This is Grisham's 30th book, and he still is able to tell a good story, create an interesting character, in this case, Sebastian Rudd, a lawyer who has so aggravated everyone, both perps and cops, that his office is a mobile van, driven by his bodyguard, a former client he defended and won. The book at first reads like a series of short stories; the first case involves a tattooed and despicable punk, accused of murdering two young girls. The cops want him convicted, the judge and jury would like to see him put to death but one thing stands in the way: the fact that he's not guilty and he's defended by Sebastian Rudd.
After this case, we move on to a couple other cases and in most of them, just like the Netflix documentary MAKING A MURDERER, the cops don't come of well, to be kind. As Sebastian says after one of his cases, "A lawyer like me is forced to work in shadows. My opponents are protected by badges, uniforms, and all the myriad trappings of governmental power. They are sworn and duty-bound to uphold the law, but since they cheat like hell it forces me to cheat even more."
The most egregious case involves police overkill; they invade the home of a retired couple, thinking they are drug dealers (in reality, it's the kid next door, using their WiFi). They storm the house, in riot gear, and the husband, thinking his home is being invaded, gets his gun and starts shooting. In the melee, his wife is gunned down and he is later indicted for shooting a police office, facing life in prison. Sebastian, of course, takes the case and makes fools of the cops, the court system, and the judge. Reading this book does not give you much faith in our legal system, especially if you are not wealthy or connected. The average Joe always seem to get screwed.
The book ends with Rudd, because he's famous for taking the cases of losers, being suckered into the orbit of a serial killer. Again, the cops, not the serial killer, appear more dangerous.
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