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Avukat
Hiç hasta olmamış, olamayan, bağışıklık sistemi bilinen tüm hastalıkları yenen Hasta X.
Sekiz yaşındaki lösemili oğlunun tedavisi için çırpınan bir baba. Hastalıktan, ölümden kar sağlayan büyük firmaların tetikçileri. Olayların ortasında “müvekkil gizliliği” ilkesince hareket eden bir avukatın mücadelesi.
Andy Prescott, Austin’deki en rahatına düşkün genç avukattır. Trafik cezalarına bakmaktadır ve ofisi, yıkık dökük bir dövme dükkanının üst katındaki küçük bir odadır. Dağ bisikletiyle gezmek ve arkadaşlarıyla vakit geçirmek en sevdiği işlerdir. Andy hırslı bir avukat değildir, hayatı hafife alan biridir. Bu durum Teksas’ın en zengin adamının ofisine gelmesine kadar sürer, Milyarder Russell Reeves onu avukatı olarak işe alır. Andy basit hukuki işler karşılığında o zamana kadarki tüm kazancından daha fazlasını alır ve hayatı değişmeye başlar. Ama hiçbir şey karşılıksız değildir. Russell hayatındaki tek emeli sekiz yaşındaki lösemili oğlu Zach’ı hayata döndürmeye çalışmak olan çaresiz bir adamdır. Bu uğurda her şeyi yapmaya hazırdır, ucunda avukatın hayatını tehlikeye atmak dahi olsa…
Sekiz yaşındaki lösemili oğlunun tedavisi için çırpınan bir baba. Hastalıktan, ölümden kar sağlayan büyük firmaların tetikçileri. Olayların ortasında “müvekkil gizliliği” ilkesince hareket eden bir avukatın mücadelesi.
Andy Prescott, Austin’deki en rahatına düşkün genç avukattır. Trafik cezalarına bakmaktadır ve ofisi, yıkık dökük bir dövme dükkanının üst katındaki küçük bir odadır. Dağ bisikletiyle gezmek ve arkadaşlarıyla vakit geçirmek en sevdiği işlerdir. Andy hırslı bir avukat değildir, hayatı hafife alan biridir. Bu durum Teksas’ın en zengin adamının ofisine gelmesine kadar sürer, Milyarder Russell Reeves onu avukatı olarak işe alır. Andy basit hukuki işler karşılığında o zamana kadarki tüm kazancından daha fazlasını alır ve hayatı değişmeye başlar. Ama hiçbir şey karşılıksız değildir. Russell hayatındaki tek emeli sekiz yaşındaki lösemili oğlu Zach’ı hayata döndürmeye çalışmak olan çaresiz bir adamdır. Bu uğurda her şeyi yapmaya hazırdır, ucunda avukatın hayatını tehlikeye atmak dahi olsa…
391 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
399 people are currently reading
762 people want to read
About the author
Mark Gimenez
20 books498 followersMark Gimenez grew up in Galveston County, Texas, and attended Texas State University and Notre Dame Law School. He practiced law and was a partner in a large Dallas firm. He is the author of ten novels—The Color of Law, The Abduction, The Perk, The Common Lawyer, Accused, The Governor's Wife, Con Law, The Case Against William, The Absence of Guilt, and End of Days (Con Law II)—as well as a children's novel, Parts & Labor: The Adventures of Max Dugan. His books have received critical acclaim around the world. They have been bestsellers in the UK, Ireland, Australia, India, and South Africa and have been translated into fifteen foreign languages. The Perk won a spot in Books to Die For: The World's Greatest Mystery Writers on the World's Greatest Mystery Novels, edited by John Connolly and Declan Burke.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
June 18, 2019
I really like Mark Gimenez so far. His books are exciting, humorous, and thought-provoking. This one was no exception. It had some serious issues mixed in with a lot of light-hearted action; but don't take anything too seriously.
