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The King of Torts
The Office of the Public Defender is not known as a training ground for bright young litigators. Clay Carter has been there too long and, like most of his colleagues, dreams of a better job in a real firm. When he reluctantly takes the case of a man charged with a random street killing, he assumes it is just another of the many senseless murders that hit D.C. every week.
As he digs into the background of his client, Clay stumbles on a conspiracy too horrible to believe. He suddenly finds himself in the middle of a complex case against one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and looking at the kind of enormous settlement that would totally change his life—that would make him, almost overnight, the legal profession’s newest king of torts.
As he digs into the background of his client, Clay stumbles on a conspiracy too horrible to believe. He suddenly finds himself in the middle of a complex case against one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and looking at the kind of enormous settlement that would totally change his life—that would make him, almost overnight, the legal profession’s newest king of torts.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2003
2929 people are currently reading
18856 people want to read
About the author
John Grisham
473 books88.4k followersJohn Grisham is the author of more than fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include Framed, Camino Ghosts and The Exchange: After the Firm.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,878 reviews
September 23, 2019
Money, money, money. Greed, greed, greed. This book is about the destructive power of greed and how fast one can fall from the top. While reading this, I felt like the hammer was going to drop at any minute. When it did, I felt gratified that the "easy come, easy go" scenario was played out to its fullest. Very well written, of course, by Grisham.
June 20, 2014
Has anyone noticed that this guy can't write? And that he hates women?
There were scenes in this book so sexist that they literally took my breath away. Clay Carter, the young lawyer with the heart of gold, is being stalked by two beautiful women who are absolute cartoon characters. I mean, really! They are shallow, selfish, two-faced, manipulative, lazy, whiny, clingy, needy, bossy, weepy, and dishonest.
That would be bad enough, but the weird thing about the way Grisham writes is that . . . he doesn't care. Never for one minute do you believe that Clay Carter feels anything about his girl friend, or the downtrodden sick people, or the drug-addled junkies, or anything else. The whole book is like a weird, weird, ego trip . . . yet all the guy actually does is make a whole of money, then blow it, then get beat up.
The happy ending literally made me want to throw up. Given how phony the love story was it was like a big F.U. to everyone who actually read the book.
I don't know why I even read this piece of crap. The worst Harlequin Presents ever written is better than this! And this guy looks down on women?
There were scenes in this book so sexist that they literally took my breath away. Clay Carter, the young lawyer with the heart of gold, is being stalked by two beautiful women who are absolute cartoon characters. I mean, really! They are shallow, selfish, two-faced, manipulative, lazy, whiny, clingy, needy, bossy, weepy, and dishonest.
That would be bad enough, but the weird thing about the way Grisham writes is that . . . he doesn't care. Never for one minute do you believe that Clay Carter feels anything about his girl friend, or the downtrodden sick people, or the drug-addled junkies, or anything else. The whole book is like a weird, weird, ego trip . . . yet all the guy actually does is make a whole of money, then blow it, then get beat up.
The happy ending literally made me want to throw up. Given how phony the love story was it was like a big F.U. to everyone who actually read the book.
I don't know why I even read this piece of crap. The worst Harlequin Presents ever written is better than this! And this guy looks down on women?
October 20, 2020
This is one of my favourite Grisham books.A poorly paid public defender stumbles on to a case which leads him to an enormous settlement and changes his life.
The most interesting part of the book is where Grisham describes the lavish lifestyles of lawyers who win huge settlements and then indulge in all the luxuries that money can buy.
That expensive lifestyle isn't sustainable,and needs ever greater amount of money.Eventually,the consequences of this relentless pursuit of money,are disastrous for the protagonist.
I was interested to read about the staggering sums of money awarded in class-action litigation in the US,and how the biggest beneficiaries are not the victims,but the ambulance chasing lawyers,who profit hugely,and then try to make a career out of it.
A top-notch legal thriller.
The most interesting part of the book is where Grisham describes the lavish lifestyles of lawyers who win huge settlements and then indulge in all the luxuries that money can buy.
That expensive lifestyle isn't sustainable,and needs ever greater amount of money.Eventually,the consequences of this relentless pursuit of money,are disastrous for the protagonist.
I was interested to read about the staggering sums of money awarded in class-action litigation in the US,and how the biggest beneficiaries are not the victims,but the ambulance chasing lawyers,who profit hugely,and then try to make a career out of it.
A top-notch legal thriller.
December 16, 2024
It is obvious I have been on a Grisham roll. Sometimes that happens to me. I just enjoy being in the midst of an author’s words, until I tire of them. But for now, I am relishing them.
