I was very sceptical when John Grisham‘s The Client was recommended to me. I once read one of his lesser books on an air flight and it felt more like work than pleasure to finish.
The Client is a fascinating read. Mark, an eleven-year-old boy, tries to prevent a suicide and ends up knowing too much about a murdered US senator. The boy is resourceful and extremely sharp. You will be amazed by his thought processes even as you suspend your disbelief. In the words of his lawyer, Reggie: “At times he thinks like a terrorist, then he cries like a little child.”
My paperback edition lists the copyright date as 1993, so this is old news. That said, if you want a suspenseful thriller with a heart of gold, this is it. Written from left-of-centre, this one had me cheering for the good guys all the way. The self-important and self-serving get schooled, first by a 50-something divorcee who was ripped off by the philandering husband she put through law school, and then by Mark, who has perfected his street sense by watching too many mafia movies.
Happy reading.