The Common Lawyer

Summary:

Andy Presscott is the most laid-back young lawyer in Austin, Texas. Specialising in traffic law, he operates from a small room above a tattoo parlour. Ambition has never been Andy’s strong point-he prefers to take it easy.

That is, until one of Texas’ wealthiest men comes knocking on his door. On the spot, billionaire Russell Reeves retains Andy as his lawyer and pays him more money than he has ever earned before. Andy’s life is transformed.

Of course, nothing comes for free. Russell is desperate man whose sole aim is nothing but to save his eight-year-old son’s life. Zach is suffering from cancer. As such, Russell is willing to do anything-even if it means putting Andy’s life in danger.

With the retainer, Andy’s job is to find a list of women claimed by Russell as his ex-girlfriend. Once he finds any of these women, Andy are to report back to Russell after which Russell will wire in 1 million dollars into their accounts.

Unknown to Andy, Russell is actually looking for Patient X who carries the immune gene that might be able to save Zach. Unknown to him too, other people is looking for the same thing-only with totally contrasting intention.

Andy’s search finally brings him to Frankie Doyle and her daughter Jessie. Odd things begin to happen and Andy sniffs something is wrong. Andy finally get to know the truth and his job now is to protect Frankie’s and Jessie’s life even though he has to breach the lawyer-client relationship with Russell.

Comment:

The Renaissance of legal thriller. When John Grisham’s touch looks like fading with mundane work such as Theodore Boone and compilation of short stories, Mark Gimenez emerges to save this genre.

The introductory pages are wonderfully crafted to make us wonder where the author wants to bring us in this story. I’m the Virgin Mary is the clue that may solve the whole mystery in the story if you are a kind of I-told-you-so person when reading a novel.

It is a really exciting reading. I skipped some details such as the descriptions of Austin as I have never been there and I can’t imagine all the places that are mentioned. A map is provided which can be helpful. However, I am not the best of man to read a map. The dialogues are ample and non-exaggerative and able to connect the characters with the story and with each other.

Some interesting information about surrogation, traffic law in Texas, US social security, GPS and triangulation, that red hair is recessive and so on can be found through out the book which makes it entertaining as well as informative.

The Times can rate Mark as The Next Grisham. What I can say is Grisham has finally found a worthy competitor.