In this case, I am enjoying the older Grisham novels. Especially the courtroom dramas. His willingness to do the research cases. Taking on a cause. And this one is rather different and interesting at the same time. It is highly entertaining with an engrossing narrative. His intention, it feels is to showcase the strengths and failings of the American law system. In this story, he takes on the field of mass tort litigation.
It starts with an insignificant, but unfortunate murder that introduces us to our main protagonist, Public Defender, Clay Carter. He is appointed to represent Tequila Watson, the perpetrator of the crime. While in the midst of collecting evidence about Tequila’s crime, Max Pace, a man of mystery visits Carter. He offers Carter the opportunity to initiate litigation against a drug manufacturer who has negligently produced a product that causes people to kill. Hmmm….could this have anything to do with his current case?
So how does this open the door to class action lawsuits? And the direction the novel takes?
What happens when a class action lawsuit is created? And what kind of attorneys are we dealing with in this arena?
What will happen with Tequila’s case?
It is clear that Grisham has issues here. There is a message here. A debate. A conversation. And Grisham has opened the door for that conversation and discussion for tort reform. Anyone interested in the issue, or just interested in another appealing Grisham novel might enjoy this one.
Perhaps even a great book selection discussion book?
In this case, I am enjoying the older Grisham novels. Especially the courtroom dramas. His willingness to do the research cases. Taking on a cause. And this one is rather different and interesting at the same time. It is highly entertaining with an engrossing narrative. His intention, it feels is to showcase the strengths and failings of the American law system. In this story, he takes on the field of mass tort litigation.
It starts with an insignificant, but unfortunate murder that introduces us to our main protagonist, Public Defender, Clay Carter. He is appointed to represent Tequila Watson, the perpetrator of the crime. While in the midst of collecting evidence about Tequila’s crime, Max Pace, a man of mystery visits Carter. He offers Carter the opportunity to initiate litigation against a drug manufacturer who has negligently produced a product that causes people to kill. Hmmm….could this have anything to do with his current case?
So how does this open the door to class action lawsuits? And the direction the novel takes?
What happens when a class action lawsuit is created? And what kind of attorneys are we dealing with in this arena?
What will happen with Tequila’s case?
It is clear that Grisham has issues here. There is a message here. A debate. A conversation. And Grisham has opened the door for that conversation and discussion for tort reform. Anyone interested in the issue, or just interested in another appealing Grisham novel might enjoy this one.
Perhaps even a great book selection discussion book?
August 28, 2025
Not John Grisham’s best day!
Clay Carter is an overworked and underpaid civil servant, a lawyer in the Office of the Public Defender in Washington DC. Despite his overly long experience in a job that he dearly wants to leave, he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when a judge assigns him the defense of a young black man charged with a puzzling, random street killing. During the course of filling in his client’s background and trying to make some sense of a completely motiveless murder, Carter finds himself embroiled in a scandal and cover-up in the pharmaceutical industry. The potential payout is breathtaking.
THE KING OF TORTS has a great deal to say about American society – its greedy litigious nature and the equally greedy legal mass tort industry that has grown up to support that thirst for instant wealth; the capitalist drive for profits that prompts the pharmaceutical industry to cut too many corners and to engage in flawed, unethical research and marketing of their products; the systemic racism inherent in the American law enforcement and judicial systems; the futility of the USA’s efforts to curtail the consumption and distribution of illegal drugs.
All of what Grisham has to say in THE KING OF TORTS, insofar as it comprises a comment on American culture, is compelling, informative, provocative and interesting. Much of what he has to say is ugly, disappointing and disturbing. But, insofar as THE KING OF TORTS is supposed to be a legal thriller and a novel, none of what he has to say is enjoyable, uplifting or suspenseful. Every single one of the characters, male and female alike, lawyers and non-lawyers alike, is a despicable, self-centered bottom feeder. The story moves with no real direction from one pharmaceutical scandal and its accompanying legal malfeasance and eye-popping fees to another. THE KING OF TORTS is totally joyless. The plot can only be described as turgid. It simply flows like a deep, slow-moving, sadly polluted muddy river.
You might like John Grisham. I know I do. But he has done so much better. Give this one a wide berth.
Paul Weiss
Clay Carter is an overworked and underpaid civil servant, a lawyer in the Office of the Public Defender in Washington DC. Despite his overly long experience in a job that he dearly wants to leave, he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when a judge assigns him the defense of a young black man charged with a puzzling, random street killing. During the course of filling in his client’s background and trying to make some sense of a completely motiveless murder, Carter finds himself embroiled in a scandal and cover-up in the pharmaceutical industry. The potential payout is breathtaking.
