The Associate…………………………….2009

By

John Grisham………………………………..£18.99

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“The Associate” is the twentieth novel from the pen of, John Grisham, that Bestselling American Novelist. All his books have been bestsellers, and this one, by all accounts, will join the previous nineteen. The Author studied and qualified in Law, and after a short time in practice, he switched careers to become a bestselling author. You are, I’m sure, already familiar with many of his works, The Firm; The Pelican Brief; and The Appeal; to mention but a few.

But in the, “The Associate”, his most recent offering, one has to say that the author has succeeded in producing another un-putdownable thriller. The story begins with our principal character, Kyle McAvoy, a law student, acting as a Basketball Coach to a rather poor team. In this particular game, his team is already firmly trounced, and so the Coach is just marking time, as he waits for the final whistle. And then, having performed as a Coach should at the end of such a game, he found a backway out of the Basketball Court. However, when he reached his car, he found there, waiting for him, a man who had all the appearance of being a Detective, or such. This man introduced himself, flashing a badge, which bore the inscription….”Bob Plant, FBI”…. Bob was not alone, as his sidekick soon appeared, a “Nelson Ginyard”, who also produced a Badge.

In their conversation with Kyle, it became apparent, that these “officials” had some information, backed up by a video tape, that placed Kyle McAvoy in a very difficult situation. It appeared that Kyle had, while at College, taken part in, or had been present at, a session of rather questionable acts, which happened to be illegal in the State where the College was situated, and now, “The Law” was in a position to threaten him with the dire consequences that would follow such deviant behaviour, unless………..

Kyle was a brilliant Law Student attending Yale at that time, and the “FBI Officers” now assured him, that they would forget all about his dalliance at Duquesne University, provided that he, in turn, would be prepared to join the Law Firm of “Scully and Pershing” and, as that Firm happened to be working on behalf of a very powerful industrial giant, this would enable Kyle to pass on to the “FBI” some very delicate documents.

Kyle accepted their offer. He didn’t feel that he had any alternative. However, when he checked out his “FBI” agents later, he discovered that he had been hoodwinked by a criminal group. But, they now had him where they wanted him, and they proceeded to monitor all his movements and actions, while Kyle spent all his best efforts trying to stay within the law. He later discovered that his handlers meant business when one of his College Fraternity members was murdered.

It is on that skeleton that the author hangs his story.

Does Kyle succeed in outwitting the evil gang? How does he avoid breaking the law? And how does he avoid the threatened lawsuit by the girl involved in that foolish romp of his College days?

To get all the enjoyment, and excitement, of finding the answers to these questions, I’m afraid you will have to get, and read, “The Associate”, this latest of John Grisham’s Novels. However, I’m sure that you will enjoy the effort involved, and that you will find the game worth the candle, in this case.

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Peter Barrett,

St.Jude’s,

Waterford Road.

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