There were some parts that would only interest mountain bikers, I think. Fortunately, I was living in the birthplace of mountain bikes back in the 80s (Fairfax, CA in Marin County by Mt. Tamalpais), down the street from a small bike shop owned by Gary Fisher, usually considered the father of mountain bikes. I still own a Fisher Mt Tam bike, although it doesn't get much use these days. I also owned the early Stump Jumper, which is the brand that the lawyer Andy Prescott bought after destroying his old one in a wipeout.
Anyway, if you can handle a lot of descriptive text involving high-speed chases on bikes, or if you're good as skimming over these parts, there's a fun story here that's mostly just simple excitement and fun characters, some good mystery, with a fairly happy ending.
There were some parts that would only interest mountain bikers, I think. Fortunately, I was living in the birthplace of mountain bikes back in the 80s (Fairfax, CA in Marin County by Mt. Tamalpais), down the street from a small bike shop owned by Gary Fisher, usually considered the father of mountain bikes. I still own a Fisher Mt Tam bike, although it doesn't get much use these days. I also owned the early Stump Jumper, which is the brand that the lawyer Andy Prescott bought after destroying his old one in a wipeout.
Anyway, if you can handle a lot of descriptive text involving high-speed chases on bikes, or if you're good as skimming over these parts, there's a fun story here that's mostly just simple excitement and fun characters, some good mystery, with a fairly happy ending.
March 10, 2015
Another great read from Mark Giminez! Andy Prescott lives a laid back life as a traffic ticket lawyer with a gimmick that works every time. He makes enough to get by, has a tiny office above a tattoo parlor, great friends, and his bike. He doesn't want the life of a high powered lawyer and all of the problems that it brings. Then out of the blue Russell Reeves enters his life and all of that changes. Russell has an agenda and his offer for Andy's help is just a little too good to pass up. With a lot of action and twists and turns, this story was definitely a wild ride!
July 11, 2010
I loved reading this book, I liked how while the reader was suspicious and trying to figure out the truth, so was the main character-Andy. Adding to this the small inserts of what Andy did not realise was going on (building tension), intregated within the main story and how it all connected in the readers and Andy's mind in the end. Good plot, excellent description and makes the reader really get into the mind of a laid-back, adrenaline-seeking, grade C, male, traffic ticket lawyer.
August 5, 2021
I would have given this 0 stars had the option been available. I don't know how any self-respecting woman could get through this sexist garbage. Hardly a paragraph goes by in the 1st 115 pages that does not objectify women. If he wrote this as a high school sophomore it'd be a little more understandable but to expect women to get through the kind of prose full of sexist jargon is too much to expect. It took over 100 pages to get to the millionaire tossing a ridiculous job offer his way. I couldn't get past pg 145 - I really didn't give a crap about the protagonist and I have no idea on earth who considers this an international bestseller as shown on the cover. Please, Giminez - don't write another book and please don't raise any daughters.
March 11, 2013
PLOT: 5/5
CHARACTERS: 5/5
LANGUAGE: 4/5
CLIMAX: 4/5
JUSTICE TO THE GENRE: 2/5
Mark Gimenez has been called the next Grisham. He's nowhere near to that. This was just an OK book. There was too little Law and too much Austin'e geography in this book. Not very excited about reading other books by the author.
CHARACTERS: 5/5
LANGUAGE: 4/5
CLIMAX: 4/5
JUSTICE TO THE GENRE: 2/5
Mark Gimenez has been called the next Grisham. He's nowhere near to that. This was just an OK book. There was too little Law and too much Austin'e geography in this book. Not very excited about reading other books by the author.
May 27, 2020
As promised, I had to pick up another Mark Gimenez; another thriller, this is centred around a 'traffic ticket' lawyer ('a common lawyer') in Austin, Texas getting caught up in a conspiracy centred around a billionaire and a mystery 'patient X'. OK read, but dragged in parts. 5 out of 12.
November 9, 2014
Did not enjoy this book. Big disappointment.
October 28, 2015
I always enjoy reading novels set in places that I have lived. This one was no different. I could picture the chase scenes playing out fantastically in a movie. This was a definite thrill ride.
