The Firm

By John Grisham

Book Overview

#1 WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER - The iconic legal thriller that launched the career of America's favorite storyteller, hailed as "an absolute master" (The Washington Post)

" An] ingenious man-in-the-middle thriller."--Entertainment Weekly

Mitch McDeere has worked hard to get where he is: third in his class at Harvard Law. Aggressively recruited by all the top firms, and initially headed for Wall Street, Mitch surprises everyone by joining Bendini, Lambert & Locke, a very private, very rich tax firm in Memphis. Mitch and his wife, Abby, move to Tennessee and quickly settle into their new life: they're young, happy, and on the fast track. Or so they think.

Soon, though, Mitch senses trouble: two of the partners die in a suspicious diving accident off Grand Cayman; the firm's management is overly proud of the fact that no one has ever resigned; and security measures at the firm, even for a company with billionaire clients, are more than a little stringent. Then, suddenly, Mitch's vague suspicions come to life.

The FBI has the lowdown on Mitch's firm and needs his help. Now Mitch is caught between a rock and a hard place. The FBI will bust him if he doesn't cooperate, and the firm will kill him if he does. There's no way out.

Or is there?

The story continues in The Exchange, the "breathtaking" (The Wall Street Journal) sequel to The Firm

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385416342
• ISBN13: 9780385416344
• Release Date: February 1991
• Publisher: Doubleday Books
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

One of Grisham's best

This is a truly amazing Grisham book, full of plot twists and suspense. It's no wonder it catapulted Grisham into the bestseller arena. The story starts out simple: Mitch McDeere is recruited into a creepy law firm situated in Memphis. They give him a high salary, a BMW, and a good mortgage. No one has ever quit this firm, which seems to be a good thing... But then Mitch realizes that people from the firm have a tendency to die, and the FBI is involved too. No spoilers, but it gets even more intense as the book goes on. This is a great and fairly easy read. Like most Grisham books, you will find yourself hooked to this book from the start. The ending is good, and you may even find yourself re-reading it sometime in the future. You will not be disappointed with this book.

THE FIRM

Mitchell Y. McDeere has worked hard to get where he is: third in his class at Harvard Law. Aggressively recruited by all the top firms, and initially headed for Wall Street, Mitch surprises everyone by joining Bendini, Lambert and Locke, a very private, very rich tax firm in Memphis. Mitch and his wife Abby move to Tennessee and quickly settle into their new life: they're young, happy, and on the fast track. Or so they think. Soon, though, Mitch senses trouble: two of the partners die in a suspicious diving accident off Grand Cayman; the firm's management is overly proud of the fact that no one has ever resigned; and security measures at the firm are even for a company with billionare clients more than a little stringent. Then, suddenly, Mitch's vague suspicions come to life. While eating alone at a nearby diner, he is approached by a man named Tarrance who claims to be with the FBI. Tarrance tells Mitch that the firm's "security" people have bugged his phone, his house, and he is in great danger and should be extremely careful; that he cannot tell a soul of their meeting; and that the FBI will contact him again soon. Then he is gone. In subsequent meetings with Tarrance, Mitch is told that the FBI has been studying Bendini, Lambert and Locke for years, and that while they have a few legitimate clients, they are most assuredly not a law firm. When Mitch learns what they really are, he is at first shocked, then frightened; when he learns what they really do, and how they do it, he is terrified. And when Tarrance tells him the FBI needs an informant inside the firm, he realizes he's trapped: the FBI will bust him if he doesn't cooperate, and the firm will kill him if he does. There's no way out. Or is there? Blending the suspense of Ken Follett with the legal intrigue of Scott Turow, this is one of those rare novels that grab you on page one and simply cannot be put down.

The Firm

When John Grisham published his first novel in 1989 the results were mixed. Now with this book everything changed for him. The book became an instant hit earning excellent reviews across the board. At the centre of the story is a young Harvard Graduate Mitch Mcdeere who has chosen to sign with a prosperous firm known as Landini Lambert and Locke. They lease him a new car, buy him a very expensive home and hire an interior decorator to help Mitch and wife Abby with the decorating of the home. It all seems to good to be true. It is. An FBI agent who claims that they have evidence of corruption and murder within the ranks of the firm and unless he helps them out he will go down with the rest of them contacts Mitch. They agree to help shorten Mitch's brother Ray's prison time in Tennessee where he is serving a fifteen-year sentence. Now Mitch is torn between a rock and a hard place and whatever choice he makes will forever change his life. The Firm is a brisk thriller that starts good and ends with a rowdy finale. The supporting characters are all really good as is the pacing of the story. A superb read.

Money Kills...

This book is the story of Mitchell McDeere, a young, poor lawyer out of Harvard Law. He finished among the top three in his class and has recieved offers from law firms all over the country, including the small, conservative tax firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke in Memphis, Tennessee. They offer more than any other firm: a new BMW, a new house, a large salary with many incentives and bonuses, student loan relief, and a community and way of life. But before long, Mitch is confronted by the truth: the firm is actually owned by a powerful Chicago mafia family and once you are in, there are but two ways out: dying and retiring while keeping your mouth shut. The whole book is fascinating, from the beginning when the lawyers were outlining the terms, to the middle, when we discover why those terms are in place, and the espionage begins, to a suspenseful manhunt for the McDeeres which includes the police, the FBI, and the mob. This is absolutely compelling reading and makes you think about if a firm that controls every aspect of your life, that can hear every word you say, does exist.

Comments on the Firm

This is a book of suspense in which, once again, Mr. Grisham keep us reading and reading one chapter after another. Eventhough this is a fiction book, I think that the lawyer's environment is not very far, or not far at all, from what he presents, showing us the hidden intrigues within the lawyer's firm. I encourage you to read this book, it's great!