The Appeal Reviews

• Dirty Elections, Big Money, Corrupt Politicians Now Take Grisham's Center Stage For Urgent Moral Issues

  
  By A3CZWVO53MLZI9 on 2008-02-02
  John Grisham will be ending his absence from the New York Times Best Seller's List (fiction) with the arrival "The Appeal." Grisham's first legal thriller since the Broker (2005) is a gripping and compelling read that will be hard to put down. It is also timely since it highlights the underbelly of today's election politics.
  
  The story centers on a small Mississippi law firm who wins a big verdict over a chemical giant, Krane, that has spread carcinogenic pollutants. Krane, fearful that this verdict, if not overturned, would set a precedent that would eventually destroy it, goes into action. It files an appeal that will find its way to the state supreme court, and hires a "dirty tricks" firm to unseat a sitting justice believe to be unfriendly. This is a viable strategy since Mississippi elects their Supreme Court justices and 69% of its voters know little about the court's candidates.
  
  The "Appeal" provides a believable primer on how to rig an election - pick a victim; promote an unknown candidate with no visible record; and ambush the victim by painting him/her as a extreme ideologue (this liberal judge will destroy the family). Done well...and the election process is subverted.
  
  This is Grisham's thirteenth legal thriller since "A Time to Kill" which was published in 1989. He has been a master at putting urgent moral issues on center stage for all to consider. He has succeeded again in "The Appeal."
  
  
  

• Cardboard characters, I'm so eeevil villain

  
  By ANEDXRFDZDL18 on 2008-02-08
  Evil uncaring chemical baron Carl Trudeau's company has been poisoning the city of Bowmore's drinking water for years. After people start coming down with cancer and related ailments, the company cuts and runs to Mexico leaving hundreds of people ill and dying and the ground water contaminated. A scrappy altruistic attorney couple(the Paytons) sues Krane on behalf of a widowed client and wins a sizeable settlement. Carl Trudeau chooses to fight back, using his deep pockets and political connections.
  
  I wanted to like this story, but I felt the good guy characters-particularly the attorneys -(the Paytons), were annoying. They were a little too perfect, a little too altruistic... It was very saccharine. The Paytons were both such Mary Sue's I didn't identify with them at all. Ironically, I liked the antics of the evil villains more because at least their plots and plans were entertaining.
  
  Overall this was a decent book, but I found the simplistic character development aggravating.
  
  

• Much ado about nothing

  
  By A37PV5GMP2ILJC on 2008-03-22
  I've just finished reading more than 250 pages of filler with nothing worth mentioning at the end of it all, except that the ending "majorly" sucked.
  
  Essentially a sordid tale of big business and politics vs. big verdicts and class action lawsuits, it begins nicely, and gathers steam, then proceeds to continue blowing hot air at the reader until the unsatisfactory quickie ending.
  
  While there's some food for thought regarding how the legal, political, religious and business arenas may all be connected, there's more garnish than meat in a story which could have been cut by about 100 pages of the filler, and sweetened with about 50 more pages of conclusion for dessert.
  
  Short Attention Span Summary (SASS)
  
  1. Large company dumps chemicals in rural community
  2. Water changes color
  3. People get sick
  4. Some die
  5. Small law firm files lawsuit
  6. Large verdict awarded
  7. Big business takes over
  8. Money talks
  9. Once again, Grisham gets tired of his own rambling and wraps up story in indecent haste leaving most of his ends dangling
  10. His ends aren't pretty
  
  I'd like to sue for 50% of my money back, plus loss of productive time, legal costs and mental trauma, and also for punitive damages, but I guess I'd lose on appeal.
  
  Rated: 2.5 stars for half of a good book
  
  The Innocent Man
  
  
  Amanda Richards, March 21, 2008
  
  
  

• Entertaining and Informative

  
  By A211GMNT1HY28Q on 2008-02-08
  It is obvious that John Grisham is up to more than spinning a fine yarn in this, his most recent legal novel. A former practicing trial lawyer in Mississippi, the setting for most of the story, as well as a member of the state legislature, Grisham is apparently, and quite rightly, concerned about a recent phenomenon relative to state supreme courts. As the novel illustrates, this is the increasing tactic of large business and ideological groups sweeping into various states and unloading large resources in elections for state supreme court justices--still not an uncommon way in which they are selected. Some states have adopted the so-called "Missouri system" where an expert panel recommends a slate of names to the governor, who must nominate one of the names, the individual serves a short term, and then stands for retention on a non-partisan basis. A simple majority of yes votes suffices to keep the judge in office for a full term.
  
