The Associate Review

I have been a long-time fan of John Grisham's story-telling skills. Since reading The Client, The Brethren, The Firm, and countless other books by this author, I have come to expect certain things in one of his novels. The first of these being his signature plot twists. The Associate did not let this faithful reader down. This book shows just how much Grisham has grown since writing The Pelican Brief. Gone are the dry paragraphs full of legalese, leaving room for more snappy dialogue and intriguing plot changes.

Any fan of Jon Grisham knows that his characters are among many, many things, both complicated and believable. Kyle McAvoy, main character in The Associate, is so human and beautifully flawed that the reader can empathize and identify with from the first page. Throughout the book it is easy to sympathize with, mourn for, and eventually cheer for Kyle McAvoy, another of John Grisham's brilliant character creations.

Location. It does not matter if Grisham is writing about a Memphis suburb, a small, cancer-afflicted community, or a law firm in New York, all the details needed to build an immaculate mental picture of the location are in place. The author of the Associate paints locations like York, Pennsylvania in such a vivid way, it is not difficult for the reader to picture himself in the middle of the scene.

John Grisham's supporting characters are another one of his many strong points. Over the years, dedicated readers like myself have come to love that there is no cookie-cutter formula for lesser characters in Grisham's books. The associate introduces an attractive, quietly supportive former math teacher, a drug-addicted alleged rapist, and Marquis, the troubled eleven year old that McAvoy coaches on a youth league basketball team.

Once again Grisham gives a fast-paced thriller with enough sub-plots to make us wonder who the bad guy really is. All this in a book that can be read over the weekend! Definitely one to add to your Grisham collection.