaining, something that doesn’t need my full attention.

I can’t say The Litigators made me fall in love with Grisham all over again, but it was enjoyable. It made me laugh in places, and while it’s dealing with some timely issues, I didn’t feel like Grisham was preaching his point. It’s a good one to borrow from the library, but if I was planning on buying it, I’d wait for the paperback.

3 out of 5 stars

Category: Fiction – Courtroom

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Published October 31, 2011 by Doubleday
11 hours 33 minutes

Book source: Library

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