THE KING OF TORTS has a great deal to say about American society – its greedy litigious nature and the equally greedy legal mass tort industry that has grown up to support that thirst for instant wealth; the capitalist drive for profits that prompts the pharmaceutical industry to cut too many corners and to engage in flawed, unethical research and marketing of their products; the systemic racism inherent in the American law enforcement and judicial systems; the futility of the USA’s efforts to curtail the consumption and distribution of illegal drugs.
All of what Grisham has to say in THE KING OF TORTS, insofar as it comprises a comment on American culture, is compelling, informative, provocative and interesting. Much of what he has to say is ugly, disappointing and disturbing. But, insofar as THE KING OF TORTS is supposed to be a legal thriller and a novel, none of what he has to say is enjoyable, uplifting or suspenseful. Every single one of the characters, male and female alike, lawyers and non-lawyers alike, is a despicable, self-centered bottom feeder. The story moves with no real direction from one pharmaceutical scandal and its accompanying legal malfeasance and eye-popping fees to another. THE KING OF TORTS is totally joyless. The plot can only be described as turgid. It simply flows like a deep, slow-moving, sadly polluted muddy river.
You might like John Grisham. I know I do. But he has done so much better. Give this one a wide berth.
Paul Weiss
November 11, 2018
A nice page-turner dealing with the dangers of greed and the importance of self-control. I liked reading the character come from humble beginnings, build an empire, and let it come crashing down. A lot happening in-between.
Very interesting learning a lot about tort law and the concept of mass tort litigation. Some lawyers in this country get involved in some pretty unscrupulous stuff.
Very interesting learning a lot about tort law and the concept of mass tort litigation. Some lawyers in this country get involved in some pretty unscrupulous stuff.
July 27, 2008
Why do I keep doing this to myself?
Every Grisham I read seems to get worse and worse and this was the worst --- unless of course you like to read about privately owned jets, earning millions of dollars, winning class action suits that bring in billions (yes, I'm not exaggerating), fast cars, and slimy lawyers. The relationship aspect is at the beginning and end of the book. My suggestion is to read the first three chapters and then skip to the end (unless you enjoy laundry lists of the playthings of the rich).
Every Grisham I read seems to get worse and worse and this was the worst --- unless of course you like to read about privately owned jets, earning millions of dollars, winning class action suits that bring in billions (yes, I'm not exaggerating), fast cars, and slimy lawyers. The relationship aspect is at the beginning and end of the book. My suggestion is to read the first three chapters and then skip to the end (unless you enjoy laundry lists of the playthings of the rich).
May 18, 2022
My first John Grisham experience and maybe my last. Did not enjoy this book.
I did learn some things about Tort but I could have googled it and learn the same in 5 minutes without having to read this book.
I did learn some things about Tort but I could have googled it and learn the same in 5 minutes without having to read this book.
June 2, 2008
As usual, this book it well written. Grisham tells the story of the meteoric rise and subsequent fall of the newest, hottest lawyer in the DC area. The problem that I found with this book is that I simply didn't care about any of the main characters in this book. The main character's greed and foolishness is shocking, and by the end of the book I found that like him, I was shrugging at 9 million dollars. But still, I found the characters uninteresting or distasteful. It was more out of a sense of duty that I managed to finished this book. I finished it with a half-hearted "eh!"
June 16, 2025
A novel about greediness and change of fortune.
Well written, but not among the best ones from Grisham. The characters are not so defined, Ridley does not fit the story, the Tarvan case is non-credible.
And, above all, Clay could be a nicer guy.
Well written, but not among the best ones from Grisham. The characters are not so defined, Ridley does not fit the story, the Tarvan case is non-credible.
And, above all, Clay could be a nicer guy.
March 10, 2020
Dinero, demandas, compañías farmacéuticas y el ascenso a lo más alto de un abogado de poca monta. Con estos ingredientes John Grisham vuelve a preparar uno de esos thrillers judiciales a los que nos tiene acostumbrado.
Tengo predilección por este tipo de tramas, pero reconozco que el desenlace me dejó un poco frío. 3,51 estrellas( redondeadas a 4).
Tengo predilección por este tipo de tramas, pero reconozco que el desenlace me dejó un poco frío. 3,51 estrellas( redondeadas a 4).
July 4, 2022
Clay Carter has been in the Public Defenders office too long and like most of his colleagues dreams of a better job in a real law firm. When Clay reluctantly takes the case of a young man charged in a random street killing he thinks it's going to be another of the senseless murders that happen in Washington D.C. every week. After Clay starts digging into the background of his client he stumbles on a conspiracy too horrible to believe and suddenly finds himself in the middle of a complex case against one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world with the kind of enormous settlement that could change his life and that would almost overnight make him the legal profession's newest king of torts. Like father like son which made this too predictable almost from the start. Not John Grisham at his best.