  But in Mississippi, and a number of other states, anyone can run in a competitive election for a seat on the state court. I expect this is particularly a hot issue in Mississippi, since it is the headquarters for gigantic tort recoveries in individual and class action suits returned by sympathetic juries. Grisham's previous novel, "King of Torts," was full of insights on this phenomenon. In the novel, business and ideological groups dissatisfied with the state court's decisions combine to run a candidate they pick and believe will be sympathetic to their viewpoints in rendering decisions. The target is a female Justice, by no means super liberal or extreme by any measure--but that is before the millions of dollars invested in campaign propaganda distort her record. The novel is designed to exhibit several of the major problems with this system: the potential for extraneous "hot button" issues to be injected into the campaign; the disparity in funds between judges and interest/business groups seeking to dislodge them; will judges render decisions based upon what they feel voters will like?; could judges who receive financial support from groups ignore that fact when rendering decisions that impact upon them?; will this tactic emasculate the tort law system that has "cleaned up a lot of bad products and protected a lot of people"?(p. 337)
  
  So, while there is some serious food for thought in the book, it is also a solid novel well in the tradition of Grisham's other books: full of suspense; fast moving; and well written. I was not wild about the ending, but found it interesting that goodness and justice did not triumph as they often end up doing in novels. This one is more realistic.
  
  

• Grisham's Back...Or is He?

  
  By A1G5M4C5XPUX8H on 2008-01-29
  Grisham is back to his roots with a return to legal drama in "The Appeal." The question is though, is he really back? "The Appeal" does not quite make a return to the same idiom that Grisham made his own with early classics like "The Client," "The Pelican Brief" or "The Firm." By comparison, I would put "The Appeal" in the grouping with "The Chamber," and "The Runaway Jury," the legal high-wire acts that have something to say about politics, life, and the quasi-legal/quasi-political space they occupy.
  
  "The Appeal" focuses on the high-stakes game of judicial appeals by following the appeal of a mega-million dollar toxic tort verdict that figures to destroy a chemical corporation and shake up Wall Street. But, its a lot cheaper for Krane Chemical to buy a Mississippi election (MS elects judges) than it is to pay the judgment, and if the right judge gets elected then the jury verdict at trial is moot.
  
  And that's politics, Grisham seems to be saying. Of course, judicial seats and funny business were the driving force behind "The Pelican Brief." Some similarities exist: a party with an interest in a particular case takes the system into their own hands through political connections, dirty tricks, and (in "Pelican") murder.
  
  But, this is a book steps away from that earlier Grisham tome, away from the worlds of David Baldacci, Michael Connelly, and the rest. Where "Pelican" belonged in that other category of formulaic fiction that relies on well-trod and overarching portraits of Washington, politicians, and high-stakes business that seem (whatever subtext may be lingering) to be designed to entertain; here, Grisham clearly has something stuck in his craw, he thinks something is rotten and he wants to expose it. There are no mobbed-up corporate firms, international assasins, or KKK murderers. The villians here are political spin-doctors, campaign wonks, and board room raiders.
  
  This time, it is political. Or, maybe, Grisham just loves personal injury lawyers (aka "trial" lawyers) -- contrast his very sympathetic protagonist in "The King of Torts" with the pictures he has painted of sharks in suits from "The Firm," louses in "The Brethren," and small-time nickel and dimers in "The Client" and "The Rainmaker."
  
  That type of characterization has always been something of a weakness of Grisham's, relying too heavily on emblematic types (i.e., Denton Voyles - the G-Man, Fletcher Coal - the operative, Khamel - the assassin) that are familiar to any reader from go: requiring no development and acquiring no depth. But, in "The Appeal," Grisham returns to his roots with some really winning characterization. Like the development of the McDeeres in "The Firm," or Reggie Love in "The Client," the couple that serves as plaintiff's co-counsel on the central case of the book are developed in more depth - a real strength in "The Appeal." But again here, he takes a very friendly - and I would say unpopular - view of pi attorneys.
  