December 20, 2016
As big as I usually am on the location being a recognizable "character" in a story, Mark Gimenez went overboard on that here, and in a monumentally annoying way. The story--if one could leave out something like sixty percent of the descriptions (especially about Houston)--was entertaining, a medical/legal thriller mashup, and the characters were (mostly) appealing enough to want to follow. The endless (pointless) descriptions just wore me down, though... making this one something of a drudge to make it through.
If Houston is the most fascinating place on earth to you, you'll love this one; otherwise, maybe pass this one by.
If Houston is the most fascinating place on earth to you, you'll love this one; otherwise, maybe pass this one by.
September 10, 2023
I enjoy a good Grisham-esque thriller. All Gimenez’ books take place in/around the Texas Hill Country which I love so it’s fun to visualize where the characters are. This book had a good plot but I got lost at times in pages and pages of “chase scenes” describing every turn, street, grocery aisle etc. Definitely worth a read— speed read over chase scenes;)
August 12, 2015
A very good novel by the talented Mark Gimenez.
A fast paced page turner that although it will never be a literary classic still entertains and kept me wanting to read more. Slowly working my way through all of Mark Gimenez's books and up to yet never lets me down.
A fast paced page turner that although it will never be a literary classic still entertains and kept me wanting to read more. Slowly working my way through all of Mark Gimenez's books and up to yet never lets me down.
July 24, 2015
Very interesting book.
You'll enjoy this book if you live or visited Austin, also some Texas history. Ethical dilemma, death and disease. Drug companies thrive on death and disease. Smart dialogue, interesting characters.
You'll enjoy this book if you live or visited Austin, also some Texas history. Ethical dilemma, death and disease. Drug companies thrive on death and disease. Smart dialogue, interesting characters.
December 17, 2016
Didn't even want to finish it. Boring descriptions of Austin, shallow and immature characters. Maybe it gets better? I'll never know. Only read a quarter of it, and that was more than enough.
March 3, 2018
I've had The Common Lawyer by Mark Gimenez on my bookshelf for awhile and was glad to finally get to try it. I'd seen it at one of my local used book stores and the synopsis sounded interesting and I always like to try a new author.
The premise is this. Andy Prescott is a lawyer in Austin Tx. He's sort of lazy, was a C student at law school and now lives in the lives in the SoCo area of Austin getting by sorting out traffic tickets in court. His system, which always works, is to appeal the tickets, await the follow-on hearing, which can take up to two years and then when the cop doesn't appear, the case is thrown out. He rents a small office above a tattoo parlor, spends his time with his three buddies, watching the girls go by, and cross-country cycling. His mother is a liberal art teacher at the local uni and his father is dying of liver disease, was once a budding country singer.
So, with this happyish life style, Andy's life is going to be thrown into turmoil. Billionaire developer Russell Reeves hires Andy to be his local voice for his plans to redevelop portions of SoCo. As well, he wants Andy to hunt down 17 women that he had been involved with in his past to try and make amends. However this second assignment is not quite what it seems and the tension ratchets up from this point on. Andy now has lots of money but does it make him any happier? And who is following him?
It's an interesting premise and the story and action builds quickly as the story develops. Andy is a happy-go-lucky sort of guy, an under achiever and likeable. Austin seems to be a lovely city and is well-described. I found the story to be somewhat John Grisham lite but still entertaining and an easy, quick read, when I settled down to it. I'll check out others of Gimenez's books to see how his writing matures. (3 stars)
The premise is this. Andy Prescott is a lawyer in Austin Tx. He's sort of lazy, was a C student at law school and now lives in the lives in the SoCo area of Austin getting by sorting out traffic tickets in court. His system, which always works, is to appeal the tickets, await the follow-on hearing, which can take up to two years and then when the cop doesn't appear, the case is thrown out. He rents a small office above a tattoo parlor, spends his time with his three buddies, watching the girls go by, and cross-country cycling. His mother is a liberal art teacher at the local uni and his father is dying of liver disease, was once a budding country singer.
So, with this happyish life style, Andy's life is going to be thrown into turmoil. Billionaire developer Russell Reeves hires Andy to be his local voice for his plans to redevelop portions of SoCo. As well, he wants Andy to hunt down 17 women that he had been involved with in his past to try and make amends. However this second assignment is not quite what it seems and the tension ratchets up from this point on. Andy now has lots of money but does it make him any happier? And who is following him?