May 13, 2008
Seriously...did Grishham fall asleep at the end? No spoilers, but it seems like for the last few chapters he was in a big rush to finish the book and just made everything end real abruptly. Especially considering that the rest of the book was quite long and drawn out....
This was the first book by Grisham that I've read thus far, and I'm not sure that I am jumping in to read more... Maybe I should have started with a more popular...better...book.
This was the first book by Grisham that I've read thus far, and I'm not sure that I am jumping in to read more... Maybe I should have started with a more popular...better...book.
July 13, 2021
This book had my interest for about 100 pages. What is attractive about obscene amounts of money? The characters are flat and Grisham portrays the women as objects.
The second reading showed the stereotype grisham uses to portray lawyers. It is not flattering and probably promulgates the negative view.
The second reading showed the stereotype grisham uses to portray lawyers. It is not flattering and probably promulgates the negative view.
July 11, 2013
This is one of those books I can't stop thinking about! I read it for a business law class I'm taking and it is great!
Clay Carter is working for Washington D.C.'s Public Defense Office when he is given a murder case. The murderer is a young, black man and Clay assumes it's a typical murder case. Then, he is approached by Max Pace, an agent for a pharmaceutical company. Max explains a bigger case behind the murder: the murderer was taking pills, the side effects made him unusually violent. Max hired Clay to settle the potential lawsuits, quietly and outside of court. In return, Clay would be paid well.
When that case is successful, Max gives Clay another case, which results in large attorney fees for Clay. He begins to catch public attention, winning cases with large amounts of clients and large amounts of attorneys--mass tort law. Clay begins spending his money: new house, boat, plane, money to pay his co-workers well. He tries not to get caught up with the game of sueing, but eventually it comes back to bit him in the butt.
Tort law is especially fascinating and this book does a great job at giving a human story for the lawyers who are behind it. Clay doesn't want to be the greedy and selfish lawyer, but he gets so caught up in the hype, he can't help himself. He wants to remain a good and ethical lawyer, but it is a slippery slope. This is a very Grisham style book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes that genre.
Clay Carter is working for Washington D.C.'s Public Defense Office when he is given a murder case. The murderer is a young, black man and Clay assumes it's a typical murder case. Then, he is approached by Max Pace, an agent for a pharmaceutical company. Max explains a bigger case behind the murder: the murderer was taking pills, the side effects made him unusually violent. Max hired Clay to settle the potential lawsuits, quietly and outside of court. In return, Clay would be paid well.
When that case is successful, Max gives Clay another case, which results in large attorney fees for Clay. He begins to catch public attention, winning cases with large amounts of clients and large amounts of attorneys--mass tort law. Clay begins spending his money: new house, boat, plane, money to pay his co-workers well. He tries not to get caught up with the game of sueing, but eventually it comes back to bit him in the butt.
Tort law is especially fascinating and this book does a great job at giving a human story for the lawyers who are behind it. Clay doesn't want to be the greedy and selfish lawyer, but he gets so caught up in the hype, he can't help himself. He wants to remain a good and ethical lawyer, but it is a slippery slope. This is a very Grisham style book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes that genre.
May 24, 2018
Interesting enough subject matter. I will say I was never bored but I'll also say I was never surprised.
April 3, 2016
Whenever I see another class-action lawsuit advertisement on T.V. I will always think of this book.
The story revolves around a lawyer in the trenches of the D.C. criminal defense system, Clay Carter, who works for Washington D.C.'s Public Defense Office. He and his whole department are overworked and underpaid, and the career ladder there is pretty grim. He loves his girlfriend Rebecca but the low pay and prestige of his job takes a toll on their relationship, especially aggravated in no small part by her nouveau-rich parents who burn for their daughter to elevate higher in society. They disapprove of Clay greatly.
Meanwhile, after some attentive investigation by Clay into the murky drive behind his latest client's crimes, a dark stranger by the name Max Pace who represents a pharmaceutical company drops into Clay's life and offers him an opportunity to make riches. However, this would be by changing teams to settle potential lawsuits of families affected by both his client's crime and a slew of other criminals in the D.C. area who have been influenced to commit the crimes. Representing all these families early in a class-action lawsuit a.k.a. a mass tort, would stop cold the chance the lawsuits going to a courtroom trial and avoiding potential sky-high punitive penalties against the influencing organization responsible.