  All in all, I would say to prepare for a more mature Grisham, whether that becomes less appealing or unpalatable to some remains to be seen. This book - coming as it does on the heels of "Skipping Christmas," "Playing for Pizza," "The Bleachers," and "The Innocent Man" - is reflective of an author who has decided to embark on a different course. There is little of the sensational in "The Appeal," in fact, it embellishes the naturalistic element that some of his earlier work hinted at. This is nitty gritty: no glitz, no glamour...save a few gratuitous Gulfstream jets.
  
  Whatever else it may be, this is Grisham's most realistic (that is to say in terms of literary style - not necessarily plausibility) fiction work. But, it still reads quickly and promises to move off of shelves even more quickly.
  
  JAW
  
  
  
• Grisham Back To Basics
  By A2TVJ0YDW3QO63 on 2008-01-29
  With 'The Appeal', mega-author John Grisham is back to what he does best, legal thrillers. I think that his sabbatical from these types of books was the best thing for his writing, as this is one of his best efforts of the genre by far. Highly cynical although fairly justified, this book focuses on the results of the trial rather than the trial itself. It shows a dark/realistic side of how easily people can be bought and controlled today in this Manchurian world that we live in where corporations are king and power is controlled by those with the most money. Until something is done with society and a whole overhaul of the political system takes place we can only expect things to get worse in the United States and the world where the smallest 1% of 1% of 1% control the masses. This type of control is seen in this book, written by one of the most successful authors of our time.
  
  ***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  
  
• A Legal Thriller In the Best of Grisham Style!
  By A240FRPD4MEXND on 2008-01-30
  Well-drawn characters in conflict, corporations callously rolling over ordinary citizens - oh yeah - Grisham's back!
  
  One of his best, if not the best, The Appeal is a great Grisham read. Extremely timely, it works by playing on current issues - back room politics, dirty tricks, greed, the irresistible appeal of power, manipulation of the voting public, what we know happens but, too often, can do nothing to combat. It's all here in a compelling read you won't put down.
  
  Get it. Savor it.
  
  Five Stars!
  
  
• My fastest read :-)
  By A24ZFFRQ4MG3XL on 2008-01-29
  This was a gripping read. I've read a handful of Grishams books before and enjoyed them, so I thought I'd give this a go. I really liked it and read it in record time over a long weekend here (we got the book earlier for a change).
  It weaves a fascinating story about money, politics and corruption. It actually has a lot of politics in it (which I normally find boring) but it's enthralling never-the-less. It involves a chemical company, they contaminate the water in a community, there's a cancer outbreak and people die, and there is a $41 million jury award against this company but the company avoids paying it by stacking the court that's eventually going to hear the appeal on this case.
  Without going into much more depth about the story as to not give anything away, it's a very good read. It got me going from start to finish and I found it fantastic and really enjoyable. It's one of his better books and I highly highly recommend it.
  
  
• Water that burns
  By A3BH49ZKESHDID on 2008-02-03
  Attorneys have no particular compulsion to bring a case to closure if they are collecting for billable hours. Juries, on the other hand, are paid a pittance, and need to reach a decision in order to go home. I have served on juries, and I know the drill. Some jurors are more dominant and persuasive than others. Decisions are based on negotiation and compromise. In the present story, the trial has lasted 71 days, and the jury has deliberated for 42 hours. They are not in complete agreement, but that is not required in a civil case. A verdict has been reached, and ten jurors are willing to sign it. But that is not the end, because the case will now wind through THE APPEAL.
  
  So, the protagonists -
  
  On the one side there is Carl Trudeau, a ruthless corporate executive in New York City who is willing to advance himself over the broken bodies of others. He will manipulate, lie, hide behind shells, and use fair means or foul to get his way. His obsession is money. He has no real friends. When you run with jackals, any sign of weakness can get you pulled down, and the pack will feed on your carcass.
  
  On the other side is Mary Grace Payton, who grew up in the Bowmore, Mississippi, area and is seeking justice for the residents of the town. She and her husband Wes, a married team of attorneys, have given up everything to handle the case. It is expensive. There is office staff, and there are expert witnesses. It has cost $400,000 of borrowed money.
  
  The case involves Krane Chemical Company, controlled by Trudeau, accused of polluting the water supply of Bowmore, leading to illnesses and deaths. The water is unfit for washing cars, and there are claims that it will burn if used on a fire. Various people are drawn into the fray. The scent of money attracts various maggots and vultures. There are business interests on one side, and there are tort attorneys on the other. The case will create a precedent. The case is being watched on Wall Street.
  