It's an interesting premise and the story and action builds quickly as the story develops. Andy is a happy-go-lucky sort of guy, an under achiever and likeable. Austin seems to be a lovely city and is well-described. I found the story to be somewhat John Grisham lite but still entertaining and an easy, quick read, when I settled down to it. I'll check out others of Gimenez's books to see how his writing matures. (3 stars)
January 17, 2019
just finished this morning bout six-thirty aye em the 17th of january 2019 at times an excellent story other times not so much first from gimenez for me kindle library loaner. could so without the fashionable ideology although the cognitive dissonance that accompanies it should be evident to most, if not, cheer for your team, it's all the rage. one scene late in the book, thought there was some continuity error at play, but later on, an explanation if provided. kinda somewhat hokey, a mannequin...and if one takes the fashion from earlier....meh...understandable. you wouldn't kick a guy on crutches so why bother, right? thought, too, that the climax, the parable of the story weak...all things considered, the chase, by numerous bad guys...and? anyway, this could have been a 5-star story and if you love that team, go for it. me...i'm not as "progressive".
October 7, 2020
My least favorite of the Gimenez books. Very loosely constructed plot. More of a guide around the streets and environs of Austin,TX
August 2, 2014
This was very dull to begin with, but as I had read a few of the authors other books which I enjoyed I persevered and I am very glad I did. The beginning is all about the main character, Andy Prescott who is a lawyer who does just about ok, he lives off traffic offences, lives in a run down apartment and rents a small office above a tattoo parlour, rides his bike and occasionally falls off his bike, drinks beer with his friends while eyeing up the girls. Pretty boring stuff for the first 30%. Once I had got through all that the books turns out to be very good indeed. When he get a visit from a very rich main who requires Andy´s services as a lawyer things warm up loads.
There is some action and thrills also. I also enjoyed reading a bit more about Texas, Austin is particular. So here comes a very difficult question. How far would you go to save the life of your son? I am sure most of you will answer anything or at least almost anything. This is what this book is all about. But you don´t actually realize this until a bit later on when things piece themselves together. This is another moral novel from the author Mark Gimenez and I am glad I gave it the time of day although not the best I had read from Mark.
There is some action and thrills also. I also enjoyed reading a bit more about Texas, Austin is particular. So here comes a very difficult question. How far would you go to save the life of your son? I am sure most of you will answer anything or at least almost anything. This is what this book is all about. But you don´t actually realize this until a bit later on when things piece themselves together. This is another moral novel from the author Mark Gimenez and I am glad I gave it the time of day although not the best I had read from Mark.
August 25, 2015
The Common Lawyer dropped into my letter box towards the end of February courtesy of The Random Book Club with a sticker one the front stating "as good as John Grisham or your money back" ! I happen to be a fan of John Grisham though I haven't read one of his books for several years and my interest was peaked. The young lawyer the story revolves around is not really sure he wants to settle down to take on the traditional role. He prefers mountain biking and flouting expected rules but is just getting by challenging parking tickets in court. He's been spotted as just naive enough to take some bait and believe the story he is spun to be potentially useful in a bigger game. All goes well at first. ...
A common enough plot but centering on a 21st century ethical dilemma, the hero is sassy and kind. He may be naive but he is not a fool and when he finally tumbles to the fact that he is being played his biking skills turn out to be far more useful that he could possibly have imagined.
Better than John Grisham? I'm not sure, Grisham after all is a master of the craft but the book reflects well today's society and bowls along. It certainly kept me turning the pages.
A common enough plot but centering on a 21st century ethical dilemma, the hero is sassy and kind. He may be naive but he is not a fool and when he finally tumbles to the fact that he is being played his biking skills turn out to be far more useful that he could possibly have imagined.
Better than John Grisham? I'm not sure, Grisham after all is a master of the craft but the book reflects well today's society and bowls along. It certainly kept me turning the pages.
