Needless to say, we'll probably never reach that Nirvana, but we can certainly try... and that's exactly what Sebastian Rudd dedicates his life to in John Grisham's latest legal thriller, Rogue Lawyer.
In this novel we are introduced to the afore-mentioned protagonist as he plies his trade across multiple cases. First off, there is the case of a former satanic cult member with a history of sexual perversion now standing accused of molesting and drowning two little girls.
Then, there is the ruthless crime lord accused of killing a judge, facing the possibility of being put on death row. Finally, Rudd has the pleasure of defending a homeowner who chose to open fire on a SWAT team after they mistakenly invaded his house. The common thread between all those cases is that there is no way in hell a normal a lawyer would touch them.
Working out of his bulletproof van, equipped with all the amenities and contingency measures known to man, Rudd and his bodyguard/driver/law clerk/golf caddy/confidant tackle those cases one by one, trying to ensure that even the vilest of criminals get a fair trial. And just to give him additional sleep problems, Rudd must also fight his own case in court to maintain the visitation rights to his son.
From the way it is written and the way it ends, it definitely feels like Rogue Lawyer was designed to introduce us to Sebastian Rudd, his world and his work. We get a rather good glimpse at the kind of person he is, and he certainly isn't an angel.
He is impatient and dangerous in his approach, yet also intelligent, crafty and resolute. While he devotes his life to upholding justice with the zeal of a religious fanatic on a crusade, he blatantly neglects his own son's need to be raised by a father.
He's definitely someone you can cheer for, and perhaps even relate to on some levels; a flawed human being who has his strengths and weaknesses.
When it comes to the cases themselves, it really feels like the book is a collection of short stories from the Rudd world. One case appears before him, he works it diligently, closes it and moves on to the next one.
There is no overarching plot or grand mystery that waits to be solved, and even though the cases are tied together in some ways at the end, the climax ends up being a bit disappointing.
In other words, once again it really feels like the book was designed to get us acquainted with what normal life looks like for Rudd, to set the stage for future developments.
All things considered, Sebastian Rudd is a very welcome addition to Grisham's repertoire of heroes, with his (hopefully) first novel being a great introduction into the world of a vividly-portrayed lawyer with a lot of character handling really thrilling and curious cases. If you enjoy legal thrillers you'll definitely want to give this one a shot.
Favorite quote: "If a prosecutor gets caught cheating, he either gets reelected or elevated to the bench. Our system never holds a bad prosecutor accountable."
 | John GrishamPersonal site John Grisham is an American lawyer, politician and author whose works have always been largely centered around the legal world. Many of his novels have been adapted into films, including The Firm, The Rainmaker and A Time to Kill. In 2005, he was the recipient of the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. |
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