John Grisham is back with his latest courtroom conundrum, The Street Lawyer. This time the lord of legal thrillers dives deep into the world of the homeless, particularly their barely audible legal voice in a world dominated by large, all-powerful law firms. Our hero, Michael Brock, is on the fast track to partnership at Washington, D.C.'s premier law firm, Sweeny & Drake. His dream of one day raking in a million-plus a year is finally within reach. Nothing can stop him, not even 90-hour work weeks and a failing marriage--until he meets DeVon Hardy, a.k.a. "Mister," a Vietnam veteran with a grudge against his landlord--and a few lawyers to fry. Hardy, with no clear motive, takes Brock and eight of his colleagues hostage in a boardroom, demanding their tax returns and interrogating them with a conviction that would have put perpetrators of the Spanish Inquisition to shame. Hardy, a man of few words and a lot of ammunition, mumbles cryptically, "Who are the evictors?" as he points a .44 automatic within inches of Brock's face. The violent outcome of the hostage situation triggers an abrupt soul-searching for the young lawyer, and Hardy's mysterious question continues to haunt him. Brock learns that Hardy had been in and out of homeless shelters most of his life, but he had recently begun paying rent in a rundown building; that means he has legal recourse when a big money- making outfit such as Sweeny & Drake boots him with no warning. When Brock realizes that his profession caters to the morally challenged, he sets out on an aimless search through the dicey side of Washington, DC, ending up at the 14th Street Legal Clinic. The clinic's director, a gargantuan man named Mordecai Green, woos Brock to the clinic with a $90,000 cut in pay and the chance to redeem his soul. Brock takes it--and some of the story's credibility along with it; it's hard to believe that a Yale graduate who sacrificed everything--including his marriage--to succeed in the legal profession would quickly jump at the opportunity for low-paying, charitable work. However, Brock's search for corruption in the swanky upper echelons of Sweeny & Drake (via the toughest streets of Washington, DC) is filled with colourful characters and realistic, gritty descriptions. In The Street Lawyer, Grisham once again defends the voiceless and powerless. In the words of Mordecai Green, "That's justice, Michael. That's what street law is all about. Dignity."

2008-07-01 Ohhh Think Twice

Michael Brock is a successful lawyer who is hoping to make partner in his large Law firm in the next few years. His life is all about making money for the company and keeping himself on the corporate track. However, all this is literally blown to pieces when a man is shot in front of him. This man had been holding members of Michael's law film hostage and demanding that they look at the plight of Washington's homeless. Whilst the rest of the firm get on with life Michael is shook up with the incident and begins to question himself. When he is approached by a lawyer from a small firm who represents the homeless with a job offer can Michael change his way of life?

`The Street Lawyer' is not the best Grisham novel, but not the worst. Its relatively short length means that there is not much that can happen. Therefore, the story never runs as deep as something like `A Time to Kill'. Grisham creates in Michael another flawed, yet likable, central character, but for me he was a little too indecisive. I felt that the majority of the books structure was merely there to allow Grisham to wax lyrical about the plight of the homeless. There is nothing wrong with the sentiment, but on occasion the book seemed to drift into non-fiction. Despite this I found the book a fun fast read as the pace picks up really well for the second half. This is certainly not essential Grisham, but fans will like it none the less.