"The Associate" by John Grisham

John Grisham's The Associate is a story of a young law graduate's final semester at Yale law school and first year of work as a lawyer. Such a story would ordinarily be unexceptional, as would any recent graduate's first year in the workforce. Grisham's tale is hardly unexceptional because of his skill at writing an engaging story involving interesting characters (Ivy League law school graduates), their employers (massive Wall Street law firms), their huge salaries, their crimes and indiscretions (bribery, rape, conspiracy, billing fraud, breach of attorney-client privilege, to name a few), and scorn that many young lawyers have for their chosen profession.

The Associate is a story about the use of bribery to compel a bright Yale law school graduate (Kyle McAvoy) to forsake his yearning to work in public interest law and instead accept an offer to practice litigation in the nation’s largest law firm in New York City. He his compelled by a group of well organized thugs, in particular, their threat to ruin his life by exposing his appearance on a video recording at a party he hosted where his friends allegedly raped a woman. Police investigated the case but never filed charges; however, that was before it was known that there was a video recording. The thugs have a copy of the video and threaten to release it to McAvoy’s friends, the victim’s attorney, the police, and potential employers if McAvoy doesn't do what they require. The thugs not only want McAvoy to accept an offer to work at a Wall Street law firm, but also spy for them and provide them with privileged client information, material, and evidence that his firm's clients are using in their defense in an upcoming trial. In his first few months at his new firm, McAvoy settles into a job he despises. He masters the billing practices, manipulates his fellow employees and wins the confidence of the managers to such an extent that the firm’s partners appoint him to the team involved in the multi-million dollar trial mentioned by his thug handlers. Once in a position to steal information, McAvoy executes his long gestating plan to get out of his handler's grasp. His plan involves co-operating with Federal law enforcement to expose/catch the thugs who compelled him to commit crimes. Kyle McAvoy also set in place a series of negotiations that, primarily through the use of intermediaries, settle the matter of the alleged rape.

Grisham’s reputation as an exceptional storyteller is well established, particularly of stories involving young lawyers in trouble that are disillusioned by the big money practice of law, who have to use their wits to save their skin. The Associate is such a story, but even though it’s a fast-paced and engaging story, it’s more than that. Sure, it’s a ripping yarn, but on another level it a cautionary tale of how difficult it is to prosecute sexual assault crimes. It also is a story of how large big city law firms pay fabulous salaries, but require their staff to virtually enslave themselves to their chosen careers. Grisham implies, none to subtlety, that small “main street” walk-up law practices are the true, noble, legitimate and most rewarding ways to practice law. The large wall street firms may pay large salaries, however, many lawyers who chose this option become disillusioned with their chosen profession - its almost as though he's warning young lawyers to not go for the dollars because it will bring misery, Rather, he implies, do what your heart tells you to do and listen to that inner voice; you’ll be happier and live a more fulfilling and useful life.

The Brass Verdict, by Michael Connelly

In The Brass Verdict, Michael Connelly gives the reader another Los Angeles-based fictional crime story, this time its one that brings together two of Connelly’s most intriguing characters, veteran Los Angeles Police Department detective Harry Bosch and “Lincoln Lawyer” Mickey Haller. The two are (naturally) brought together by a crime, the murder of Haller’s acquaintance and fellow lawyer Jerry Vincent. Following Vincent’s murder, a Judge orders Haller to take over Vincent’s caseload, which includes a high profile murder trial where a prominent movie studio owner is accused of murdering his wife and her lover. While Haller attempts to familiarize himself with his new clients and their cases, Bosch investigates Vincent’s murder. Both Bosch and Haller suspect that Vincent’s murder is related to his representation of the movie mogul, suspicions that prove well founded. Haller’s trial preparations reveal evidence of bribes, jury tampering, and eventually, a judicial jury rigging conspiracy. In telling the apparent small story of a murder and a trial, Connelly reveals a larger story a legal and judicial conspiracy. Haller’s discoveries are not disclosed to Boschs due to attorney-client privilege, but Bosch, we’re led to believe, somehow knows already, but is seeking proof. To add further intrigue, Haller’s movie mogul client is murdered, and an attempt is made on Haller’s life, an attempt foiled only through the intercession of the vigilant no-nonsense Bosch.

The Brass Verdict again demonstrated Connelly’s skill as a natural storyteller of crime thrillers. He engages his readers by bringing together two engaging but believable characters in Bosch and Haller. He takes nothing for granted and provides sufficient back-story for new readers of his fiction, as well as regular readers of his past works. Connelly knows Los Angeles, and knows how it courts and police department operate. In typical Connelly fashion, the story is fast-paced, engaging, and peppered with numerous twists and turns, and surprise detours. Even though this book is engaging, it is somewhat bleak in that it’s regularly punctuated with death, crime, corruption, violence, cynicism, and the hard-nosed characters that seem comfortable with the grime of crime. The book is somewhat notable for its absence of joy, humor, fun or delight. Such are the live of Connelly’s stern committed, driven principle driven characters. But this should be expected in any crime novel; anything other than this would be unusual at least, if not inauthentic. Nonetheless, The Brass Verdict is very well written, and is a fine example of crime writing and legal/court room storytelling, that is further proof of the assertion that Connelly is one of America’s finest crime fiction writers.

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisenberger

In The Devil Wears Prada, author Lauren Weisenberger tells the story of a young female college graduate who becomes a “wage slave” working all hours as the assistant to the tyrannical editor of a prominent fashion magazine. Our young graduate learns that she’s won what appears to be the employment lottery, landing a job at a fashion magazine that many of her contemporaries “would kill for.” She sees the job as a stepping stone to becoming a writer, but over the course of a year while being an on-call slave to her boss, become distant to her parents, alienated from her boyfriend, and oblivious to her closest’s friend’s slide in to alcoholism. She eventually realizes that she has sacrificed the things closest to her (family, boyfriend friend and writing) in order to meet the excessive, outrageous, rude, bullying and tyrannical demands of her boss, one of the most respected-through-fear chief editors in the fashion industry. In order to succeed in her job, she appears to sacrifice her writing ambitions and relationships with the people most important to her in return for the moderate wages, free (or stolen) couture clothing, promises of future assignments, and the “psychic income” and “snob value” of working in close proximity to wealth and glamour. When faced with a crisis, our college graduate realizes that she has become like her boss; and in a sense, realizes that she’s been worshipping a golden calf rather than seeking the Promised Land.

This book has appeal to fashion gossips interested in what its “really like” working as an assistant to the chief editor of a fashion magazine. Lauren Weisenberger obviously knows what its like; she writes with the voice of experience, confidence, and reality. As ridiculous as the chief editor’s behavior is, the author is very convincing in telling her audience that such behavior is not uncommon. Our author keeps the reader’s interest by sprinkling the story with insider tid-bits that demonstrate the glamour, mystique, absurdity, celebrity and attraction of the fashion business. But on another level, our author shows that the young and ambitious college graduates (or anyone for that matter) can sacrifice their dreams and most important relationships while they “succeed” in their career. In this instance, an erudite and scholarly college graduate, after a year in a “dream job” almost becomes a younger version of the boss she dislikes – a bullying, cruel, manipulative, tyrannical bully. This is the message of this engaging and entertaining book, a message applicable to all people, regardless of where you live and work. Beware of what you wish for. Beware of whom you associate.