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Audio CD Description Hard to believe, but there was a time when the word "lawyer" wasn't synonymous with "criminal," and the idea of a law firm controlled by the Mafia was an outlandish proposition. This intelligent, ensnaring story came out of nowhere--Oxford, Mississippi, where Grisham was a small-town lawyer--and quickly catapulted to the top of the bestseller list, with good reason. Mitch McDeere, the appealing hero, is a poor kid whose only assets are a first-class mind, a Harvard law degree, and a beautiful, loving wife. When a Memphis law firm makes him an offer he really can't refuse, he trades his old Nissan for a new BMW, his cramped apartment for a house in the best part of town, and puts in long hours finding tax shelters for Texans who'd rather pay a lawyer than the IRS. Nothing criminal about that. He'd be set for life, if only associates at the firm didn't have a funny habit of dying, and the FBI wasn't trying to get Mitch to turn his colleagues in. The tempo and pacing are brilliant, the thrills keep coming, and the finish has a wonderful ironic flourish. It's not hard to see why Grisham changed the genre permanently with this one, and few of his colleagues in a very crowded field come close to equaling him. --Jane Adams

Customer Reviews Still Grisham's best This one grabbed me from the first page and never let me go. I read it on the recommendation of a friend when it was first publised in 1991, and just finished re-reading it this morning. Fourteen years have not dimmed the excitement of the story or slowed its heart-racing pace. Grisham is gifted at plotting and knows how to layer the suspense. His characters are not the deepest in the world, but they aren't all purely good or evil, either. In "The Firm," Mitch, Tammy, Avery and Tarrance in particular are all well-developed, strong characters. What makes the book work is that the Memphis law firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke completely underestimates Mitch. He may come from an impoverished, miserable background; he may seem to lack sophistication and worldliness (despite his Harvard education). But the firm does not count on Mitch having a strong moral compass and sense of ethics. The hiring committee feels certain his poverty and misery have made Mitch hungry, and they have, but for the right things -- not those that are important to the firm. Despite its length, "The Firm" is a very fast read. It is perfect non-think entertainment, and you'll hate to see it end. The movie version is quite different; it is entertaining and well-cast, but the book is better in my opinion. I also believe Grisham is at his best writing thrillers, rather than wrestling with huge moral questions, as he does in "The Chamber," for example. "The Firm" is the perfect introduction to John Grisham's books, and if you enjoy it you will read it again, and you will probably like most of his other books as well. the best grisham book i've read perfect plot, intrigue, suspense, money, criminals. the best one i've read, and i liked it better than a time to kill. very deep plot, great ending. great book the ending was good and through out the book i was touched by how the action went by so fast, this has to be one of the fastest books i have finished, recommend A++++