  It is more than just an appeal, it is also about an election to the Mississippi Supreme Court (all judges in Mississippi are elected). The problem with the election of judges has been spelled out in detail in a recent article by retired U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (Parade magazine, Feb. 24, 2008). There are vested interests trying to influence the election. A large part of the book deals with campaign financing, sham PACs, campaign dirty tricks, etc. Such tactics are real, but fictional names and circumstances are used. It is a good analysis of politics. Money talks.
  
  The end of the story may be disagreeable to some people, but that is the way things sometimes go. I might have wished for something different. There is the Stone family who carry grudges (I had hoped for a gunshot). However, it is a well written story, even if some people go unpunished, but there are different forms of punishment. Sometimes victory can leave you with a mouth full of ashes.
  
  On a side note, under the present governor, a former lobbyist, the Mississippi legislature recently enacted tort reform legislation that limits liability in civil cases. It is a contentious issue. There are arguements on both sides. I would note that a Mississippi attorney was recently sentenced to prison for conspiring to submit fraudulent claims in a product liability case (doesn't that sound like a character in the novel?). Maybe you have to live in the state to understand some aspects of the novel.
  
  Reality is sometimes stranger than fiction. In a recent Mississippi Supreme Court decision, an associate justice, writing a minority opinion stated, "Much of what has been written by the majority in the instant case would be dismissed as mere gobbledygook but for the fact that it is being promulgated by a venerable institution in our democracy, the Mississippi Supreme Court. This majority decision erodes that veneration. Contrary to the majority's misapprehension, which defies reason and common sense, Section 23-15-855 of the Mississippi Code is unambiguous and should be construed as written." The case related to a decision by the Governor which had been challenged by the Mississippi Attorney General. It was a political issue with the majority siding with the governor to overturn a lower court decision.
  
  In breaking news, the Bush administration's proposed FY2009 budget includes a 20.8 percent reduction in the budget for the U.S. Geological Survey's Toxic Substances Hydrology Program (a significant issue considering the case in the novel).
  
  
• My Toughest Verdict
  By A1CHM200OEN65X on 2008-02-17
  I've followed Grisham's career for years, enjoying everything from his legal thrillers to his novellas. Sure, some of his more recent legal outings have faltered ("The Brethren" was awful, for example), but I've hung in there. Recently, he released "Playing for Pizza," and I thought this might be his attempt at regaining a second wind by doing something offbeat. Offbeat, indeed. I cannot recommend that particular book to anyone, based on the milquetoast lead character and his refusal to learn, change, mature, or give a decent story.
  
  With the arrival of "The Appeal," I once again let my hopes soar. I heard some good feedback from a bookstore owner. I bought the book, and--to my thorough amazement--breezed through the first hundred pages in one sitting. The old Grisham was back, I told myself. This might be one of his best in years. All the pieces were in place for a great story.
  
  Although "The Appeal" is nothing original, I was hooked by Grisham's portrayal of David and Goliath characters. The giant: Carl Trudeau, owner of a company that has illegally dumped chemicals into Mississippi waters and earth, resulting in cancer, leukemia, and the lost lives of many local townspeople. The midget: Payton & Payton, a law team of husband and wife who have risked everything to bring about justice. Grisham paints both protagonists and his antagonist with skill and empathy. Trudeau and his shallow trophy-wife were the villains you love to hate. I kept turning the pages.
  
  As usual, Grisham takes issue with something in our legal system and makes a moral or political point. Here, he mixes familiar ingredients from "The Firm" (manipulation), rants from "The Chamber" (capital punishment), and bits from "The King of Torts" (huge settlements). Where he falters is in his shifting of focus from David and Goliath to a host of other participants in the drama. What starts as great fiction turns into a mishmash of thinly veiled non-fiction. After page 120, I could've sworn I was wading through portions of "The Innoce nt Man" (a decent non-fiction title, by the way). I wanted a novel, though. Sure, I had expected a "message" from Grisham, but I'd also hoped to follow strong characters from first to last page.
  
  My verdict, like the supreme court in this book, hung in the balance to the very end. Maybe the climax (never a Grisham strength) would redeem the faltering storytelling. Maybe I'd be swayed back to the fondness I felt for the first third of the story. Instead, Trudeau, the love-to-hate villain, turns into a cartoonish character ("he laughed and rubbed his hands together"...an actual quote). Then, Grisham throws in an uncharacteristic deus ex machina to tease, then trick, the reader.
  
