Book #2 of 2022. One of my best reads yet.
The Pelican Brief, by the critically acclaimed legal thriller author, John Grisham, was one incredible read. I hadn't expected to find myself loving this novel because I was skeptical of legal fiction (I hadn't tried this genre before), but I am really glad I read it.
Right from its exposition, where we are presented with the coincidental deaths of two Supreme Court judges, the story starts to pace quickly (which is a key feature of most legal fiction). We are also introduced to Darby Shaw, a young law student who pursues the truth behind these shocking assassinations. Eventually, her writing of a revelation comes as a bombshell to the the White House — she called it the Pelican Brief.
While this brief was still yet to be confirmed (despite the evidence present), the people with direct involvement in the brief start the hunt for Darby, whose world turns upside down when her boyfriend (also her law professor) gets bombed. Now, Darby regrets writing the Pelican Brief and flees for her life.
Meanwhile, a reporter from The Post named Gray Grantham attempts to get to the bottom of the brief and ends up playing a major role in helping Darby. While Darby initially thought of Gray as a 'typical' reporter, i.e., snobbish and mostly unsympathetic, she warmed up to his personality and their interactions were one of the highlights of this novel; mainly because of the humour Grisham uses throughout.
Final thoughts
As I said earlier, I did not expect to even want to return to this genre. John Grisham is a master at legal fiction, clearly, and I can't wait to read more of his novels! This book is actually a collection of two of Grisham's bestsellers: The Pelican Brief and The Firm. You've guessed it, you can expect a review of The Firm very soon ;)
Rating: ★★★★
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