2012 Book Review #2: The Appeal by John Grisham

Title: The Appeal
Author: John Grisham
Pages: 482
Personal Rating: 5/5




From the Back Cover: In a Crowded courtroom in Mississippi, a jury returns a shocking verdict against a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste into a small town's water supply, causing the worst "cancer cluster" in history. The company appeals to the Mississippi Supreme Court, whose nine justices will one day either approve the verdict or reverse it.

Who are the nine? How will they vote? Can one be replaced before the case us ultimately decided?

The chemical company is owned by a Wall street predator named Carl Trudeau, and Mr. Trudeau is convinced the Court is not friendly enough. With judicial elections looming, he decides to try to purchase himself a seat on the court. The cost is a few million dollars, a drop in the bucket for a billionaire like Mr. Trudeau. Through an intricate web of conspiracy and deceit, his political operatives recruit a young, unsuspecting candidate. They finance him, manipulate him, market him and mold him into a potential Supreme Court Justice. Their Supreme Court Justice.

Personal Thought and Reflection: This book has sat on my To Be Read shelf for about 3 years now, it was given to me by a friend, and I have never had the desire to pick up a Grisham book before. However, now I can see why he is so popular. He spins a fantastic tale, actually several storylines are spun out in this magnificent piece of fiction. I couldn't put this one down and I definitely plan to invest in more of John Grisham's books in the future.