The Associate

John Grisham may not know how to end a book, but he sure knows how to begin one! I have been waiting for the local library to call and tell me that The Associate is finally available. I don't believe their waiting list was so long that, after ten months, my name still hasn't come up. It has been my experience there just aren't that many people around here who read anything but Bible verses and the obituaries. But, I digress.

So, when the book came out in paperback, I quickly ordered it from Amazon.com and when I got it, I immediately got comfy and eagerly began to read. It grabbed me from page one. I like that in a book.

Kyle McAvoy is on the verge of graduating law school. He is a brilliant student with a brilliant future ahead of him, until he meets Bennie. Bennie is in possession of a video taken one drunken night at Kyle's apartment. I don't need to go into detail about the video, do I? It involves two of Kyle's roommates and a young lady. Although Kyle didn't participate in the activity of the evening, he WAS there, albeit passed out in a chair. The video clearly shows this.

A few days after the orgy, the young lady in question started hollering "rape", and the boys were hauled in for questioning. It was a close call. If the young lady hadn't been so generous with her affections with so very many other young men, it could have turned ugly for the guys. But, as it was, she kept changing her story and her reputation preceded her, so the boys were never charged or tried. Whew! Nevertheless, the video existed and could have caused no end of trouble and embarrassment to Kyle and his frat brothers, because, after four years, the young lady was still claiming she was raped that night.

Back to Bennie. He is in possession of said tape, and explains to Kyle that if he doesn't do his bidding, he will release the tape and ruin his life and those of his friends. He wants Kyle to accept a job offer with a very prominent New York law firm. This firm is engaged in a dispute between two powerful defense contractors worth billions. Kyle is supposed to steal information from his employer and deliver it to Bennie. Panic ensues.

This plot gets very involved, in typical John Grisham fashion, and keeps you on the edge of your recliner right up until the end. Grisham's books always seem to leave you wondering, "what happened next?" and this one is no different.

But, I highly recommend this book, if you like trying to unravel puzzles as much as I do.

Stay tuned.