This settlement sets the stage for other even greater pre-trial mass tort settlements, initiated by further tips obtained by Max Pace via questionable sources and methods. The strategies on snagging and holding onto as many clients as possible in a national pharmaceutical mass-tort is laid out, including the massive shock-and-awe advertising with fear-hyped t.v. commercials, the jockeying among regional tort lawyers to get as many clients as possible, the strong-armed negotiated portions of winning case money for the lawyers, the tort operations committee steering, and the cash-flow and human resources. Clay and his fellow lead tort lawyers splurge heavily at committee meetings in beautiful and exotic locations. They receive greater and greater animosity from the traditional trial lawyer as well as the newspapers and media. Clay himself gains regional and then national hype and hate, and his winnings help instigate regulations proposed to clamp down on mass-tort. Clay's initial identity of a modest guy and fiscal conservative mutates in parallel with his winnings, and becomes akin to the greed-driven and materialist-absorbed tort lawyers he initially loathed. His early thrifty expenditures blow out of control into huge ego-driven purchases. However even though he loses Rebecca, his heart still holds fast for her.
Eventually the murky foundations behind some of Clay's settlements begin to rear their ugly heads, drawing attention from the justice system. Further, the ruthless cuts his firm demanded from its clients backfire into his face with aid from an anti-tort New York ringer lawyer. Clay's past kindnesses pay him back at this time and the friends he stood by reflect this kindness when he most needs it.
All in all, the novel was an interesting and eye-opening top-level look at class-actions/max torts, while also maintaining a solid rags to riches anon story.
The story revolves around a lawyer in the trenches of the D.C. criminal defense system, Clay Carter, who works for Washington D.C.'s Public Defense Office. He and his whole department are overworked and underpaid, and the career ladder there is pretty grim. He loves his girlfriend Rebecca but the low pay and prestige of his job takes a toll on their relationship, especially aggravated in no small part by her nouveau-rich parents who burn for their daughter to elevate higher in society. They disapprove of Clay greatly.
Meanwhile, after some attentive investigation by Clay into the murky drive behind his latest client's crimes, a dark stranger by the name Max Pace who represents a pharmaceutical company drops into Clay's life and offers him an opportunity to make riches. However, this would be by changing teams to settle potential lawsuits of families affected by both his client's crime and a slew of other criminals in the D.C. area who have been influenced to commit the crimes. Representing all these families early in a class-action lawsuit a.k.a. a mass tort, would stop cold the chance the lawsuits going to a courtroom trial and avoiding potential sky-high punitive penalties against the influencing organization responsible.
This settlement sets the stage for other even greater pre-trial mass tort settlements, initiated by further tips obtained by Max Pace via questionable sources and methods. The strategies on snagging and holding onto as many clients as possible in a national pharmaceutical mass-tort is laid out, including the massive shock-and-awe advertising with fear-hyped t.v. commercials, the jockeying among regional tort lawyers to get as many clients as possible, the strong-armed negotiated portions of winning case money for the lawyers, the tort operations committee steering, and the cash-flow and human resources. Clay and his fellow lead tort lawyers splurge heavily at committee meetings in beautiful and exotic locations. They receive greater and greater animosity from the traditional trial lawyer as well as the newspapers and media. Clay himself gains regional and then national hype and hate, and his winnings help instigate regulations proposed to clamp down on mass-tort. Clay's initial identity of a modest guy and fiscal conservative mutates in parallel with his winnings, and becomes akin to the greed-driven and materialist-absorbed tort lawyers he initially loathed. His early thrifty expenditures blow out of control into huge ego-driven purchases. However even though he loses Rebecca, his heart still holds fast for her.
Eventually the murky foundations behind some of Clay's settlements begin to rear their ugly heads, drawing attention from the justice system. Further, the ruthless cuts his firm demanded from its clients backfire into his face with aid from an anti-tort New York ringer lawyer. Clay's past kindnesses pay him back at this time and the friends he stood by reflect this kindness when he most needs it.
All in all, the novel was an interesting and eye-opening top-level look at class-actions/max torts, while also maintaining a solid rags to riches anon story.
August 22, 2013
Did.Not.Like.It.
Don't take me wrong, I like Grisham's novels, I'm not a big fan, but I enjoy reading his books nonetheless. He is not a master storyteller but he writes enjoyable stuff.
But after reading The Street Lawyer and now the King of Torts, I had a hard time giving another of his books much thought. Unfortunately, in a bargain, I had bought many of his books and now I'm going to try and finish the lot (to get my money's worth).
There was absolutely no rythm to the book. It started as a criminal investigation, and I thought it will turn into a revealing story about a secret and devastating shady business that a big company is involved in and I'll get to read some great legal thriller, but somehow it turned into a kind of success story for the protagonist. Then I told myself, hey, its going to be one of those stories where he'll get inside the company and then start digging when his conscious will hit him hard. Nothing of that sort happened. Then I told myself, he will turn into a cruel dick and hot shot tort lawyer whom everyone will despise but envy his brilliant mind. Again, did not happen and the book ended. Extreme bakwas.
