The Associate by John Grisham

I wasn’t eagerly looking forward to John Grisham’s newest novel but I also usually enjoy him so when The Associate came into the library, I grabbed it for a weekend read. It is typical Grisham and semi-formulaic, but still enjoyable. This is the story of Yale Law student named Kyle McAvoy who dreams of going into public service until he is blackmailed over a 5-year old rape charge. The blackmailers pressure Kyle into giving up his public service job and into joining a prestigious law firm. This is all so he can steal secrets related to a large lawsuit, and turn them over to the rival firm, or so he’s told. Most of the law stuff rings true, although since I’m not a lawyer, I can’t vouch for it completely, although there are a few exceptions; most notably, that the file room for the case would be locked from 10:00 pm – 6:00 am. But while this isn’t Grisham’s finest, it will keep you entertained for a few hours; and you’ll be glad you didn’t suffer through being an associate yourself.