September 10, 2011
The Colour of Law was an outstanding debut novel from Gimenez, giving real credentials to those 'as good as Grisham' reviews. However, his follow up, The Abduction, was not only not a legal drama, it also wasn't very good at all. The Perk, his third novel, was better, but still not comparable to the quality of the first book.
The reason why I mention the history is because The Common Lawyer, his fourth, is a fantastic return to form. It is a great legal thriller that will be accessible to those who don't generally read the genre as it will be to those who live by it. The book doesn't necessarily do anything new, but what it does do is tick all of the boxes in stark fashion, combining likeable and memorable characters with some superb dialogue (both witty and serious), great set pieces, and a plot that is paced to perfection with plenty of twists and turns.
Grisham's title as the king of the legal thriller, at least in the long term, may finally be under threat again.
The reason why I mention the history is because The Common Lawyer, his fourth, is a fantastic return to form. It is a great legal thriller that will be accessible to those who don't generally read the genre as it will be to those who live by it. The book doesn't necessarily do anything new, but what it does do is tick all of the boxes in stark fashion, combining likeable and memorable characters with some superb dialogue (both witty and serious), great set pieces, and a plot that is paced to perfection with plenty of twists and turns.
Grisham's title as the king of the legal thriller, at least in the long term, may finally be under threat again.
March 31, 2015
Mark Gimenez does it again. Another book that book that makes you think...what would you do to save your child from death?
Andy thinks he is just a C- student and therefore an okay lawyer. A lawyer not sought out by the big firms in Austin. Andy eeks out a life getting his clients traffic tickets dismissed because he really lives to ride his bike on the extreme trails of Austin.
His whole life changes when he is hired by one of the richest men in Austin, Russell Reeves, to help in "renovating" old buildings for low income housing or so he thought. Russell had other things in mind. Don't become lost in the build up to a sensational story. This story takes the lives of three families and intertwines them together to weave a wonderful tale of a moral dilemma.
Andy thinks he is just a C- student and therefore an okay lawyer. A lawyer not sought out by the big firms in Austin. Andy eeks out a life getting his clients traffic tickets dismissed because he really lives to ride his bike on the extreme trails of Austin.
His whole life changes when he is hired by one of the richest men in Austin, Russell Reeves, to help in "renovating" old buildings for low income housing or so he thought. Russell had other things in mind. Don't become lost in the build up to a sensational story. This story takes the lives of three families and intertwines them together to weave a wonderful tale of a moral dilemma.
February 25, 2018
I wanted to like this book but it just didn’t make the cut. I got lost in the descriptions of all the streets listed and started losing interest. For me, it took a long time to get into the plot, maybe because I was bored with all the streets. The plot was interesting and I finished the book. The first book I read of his was better. Haven’t decided if I want to try a third. He is not Grisham nor should he be. He is his own self.
November 4, 2020
I was not sure if I was reading a travel book on Austin, TX; a book on how not to get a date; a book on a travel guide to Univ of TX; or some really boring lawyer fictional novel. Grisham should feel safe right now if this is his competition.
September 26, 2015
Another excellent book
Read
November 17, 2024It's cute, I liked it
October 27, 2017
Mark Gimenez’s latest legal thriller, The Common Lawyer, features one type of legal specialist I’d never heard of before—a traffic ticket lawyer. In a way that’s fitting, because the makings of a very promising novel often get lost in 500 pages jammed with filler about mountain bike riding, picking up women at Whole Foods, unusual locales in Austin, TX, and other esoteric topics. But for those readers patient enough to maneuver their way past the roadblocks and detours, there’s a pretty good thriller waiting around the next corner.
Gimenez’s titular lawyer is Andy Prescott, a 30ish attorney who is as bottom-of-the-barrel as you will find. He makes enough money beating traffic tickets (his methodology is to delay the case as long as he can in the hope the ticketing officer won’t show up) to barely scrape by, and his only interests are his mountain bike and sharing beers with school friends who are doing somewhat better than he is. Andy’s life turns around when a local billionaire picks him out to do some legal work at downtown law firm prices and then starts sending Andy around the country to find some possibly long lost lovechild from the billionaire’s younger days.