Don't take me wrong, I like Grisham's novels, I'm not a big fan, but I enjoy reading his books nonetheless. He is not a master storyteller but he writes enjoyable stuff.
But after reading The Street Lawyer and now the King of Torts, I had a hard time giving another of his books much thought. Unfortunately, in a bargain, I had bought many of his books and now I'm going to try and finish the lot (to get my money's worth).
There was absolutely no rythm to the book. It started as a criminal investigation, and I thought it will turn into a revealing story about a secret and devastating shady business that a big company is involved in and I'll get to read some great legal thriller, but somehow it turned into a kind of success story for the protagonist. Then I told myself, hey, its going to be one of those stories where he'll get inside the company and then start digging when his conscious will hit him hard. Nothing of that sort happened. Then I told myself, he will turn into a cruel dick and hot shot tort lawyer whom everyone will despise but envy his brilliant mind. Again, did not happen and the book ended. Extreme bakwas.
April 12, 2018
j clay carter II works at the public defenders office. he has just been handed another murder case. Tequila Watson is accused of killing Ramon Pumphrey. As Carter starts to look I not the facts of the killing he is approached by Max Pace. Max has a deal for him..he will make more money than he has ever dreamed of but must leave the public defenders office and is representing a mysterious drug company. Quickly Carter starts his own law firm and meets Patton French and is thrown into the world of mass tort cases and about making more mo ey than ever dreamed of.
The book was good...I liked reading about Carter and how he was learning the tort system and his thoughts on it. it was interesting about the relationship between Rebecca and Ridley and hiw he thought of them and they way they interacted. I do enjoy Grisham books and look forward to the next one.
The book was good...I liked reading about Carter and how he was learning the tort system and his thoughts on it. it was interesting about the relationship between Rebecca and Ridley and hiw he thought of them and they way they interacted. I do enjoy Grisham books and look forward to the next one.
July 18, 2025
#️⃣3️⃣4️⃣6️⃣ Read & Reviewed in 2025 🌀🌊💠
Date : 📬 Tuesday, July 15, 2025 🫧🛌
Word Count📃: 111k Words 🛢️✈️
𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚ 💧🥏🩻 ‹𝟹 𓇢𓆸 𓂂 𓇼˚｡ •
ʚ(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )ɞ My 31th read in "Why is Lorde's latest album so bad" 🩻 July
1️⃣🌟, legal yapping final boss, get me out of this shit
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➕➖0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣🔟✖️➗
• There is a case
• The case actually goes even deeper than expected
• Mr. Clay the lawyer investigates this case
But..
This is one of the most LEGAL YAPPING books of all time. I generally scream every time this the main character even YAPS but i am just like DO SOMETHING,. LITERALLY SOMETHING, ANYTHING, ANYTHING UNDER THE SUN. HE YAPS SO FUCKING MUCH ITS KILLING ME. All the times where there should be a progress in the case it gets detoured to him talking to a businessman, talking to a pilot, talking to a finance broker, talking to a drug deale~ BITCH DO SOMETHING!!!
LITERALLY DO ANY "*ACTION*" DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN ACTION IS MR. CLAY????? DO YOU NOT KNOW ANYTHING OTHER THAN YAPPING U DIPSHITi really think that this book only tries to appeal to lawyers and even tries to implement certain "very underrated and unknown law terminologies" to make the lawyers go "omg i didnt realize that a novel actually uses this term! I love this novel!", forgetting to realize that normal people fucking exists. :///
This is supposed to be a "legal thriller" but i don't even know if the case is even resolved at the end. I think the two of them just escaped the responsibility and just swooshed outta there with their million dollars. It even says that the "case is passed to a future lawyer to expand the study"
...so that means the case is not even damn finished 😐😐😐😐, bitch bye
Date : 📬 Tuesday, July 15, 2025 🫧🛌
Word Count📃: 111k Words 🛢️✈️
𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚ 💧🥏🩻 ‹𝟹 𓇢𓆸 𓂂 𓇼˚｡ •
ʚ(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )ɞ My 31th read in "Why is Lorde's latest album so bad" 🩻 July
1️⃣🌟, legal yapping final boss, get me out of this shit
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• There is a case
• The case actually goes even deeper than expected
• Mr. Clay the lawyer investigates this case
But..
This is one of the most LEGAL YAPPING books of all time. I generally scream every time this the main character even YAPS but i am just like DO SOMETHING,. LITERALLY SOMETHING, ANYTHING, ANYTHING UNDER THE SUN. HE YAPS SO FUCKING MUCH ITS KILLING ME. All the times where there should be a progress in the case it gets detoured to him talking to a businessman, talking to a pilot, talking to a finance broker, talking to a drug deale~ BITCH DO SOMETHING!!!
