The Client

 

Summary (from the publisher): This is the story of eleven-year-old Mark Sway, who, as the novel opens, witnesses the bizarre suicide of a New Orleans attorney. Just before he dies, the lawyer tells Mark a deadly secret concerning the recent murder of a Louisiana Senator, whose accused killer, Mafia thug Barry Muldanna, is about to go to trial. The police, the federal prosecutor, and the FBI pressure Mark to tell them the attorney’s last words, but he knows that with the mob watching his every move, revealing his secret will almost surely get him killed. So Mark, streetwise and old beyond his years, hires a lawyer: Reggie Love, a fifty-two-year-old divorcee who’s been through more than anyone could imagine and survived, basically, because she’s tough. And fiesty. And loves helping kids overlooked or abused by the system. But when Mark’s life is threatened, and Reggie discovers her office has been bugged, and even the Juvenile court judge says Mark has no choice but to talk, she realizes that this time she’s in way over her head. But then Mark comes up with a plan… a crazy plan, in Reggie’s opinion but it’s their only hope. And it just might work.

 

Review: The Client tells the story of Mark Sway, an 11-year old who, with his 8-year old brother, accidentally stumble upon the scene of the suicide of a New Orleans attorney. And right before he pulls the trigger, that attorney tells Marks the location of the body of a dead Louisiana Senator, who was killed by the mob. Mark knows he possesses a deadly secret, so he gets himself a lawyer and keeps his mouth shut. However, it'll take more than silence to get Mark and his family out of this mess, and not without the help of his lawyer Reggie Love.

 

John Grisham can write a page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and raced through it, anxious to see how it would conclude. It's full of suspense and tension. I also loved the characters of Mark and his lawyer, the tough and wily 52- year old Reggie Love. Reggie's made herself over in her second life as a lawyer. She was formerly a doctor's wife, but went through a nasty divorce, the loss of custody of her children, drug dependency, and a suicide attempt. Likewise, Mark, although only 11, is the child of an abusive, impoverished home. He and his mom are near equals when it comes to decision making for their family. Mark's maturity and status as a street smart kid are the only reason the plot of this novel works.

 

However, after reading this, I began contemplating holes in the plot, and also began to wonder what took over four hundred pages to resolve - couldn't the outcome just has easily happened right at the beginning of Mark's story had he just called 911, reported what he'd heard, and then sought protection from the law? Also, I can't imagine that Reggie, being as level headed as she seemed would take a minor across state lines in hunt of a body. For that matter, I don't buy that the attorney would have confided in Mark before killing himself, despite being suicidal and drunk.

 

Furthermore, although I accept that Mark is wily and mature beyond his years, I had a hard time believing that a 11 year old would be quite so wise. Mark seems to rationally deliberate all of his actions and seriously consider his lawyer's advice (that he sought out and obtained himself to begin with) before making any decisions. "I don't want anybody to know that I know, because Romey told me his client had killed many people and was planning on killing Romey too. If he's killed lots of people, and if he thinks I know this secret, he'll come after me. And if I tell this stuff to the cops, then he'll come after me for sure" (116). Despite his seemingly innate mistrust of everyone, including the Mafia and the cops, he completely trusts Reggie from the moment of their meeting. The relationship between Mark and Reggie is a cornerstone of the novel, and its the only way the plot was able to pan out the way it did, yet at times their bond seemed too excessive to believe.

 

I still love John Grisham's novels. Despite the fact that this was published in 1993, its still as captivating as ever (although I did keep marveling at the lack of cell phones and constant calling from landlines). Despite some gaps in the story, it's still an enjoyable and a compulsive read.

 

Stars:3