Of course, anything that sounds ridiculously too good to be true invariably is in books like The Common Lawyer, and Andy quickly finds out that he may wind up being more of a patsy than a Perry Mason. As he gets closer to discovering the billionaire’s real motivations, Andy attracts some unwanted attention from a couple of shadowy hitmen who have already left a couple of dead bodies in their wake.
When the author sticks to his central storyline, The Common Lawyer is an exciting action novel. Andy, despite being exceedingly gullible and far too easily distracted by the rather attractive women at Whole Foods who appreciate his wealthier self, is a likable guy with an interesting family dynamic. The main visible villains are an intriguingly quirky pair of hitmen as well. But the book also has its share of not-so-interesting characters, including Andy’s drinking buddies, who were intended as comic relief but proved to be space-consuming distractions. The book has about a half dozen scenes involving Andy schmoozing with these guys, not a single one of which is memorable or interesting.
Gimenez wastes time with a number of other dull distractions as well. In fact, the first fifty pages of the book or so involve a detailed description of a rather ugly accident Andy has while riding his bike (spoiler: he survives; his bike doesn’t) and an equally detailed description of his subsequent beer guzzling escapade with his buddies. The author also treats the audience to an extended travelogue about Austin and the somewhat laid back, counterculturish neighborhood where Andy hangs his shingle. I have nothing against incorporating local color and descriptions into a book; in fact, cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas often become key supporting characters in novels. But there is nothing about the Austin as described by Gimenez that warranted the number of pages devoted to it.
The Common Lawyer should have been about 350 pages instead of the actual 500, and those excess pages come in annoying clumps that bring the action to a halt at times. But Gimenez has come up with a sympathetic underdog hero and a rather imaginative storyline that manages to be somewhat credible, at least when judged by typical thriller standards. And, when he cuts to the chase (rather literally, I might add), the last quarter of the book proves to be quite exciting. Reading The Common Lawyer may require some uncommon patience on the part of readers, but there is a good story to be found here.
Gimenez’s titular lawyer is Andy Prescott, a 30ish attorney who is as bottom-of-the-barrel as you will find. He makes enough money beating traffic tickets (his methodology is to delay the case as long as he can in the hope the ticketing officer won’t show up) to barely scrape by, and his only interests are his mountain bike and sharing beers with school friends who are doing somewhat better than he is. Andy’s life turns around when a local billionaire picks him out to do some legal work at downtown law firm prices and then starts sending Andy around the country to find some possibly long lost lovechild from the billionaire’s younger days.
Of course, anything that sounds ridiculously too good to be true invariably is in books like The Common Lawyer, and Andy quickly finds out that he may wind up being more of a patsy than a Perry Mason. As he gets closer to discovering the billionaire’s real motivations, Andy attracts some unwanted attention from a couple of shadowy hitmen who have already left a couple of dead bodies in their wake.
When the author sticks to his central storyline, The Common Lawyer is an exciting action novel. Andy, despite being exceedingly gullible and far too easily distracted by the rather attractive women at Whole Foods who appreciate his wealthier self, is a likable guy with an interesting family dynamic. The main visible villains are an intriguingly quirky pair of hitmen as well. But the book also has its share of not-so-interesting characters, including Andy’s drinking buddies, who were intended as comic relief but proved to be space-consuming distractions. The book has about a half dozen scenes involving Andy schmoozing with these guys, not a single one of which is memorable or interesting.
Gimenez wastes time with a number of other dull distractions as well. In fact, the first fifty pages of the book or so involve a detailed description of a rather ugly accident Andy has while riding his bike (spoiler: he survives; his bike doesn’t) and an equally detailed description of his subsequent beer guzzling escapade with his buddies. The author also treats the audience to an extended travelogue about Austin and the somewhat laid back, counterculturish neighborhood where Andy hangs his shingle. I have nothing against incorporating local color and descriptions into a book; in fact, cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas often become key supporting characters in novels. But there is nothing about the Austin as described by Gimenez that warranted the number of pages devoted to it.
