Sparring Partners

 Sparring Partners

Reviewed By  Nan van Dissel       June 20, 2022

 

Author  John Grisham

Distributor:      Hachette Australia
ISBN:                 9781399708401
Publisher:         Hachette /Hodder and Stoughton
Release Date:   June 2022  

   Website:   https://www.hachette.com.au

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Being stuck at home with COVID, didn’t stop John Grisham master of suspense and the legal arena, from writing his first collection of novellas. Each dealing with a legal case ‘Sparring Partners’ is a novel consisting of three independent and completely separate but engaging stories.

‘Homecoming’ the first tale in the book is set in Ford County and brings back a fan favourite character Jake Brigance, a small town lawyer. This time Jake is helping friend and attorney, Mark Stafford, who with a checkered past wants to return home and make amends with his daughters, while at the same time avoiding prosecution for allegedly having stolen his clients’ money.

The second story ‘Strawberry Moon’ chronicles the last three hours in the life of 29-year-old Cody Wallace, the youngest prisoner on death row. After more than a decade of correspondence with his elderly benefactor, he finally meets the 80-year-old, who has not only sent him every book in his 2000 plus collection but also the only person ever to show him kindness. Readers are left wondering about the appropriateness of imposing the death penalty for crimes committed by minors.

In the final novella ‘Sparring Partners’ greedy lawyer brothers Kirk and Rusty Malloy are well on the way to destroying their father’s once thriving law firm, which they inherited, while their father lingers in jail for the manslaughter of their mother and his much hated wife. It’s a tale of collusion and deceit, bribery and corruption; not to mention financial fraud.

Not only fans of Grisham will find this a most enjoyable page turning read.

Crime, Fiction