LITERALLY DO ANY "*ACTION*" DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN ACTION IS MR. CLAY????? DO YOU NOT KNOW ANYTHING OTHER THAN YAPPING U DIPSHITi really think that this book only tries to appeal to lawyers and even tries to implement certain "very underrated and unknown law terminologies" to make the lawyers go "omg i didnt realize that a novel actually uses this term! I love this novel!", forgetting to realize that normal people fucking exists. :///
This is supposed to be a "legal thriller" but i don't even know if the case is even resolved at the end. I think the two of them just escaped the responsibility and just swooshed outta there with their million dollars. It even says that the "case is passed to a future lawyer to expand the study"
...so that means the case is not even damn finished 😐😐😐😐, bitch bye
May 1, 2020
Now this is what you call a page turner! I just could not put this down... This is the style of legal thriller that drew me into reading John Grisham's books in the first place and this one just took me right back to the first time I read one of his books.
We follow Clay Carter who is a young lawyer who works for the Office of the Public Defender. His girlfriend and her family have high hopes of her marrying someone that is a high achiever and high earner and, at this time, Clay just isn't it. On his own, Clay gets an offer of a lifetime. Soon he has started his new business and is raking in the money. Could it be as easy as this to gain money and legal fame?
There are so many things I loved about this book but if I had to pick one it would have to be the legal process. Following Clay as he makes his different legal moves, how he deals with clients and how he deals with colleagues. We follow the process of massive complex medical legal cases and how these are 'negotiated'. I have to be honest and say that I didn't really care for the way that he treated his new girlfriend, as a sort of play thing and a sort of status play but that was such a minor part in this story it really didn't bother me that much but I guess at the moment he makes the decision to be with her he has lost all sense of reason anyway in the bigger picture. I also enjoyed the ending but would have loved something a bit more explosive than what we had.
That said, I loved this story and the writing. It was so good to delve into a really great legal thriller.
For more reviews, please check out the link below:
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
We follow Clay Carter who is a young lawyer who works for the Office of the Public Defender. His girlfriend and her family have high hopes of her marrying someone that is a high achiever and high earner and, at this time, Clay just isn't it. On his own, Clay gets an offer of a lifetime. Soon he has started his new business and is raking in the money. Could it be as easy as this to gain money and legal fame?
There are so many things I loved about this book but if I had to pick one it would have to be the legal process. Following Clay as he makes his different legal moves, how he deals with clients and how he deals with colleagues. We follow the process of massive complex medical legal cases and how these are 'negotiated'. I have to be honest and say that I didn't really care for the way that he treated his new girlfriend, as a sort of play thing and a sort of status play but that was such a minor part in this story it really didn't bother me that much but I guess at the moment he makes the decision to be with her he has lost all sense of reason anyway in the bigger picture. I also enjoyed the ending but would have loved something a bit more explosive than what we had.
That said, I loved this story and the writing. It was so good to delve into a really great legal thriller.
For more reviews, please check out the link below:
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
March 9, 2008
I almost always enjoy a good John Grisham book and love to read them on an airplane as they make the time go by so fast. This was one of my favorites as it gives an inside look at the huge class-action lawsuits and how they can affect the lives of those involved, especially in the legal field. There is so much money to be made, it leads to unscrupulous behavior and should be a warning to us all. It was informative as well as entertaining and that rates five stars from me.
September 18, 2014
Not as good as I was expecting. Kept wanting something exciting to happen. Basically the rise and fall of a mass tort lawyer.
January 19, 2020
Another interesting story by Grisham, about the corruption in legal practice and greedy lawyers taking advantage of clients. It almost felt like a Mobster film, where the main character starts out from beneath, slowly works his way up making it to the top, then in the end everything goes south and starts to crumble.
Clay Carter seems to be getting nowhere in life, a low-paid Public Defender in Washington DC. But one day, Clay is made an offer he can't refuse, after taking the case of a man charged with what is seemingly a random street killing. But as Clay digs deeper, he finds himself up against one of largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Clay decides to start a new chapter in his life, leaving the life of a Public Defender and working his way up, building his own Law Firm specializing in torts, and making more money a year than he could ever imagine.
An insightful story about greed and corruption, some of the legal jargon was a little overplayed, causing the story to drag at times, but other than that, an entertaining read!
Clay Carter seems to be getting nowhere in life, a low-paid Public Defender in Washington DC. But one day, Clay is made an offer he can't refuse, after taking the case of a man charged with what is seemingly a random street killing. But as Clay digs deeper, he finds himself up against one of largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Clay decides to start a new chapter in his life, leaving the life of a Public Defender and working his way up, building his own Law Firm specializing in torts, and making more money a year than he could ever imagine.
