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Last week, I *finally* finished another book, but I had not come around to tooting about it.
24. The Client by John Grisham
Links:
Official author site: https://jgrisham.com/the-client/
Wikipedia site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Client_(novel)
Goodreads site: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5359.The_Client
I had seen the movie several times, and now I have finally come around to reading the book.
Synopsis:
Eleven-year-old Mark Sway is just a regular kid who ends up in the absolute worst place at the worst possible time. While sneaking a cigarette in the woods with his little brother, Mark accidentally witnesses the suicide of a mob-connected lawyer. But before the man dies, he spills a massive, deadly secret: the exact location where the mafia buried the body of a recently murdered U.S. Senator.
Suddenly, Mark is caught in a terrifying, high-stakes tug-of-war. On one side, an ambitious prosecutor and the FBI are breathing down his neck, desperate to use Mark's knowledge to finally take down the mob. On the other side, ruthless mafia hitmen are tracking his every move to make sure Mark takes the secret to his grave.
Realizing he can't trust the police or the feds to actually protect him, Mark makes a bold move and hires Reggie Love—a tough, fiercely protective lawyer—for a single dollar. Together, this incredibly unlikely duo has to outsmart both the relentless federal government and a deadly criminal underworld just to keep Mark and his family alive.
Main characters of the book:
• Mark Sway: The eleven-year-old protagonist who finds himself caught between the FBI and the Mafia. He is street-smart, highly observant, and deeply devoted to his family. Forced to grow up too fast due to his difficult home life, Mark relies on his quick wits and inherent distrust of authority to navigate an impossibly dangerous situation.
• Reggie Love: A tough, fifty-two-year-old lawyer who agrees to represent Mark for just one dollar. Reggie is a survivor who overcame a turbulent past, including a battle with alcoholism, before going to law school later in life. She is fierce, fiercely independent, and acts as the only real shield Mark has against the adults who want to exploit him.
• Roy Foltrigg: The arrogant and highly ambitious United States Attorney from New Orleans. Often referred to behind his back as "The Reverend" due to his booming voice and theatrical nature, Foltrigg is obsessed with finding the missing senator's body to secure a career-defining conviction. He views Mark not as a child in peril, but as a stubborn obstacle in his path to political glory.
• Barry "The Blade" Muldano: A ruthless and flashy Mafia hitman. He is the nephew of a powerful mob boss and the prime suspect in the senator's murder. Barry is dangerous, unpredictable, and desperate to silence Mark before the boy can share the secret with the federal government.
• Dianne Sway: Mark’s loving but overwhelmed single mother. She works hard to provide for her two sons while living in a trailer park, but the trauma her family endures pushes her to her breaking point. Mark’s desperate actions throughout the book are entirely driven by his need to protect her and his younger brother, Ricky.
Reception by the critics and fans:
John Grisham’s The Client was a massive commercial success upon its release in 1993, earning strong reactions from both professional critics and general readers.
Bestseller Status and Sales
• The book was a runaway hit, spending over 40 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
• It sold 2.6 million copies within just 15 weeks of publication.
• The story was so inherently cinematic that the film rights were sold for $2.5 million.
Critical Reception
• Critics almost universally agreed that the plot was tailor-made for a screen adaptation.
• Kirkus Reviews praised the book's unwavering tension, favorably comparing the young protagonist's predicament to classic characters like Huck Finn or Jim Hawkins, noting that instead of pirates, this boy is thrown among lawyers and murderers.
• Some reviewers felt the novel sacrificed some of Grisham's usual "roller-coaster suspense" in favor of humor and slapstick energy.
• While some critics pointed out flaws—such as sketchy background details, moments where dialogue slipped into heavy exposition, or an ending that pressed too hard for tears—they ultimately concluded that these issues didn't detract from the fun of the thriller.
Fan Reception
• Fans frequently praise the novel for its fast-paced blend of tension, hidden secrets, and legal twists that are easy to understand.
• Readers often highlight how the extreme danger surrounding an eleven-year-old child makes the story feel intensely urgent and real.
• Even though some readers have noted that the middle of the book can drag slightly or that the ending can feel a bit abrupt after such a fast-paced buildup, it remains highly rated and is often cited as a favorite among Grisham's works.