The Common Lawyer should have been about 350 pages instead of the actual 500, and those excess pages come in annoying clumps that bring the action to a halt at times. But Gimenez has come up with a sympathetic underdog hero and a rather imaginative storyline that manages to be somewhat credible, at least when judged by typical thriller standards. And, when he cuts to the chase (rather literally, I might add), the last quarter of the book proves to be quite exciting. Reading The Common Lawyer may require some uncommon patience on the part of readers, but there is a good story to be found here.
August 31, 2017
This is a book I picked up after enjoying Mark Giminez's The Colour of Law several years ago.
This book opens with its central character, Andy Prescott, having a mountain biking accident; it has very little to do with the main plot, but this (and the chapters immediately afterward) give us a good insight into what Andy is like, mentioning how he is desperate to find a girlfriend and how his father is dying.
Andy is also a young lawyer, and he unexpectedly gets a job offer from a billionaire, Russell Reeves, who has an unusual request, related to his son, who is dying from a form of cancer that was passed on genetically.
At the same time, the book introduces some other plotlines, involving a mysterious group committing a murder, and also the mysterious Patient X, who the group are trying to find out the identity of. Both eventually become relevant to the plot, and it all makes sense, although Patient X also introduces science fiction elements into the story. All we are told initially is that she has a "gift" that the world should be told about.
The plot then becomes mainly a story about Andy visiting all of Russell's previous sexual partners (17 in total), all of whom seem to have had children that he has fathered (many are also sick), until the plot focuses on one of the women, and Russell's attempts to prove that he fathered her daughter, and that the girl has the same condition as his son.
I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as The Colour of Law; I noticed it had an odd tendency to introuduce new characters and not explain who they were until several chapters later, and the narrative seemed very slow-moving and even repetitive at times (sometimes, the same information is given more than once just because it is being explained to different characters).
However, the book did throw in a few plot twists and misleads, so that I was never really sure where things were going; some were guessable, others weren't. Near the end, it really does look like the plot is about to get very bleak.
It's worth reading, as it's quite an easy book, and I eventually found myself liking the main character.
This book opens with its central character, Andy Prescott, having a mountain biking accident; it has very little to do with the main plot, but this (and the chapters immediately afterward) give us a good insight into what Andy is like, mentioning how he is desperate to find a girlfriend and how his father is dying.
Andy is also a young lawyer, and he unexpectedly gets a job offer from a billionaire, Russell Reeves, who has an unusual request, related to his son, who is dying from a form of cancer that was passed on genetically.
At the same time, the book introduces some other plotlines, involving a mysterious group committing a murder, and also the mysterious Patient X, who the group are trying to find out the identity of. Both eventually become relevant to the plot, and it all makes sense, although Patient X also introduces science fiction elements into the story. All we are told initially is that she has a "gift" that the world should be told about.
The plot then becomes mainly a story about Andy visiting all of Russell's previous sexual partners (17 in total), all of whom seem to have had children that he has fathered (many are also sick), until the plot focuses on one of the women, and Russell's attempts to prove that he fathered her daughter, and that the girl has the same condition as his son.
I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as The Colour of Law; I noticed it had an odd tendency to introuduce new characters and not explain who they were until several chapters later, and the narrative seemed very slow-moving and even repetitive at times (sometimes, the same information is given more than once just because it is being explained to different characters).
However, the book did throw in a few plot twists and misleads, so that I was never really sure where things were going; some were guessable, others weren't. Near the end, it really does look like the plot is about to get very bleak.
It's worth reading, as it's quite an easy book, and I eventually found myself liking the main character.
April 7, 2020
This is a fast-paced legal thriller but quite a lot more - ethics, not just legal but medical play a big part and it's as much about the frontiers of science and medicine as a purely legal scenario. To summarise without spoiling, a software billionaire hires a third-rate lawyer to chase down a possible cure for his son's incurable leukaemia by tracking and finding a mysterious Patient X who holds the key to his son's possible cure. Why he chose that particular lawyer is initially a mystery but becomes apparent later in the book. There are plenty of spills and thrills along the way, as the common lawyer the book is titled for is a keen mountain biker and motorcyclist. There is a cast of well-drawn characters including, not least, the city of Austin, Texas. Its university, capitol, roads, greenbelt, and downtown and south side, where many colourful, tattooed characters hang out, are well described. The main theme to emerge from The Common Lawyer is that money, even billions, can't buy everything. With its insights into the world of cutting-edge DNA research it is a thriller that will stay in the mind after reading for longer than many thrillers do.