An insightful story about greed and corruption, some of the legal jargon was a little overplayed, causing the story to drag at times, but other than that, an entertaining read!
January 25, 2014
I love a good Grisham book, especially when I haven't read one in awhile. This is the story of Clay Carter, a young lawyer in Washington DC, working for the public defender's office. His job pays him next to nothing, his 4-year relationship is in a rut, and he'd love to live on his own--without a roommate. After wrapping up a lengthy murder trial, he gets stuck with another one. Everything appears to be the typical street crime/indigent story until a mysterious phone call lands Clay in a posh hotel with a very mysterious man.
The man explains to Clay that his defendant was on a drug called Tarvan, which was amazing at cleaning up junkies had one serious problem-- after about a week of being off the drug, some of it's users had the uncontrollable urge to kill--totally at random. The drug company was now asking Clay to pay the victims' families (and Clay) a substantial sum of money to keep the story quiet. Clay agrees-- and so begins his slippery journey with big pharmaceuticals and mass cases.
Clay finds himself suing a large company for a bad drug-- all with the help of this mysterious man who has befriended him. When he becomes a multi-millionaire overnight, the smell of money and his greed only increase. He is hailed as the "King of Torts" and instantly thrown into the spotlight. He buys houses and jets and big boats. He becomes even more greedy and careless, and ultimately winds up with next to nothing.
This was a quick and fun read-- about the life of the rich & famous (a life I'll never know personally). Grisham always does a great job of weaving together several stories and making his characters very life-like. It's impossible not to root for Clay, even though we see his personality shift throughout the story. Although Grisham doesn't always wrap things up neat & tidy (the way the reader might want them), I liked the way he ended this book-- a penniless guy who lived a moment in the spotlight and still gets the girl.
The man explains to Clay that his defendant was on a drug called Tarvan, which was amazing at cleaning up junkies had one serious problem-- after about a week of being off the drug, some of it's users had the uncontrollable urge to kill--totally at random. The drug company was now asking Clay to pay the victims' families (and Clay) a substantial sum of money to keep the story quiet. Clay agrees-- and so begins his slippery journey with big pharmaceuticals and mass cases.
Clay finds himself suing a large company for a bad drug-- all with the help of this mysterious man who has befriended him. When he becomes a multi-millionaire overnight, the smell of money and his greed only increase. He is hailed as the "King of Torts" and instantly thrown into the spotlight. He buys houses and jets and big boats. He becomes even more greedy and careless, and ultimately winds up with next to nothing.
This was a quick and fun read-- about the life of the rich & famous (a life I'll never know personally). Grisham always does a great job of weaving together several stories and making his characters very life-like. It's impossible not to root for Clay, even though we see his personality shift throughout the story. Although Grisham doesn't always wrap things up neat & tidy (the way the reader might want them), I liked the way he ended this book-- a penniless guy who lived a moment in the spotlight and still gets the girl.
May 19, 2012
I don't think I'll ever read Grisham again, his stories are just too stupid. The protagonist inexplicably acted like an ass despite professing to being a moral person, acted wildly irrationally, made unbelievable errors in judgement concerning the wasting of money and lack of caution. His character was so poorly developed that I knew mid way through that I didn't give a shit what happened to him, because his character was both unbelievable and ultimately not likeable. Most problematic though were what felt like serious inconsistencies in his behaviour, it just never felt like he had a real personality. It wasn't like a good person was being corrupted by money, rather it felt like the author didn't know who the character was, the consequence of which was me often thinking 'why the fuck would a real person do that?'. The entire ride, in particular the relationship aspect of the story, was beyond belief.
Still gets two stars for being a page turner, and Grisham's writing is tidy and very approachable.
Still gets two stars for being a page turner, and Grisham's writing is tidy and very approachable.
October 24, 2017
The rise and fall of a public defense attorney turned hotshot lawyer, plus fun stuff about mass tort litigation for people like myself who know nothing about that world. An entertaining, fast-paced read.
October 10, 2021
I wanted some light reading and all I got was utter boredom. What a complete waste of time. The book's only redeeming quality (if you can call it that) was that I didn't want to put it away because part of me wanted to know whether I had surmised its ending correctly. Unfortunately, I had.
August 1, 2025
Another David and Goliath theme story with a blend of justice thriller. I picked up this book long time ago from library. Can not remember much of the story.
3 stars
3 stars
February 5, 2025
This was a great look at the world of mass tort litigation has only John Grisham can do. I really enjoy the story in this as it was literally a rag to riches story about a public defender who learned some info about a pharmaceutical company, and strikes it big with a massive lawsuit and the eventually downfall when things don’t go his way. Overall, great story and memorable characters left me wanting more. Would love to see a sequel.
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