373 pages
English language
Published May 14, 2011 by Bantam Books Trade Paperbacks.
Promising law school graduate Kyle McAvoy harbors a secret that falls into the hands of some unscrupulous characters who blackmail him into taking a job with a prestigious law firm, where he participates in a scheme that can land him in prison or get him killed.
A quick, fun read. I think it was the first Grisham I ever read, although I have watched most of the numerous movies based on his books. With that history the book read like the novelization of a movie. Which doesn't have to be bad. An entertaining book if you're into the insights into the legal world Grisham generously provides.
Interesting story, but is that it?
The cover compares this book with [b:The Firm|5358|The Firm|John Grisham|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165518895s/5358.jpg|38270], and implies that The Associate is even more thrilling. The reality is much different. While The Associate was an interesting story in its own right, I found myself wondering how all of the loose ends will be tied up...and because of that expectation I was sorely disappointed. There is no justice, no ironic twist and no answers...it just ends. While this is probably true to life, it is not what I have come to expect in a good [a:John Grisham|721|John Grisham|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1198174022p2/721.jpg] thriller.