  I have to give the book two stars for pointing out huge flaws in the election system, regarding campaign funds and the ability, in essence, to purchase a judge--a fact that still remains in over thirty states. All of this makes readable non-fiction. And for many pages, I thought that's what I was sifting through, because it had strayed so far from the norms of good fiction.
  
  Will I get my hopes up again? No. Will I buy the next Grisham? I think not. He apparently has forgotten how to care about his characters for more than half a book. In so doing, he has left me feeling the same.
  
  
• Poor Job
  By A16A3MYURJDYS7 on 2008-02-26
  Grisham has written some wonderful books. Unfortunately, The Appeal is not one of them. He has a point which is that elected judges create a problem and an opportunity for abuse. We all agree. By the way so do appointed judges.
  
  The plot has been described by others. My issue with this effort is that everybody was predictable. The good folks were perfect. Plaintiff lawyers who will bankrupt themselves for a case they believe in. Not like many plaintiff lawyers who I have run into. The company and its owners are completely bad. When a character such as the general counsel of the company looks to be a little interesting he is ignored.
  
  Grisham in my view has always had the ability to develop believable characters who were interesting. All the leading characters in this book were boring and too much of a stereotype.
  
  
  
  
• Drivel
  By ADOZHRP0JJCGB on 2008-02-28
  Pure unadulterated drivel. Grisham should be ashamed of himself. This book reads like something produced by a neophyte for a writer's workshop. Not only is the story one-dimensional, the characters are, without exception, stereotypes, and the plot is one only a conspiracy theorist with a liberal bent could love. Every action of every character is so predictable (and the writing so sophomoric)that one wonders what lowest-common-denominator reader Grisham had in mind when he sent this dog of a manuscript to the publisher. If, as some say, fiction is "chewing gum for the mind," this ia a single Chiclet! I won't be reading any more of his "legal thrillers."
  
  
• Vintage Grisham....a Terrific fast read
  By A3FPSY1M6G7XIB on 2008-01-30
  This is the book many of us have been waiting for three year to read -- Grisham back to the legal basics -- this is a fun, smart, and quick read -- I read half the book in the plane on the way across the country, and the other half on the way back.
  
  Interesting characters, a topical storyline (made even MORE topical by the current primaries) and fast paced narrative make this one of Grisham's finer novels overall.
  
  
• Great until the end
  By A9YNYD373E4AH on 2008-02-12
  Of course, I love Grisham's books. This time he misses the mark. If you are going to write popular fiction, write for the people. The end was disappointing and lacked the interesting plot twists of his previous work. I read fiction for enjoyment and not to become depressed or for political messages. I would love Grisham fans to send ideas for an ending that was satisfying.
  
  
• The Appeal - not a feel good book
  By A2RVZLYSHI6VTA on 2008-02-27
  I know in real life the good guy doesn't always win, that often the big corporations beat down the little guy. But I don't want to read about that. I want to read that the little guy does win, like the "Erin Brockovich" story. I was very disappointed in the way this ended. You will wish you never started reading the book. This would never fly as a movie, no one would go see it.
  
  
• don't bother
  By A3EA37V6O3TQW on 2008-02-01
  Thin characters, same bad guys no one is as good as the elitist author himself. You've read one of his you've read them all. I promise myself I will not buy another one of his books but I was stuck in the airport and suckered in.
  
  
• A huge disappointment
  By A1T0GZRHMH0OAL on 2008-02-24
  It is hard to believe that this book was written by John Grisham. I found it to be agonizingly slow reading and devoid of Grisham's wonderful sense of humor. By the time I finished it I was sorry that I hadn't followed my initial urge to put it aside and read something else.
  
  
• Predictable
  By A3KA684MERO2XV on 2008-02-23
  Very disappointing! Charecters, plot and even conversations are predictable. Little story and a lot of padding. End is equally disppointing. Has Grisham lost it?
  
  
• A mediocre, sanctimoniously written political piece
  By A1XYF6P552DCKT on 2008-01-31
  From start to finish the entire book is a scathing diatribe against formulaic characters: the evil, conniving, heartless tycoon and his croneys (read: Republicans) and the compassionate, scrappy, do-gooder locals (read: Democrats). Grisham clearly has an agenda and uses the book to pursue it. Take this away and you are left with a book with average (but not terrible) writing, a predictable but somewhat interesting plot with very little action.
  
