Pure fluff but delicious, Grisham takes us once again into the world of law in Chicago, this time into the seedy low life practice of Finley and Figg, ambulance chasers and divorce lawyers, though not very good at either. Enter David Zinc, successful, high powered lawyer, who just happens to hate his job, his colleagues despite his huge salary. After quitting his job and going on a bender, David ends up at Finley and Figg, a mismatch made only in fiction. Polar opposites, David's honest, hard working, organized, wanting to do good; Figg, of course, wants to get rich quick, by any means, is divorced four times, constantly in debt. When Figg jumps on a law suit about a cholesterol drug which supposedly causes heart attacks, Zinc is carried along with him, in a minor role. As the plot continues, Figg's case begins to fall apart; he ends up going on a bender as well, and David is left holding the cards, a law suit he cannot win, cannot even defend. He holds his own, of course, to his surprise and though he loses, he gains confidence and the respect of his opponents. And he just happened to come across a family whose son has suffered brain injuries from lead poisoning. Taking up their case on his own, with mostly their interests in mind, he ends up suing a huge toy maker at the end of the book, making millions, saving the firm of Finley and Figg from bankruptcy and starting out on his own. Through out it all, he remains steady, caring about his clients, disdaining money (though he gets his fair share), and loyal to his colleagues. We wait most of the book for David to arise, Phoenix like, and save the day, which he does sort of. A quick easy read, not up to the standards of his earlier fiction.
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