November 20, 2020
The author introduces the reader to Andy Prescott, a young laid back lawyer who earns a small income contesting traffic fines for a range of clients. Andy spends most of his free time riding his trail bike and drinking with his buddies.
One day an extremely wealthy client approaches him with a deal that is too good to refuse. However the deal is not what Andy was told it would be. The wealthy client's young son is dying from a rare genetic disorder and Andy soon discovers there is more to the deal than meets the eye.
Andy is a likeable character and the book has an excellent plot, with plenty of suspense. My only comment is that the lead in to the plot contains excessive peripheral information and I became impatient with it. I don't like to criticise an author as writing is difficult enough. I offer this as a general comment only to help future readers. It is definitely worth sticking with the book to the very end.
I rated the book three stars solely because of the lead in, otherwise it would have been easy to rate it four stars.
One day an extremely wealthy client approaches him with a deal that is too good to refuse. However the deal is not what Andy was told it would be. The wealthy client's young son is dying from a rare genetic disorder and Andy soon discovers there is more to the deal than meets the eye.
Andy is a likeable character and the book has an excellent plot, with plenty of suspense. My only comment is that the lead in to the plot contains excessive peripheral information and I became impatient with it. I don't like to criticise an author as writing is difficult enough. I offer this as a general comment only to help future readers. It is definitely worth sticking with the book to the very end.
I rated the book three stars solely because of the lead in, otherwise it would have been easy to rate it four stars.
October 14, 2017
Although I find Mark Gimenez's setups and storyline's potential highly enjoyable - so far his books have fizzed to some unlikely or unsatisfying climax. It's like the author comes up with these highly intriguing scenarios but can't come up with a good ending so he just keeps writing until he can somehow tie the whole thing together in 300 pages or so. For this John Grisham is a superior writer by a thousand legions because his stories are water tight, from start to finish it is so incredibly pleasurable to finish Grisham's stories.
SPOILERS
For example in this story, what was the point of Richard Reeves? He contributed nothing to the story except Zach's all too typical sad story of young kid taken too early. Zach's character was literally killed off before he could contribute any substance to the story's plot.
I will continue to read Mark Gimenez in the hope that things improve!
SPOILERS
For example in this story, what was the point of Richard Reeves? He contributed nothing to the story except Zach's all too typical sad story of young kid taken too early. Zach's character was literally killed off before he could contribute any substance to the story's plot.
I will continue to read Mark Gimenez in the hope that things improve!
July 8, 2021
OMG! Another exciting ride/read from Mark Gimenez! He has a writing style that sucks you in to the story right from the get-go, even if you are not sure you are liking the main character.
Andy Prescott, a young, laid-back traffic ticket lawyer may not be on the fast track to becoming rich or well known, but as long as he's got a bike, friends and enough money to get by, he's happy. He doesn't look very ambitious but he is an adrenaline junkie!
After getting a traffic ticket dismissed for a billionaire's secretary, he catches the attention of the billionaire and his life changes just as fast as one of his downhill adrenaline rides. This ride may be even more deadly than his most challenging extreme bike ride! Wow! A Must Read! I loved the quirky descriptions of Austin and the characters!
This kept me holding on to my seat right until the end!
Andy Prescott, a young, laid-back traffic ticket lawyer may not be on the fast track to becoming rich or well known, but as long as he's got a bike, friends and enough money to get by, he's happy. He doesn't look very ambitious but he is an adrenaline junkie!
After getting a traffic ticket dismissed for a billionaire's secretary, he catches the attention of the billionaire and his life changes just as fast as one of his downhill adrenaline rides. This ride may be even more deadly than his most challenging extreme bike ride! Wow! A Must Read! I loved the quirky descriptions of Austin and the characters!
This kept me holding on to my seat right until the end!
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