  
• appalled with the appeal!
  By A2IASC3T8KVF1C on 2008-02-22
  I just finished "THE APPEAL". I have always been a fan of John Grisham but I can't believe the outrage I feel after reading this book.I will concede it was intelligent and stylish consistant with his writing but the ending is appalling.I understand sometimes in real life tragic circumstances don't always turn out for the best for all involved.All the more reason why a work of fiction (by John Grisham's own admission)and the time a reader puts into a book,you should be rewarded with a satisfying conclusion.I was not.This book is a bitter disapointment.I can't recommend anyone wasting their time with this one but if read this review and read it anyway.....You've been warned! D. Canfield
  
  
• Completely transparent
  By A3AD071UEP20WS on 2008-02-21
  John Grisham has written some very good novels, but this isn't one of them. Not even close. The villains are so transparently evil that the reader can almost see them twirling their mustaches and hear their evil chuckles. And the heroes are just too too nice, with nice kids, who go to a nice church, and do all sorts of nice things.
  
  I have no sympathy for chemical companies that dump carcinogens. I think the owners should pay through the nose and go to prison. That's not the point. Nor do I sympathize with a lawyer who gets sucked into an obvious scheme to overthrow a perfectly competent supreme court justice. But such topics should be treated with some modicum of subtlety. There is nothing subtle about "The Appeal." As a result, the book isn't of much interest at all.
  
  The characters are predictable. Ditto the plot. The atmosphere isn't much at all. It's just one long mad tirade. Let's hope for better out of Grisham's next book.
  
  
• Grisham's worst - I want to forget it
  By AC626FULRORMM on 2008-03-04
  I want to remember The Firm, The Broker, The Trial Lawyer ....they were engaging and objective, without any obvious political bias.
  However the latest work by Grisham is basically full of political propaganda with some plot around it.
  
  If you think that trail lawyers are white knights and underdogs, unions have no political power, and businesses exist only to pollute and abuse workers - pay for 350 pages that have little else. I was bored with it after the first 50 pages... too bad, I have been a Grisham's fan for decades.-
  
  
  
• I agree, back to form for Grisham
  By AND0M57J5HNX7 on 2008-02-01
  If you like Grisham's early stuff, I bet you will like this one, a lot. Thin, almost stick-like characters, framed very much as black versus white, good versus bad. Quite preachy in places. I am not sure how much it adds to the debate over judicial elections/nominations. John Edwards would love it. In fact, one might guess that Grisham is a big Edwards supporter. Still, excellent plotting, fast read, can't put it down. Grisham gets lots of details correct, but others, including legal details, not so correct. I guess that makes it fiction, so it is okay. I am not a huge Grisham fan, at least as to his recent stuff, but this seems like his earlier books, and I got a lot of entertainment value out of it.
  
  
• Great Suspense, Moralizing Goes Overboard
  By A10NJX8AI9IRU9 on 2008-02-11
  Grisham has returned to the legal non-fiction thriller, and it is worth the wait!
  
  While a chemical company pollutes a Southern small town, lawyers seek compensation. Meanwhile, the rigging of the Mississippi Court of Appeals gears up, and everyone is bound for a Shakespearian finale.
  
  Suffice to say, when all is said and done, the victims, lawyers, and big business collide (and collude) with modern politics.
  
  I loved the premise, the story is believable, but felt as if it was written by the Democratic National Committee. All business is evil, the GOP is the devil, and liberal judges can do no wrong.
  
  A worthy effort , but next time, stick to the facts, and nothing but the facts in the courtroom!
  
  
• Bogus Leftwing Liberal Plot
  By A2I0NW56RTHANP on 2008-02-29
  Want to read a book with a left wing liberal slant? Then this book is for you! This time John Grisham has created another interesting story but has embellished it with his own left leaning political views. For readers who are conservative, who believe in God, who take a stand against abortion, and believe that the death penalty is the correct punishment for criminals who have commited murder; you will be angered at how Grisham makes decent conservative people seem like puppets of large corporations and big business. This book ends with a tragic event where the son of the newly elected, Judge Ron Fisk, has been terribly injured. And even though Ron Fisk is a God fearing, family man, and knows he should decide for the right, he just can't find it in his soul to go against the big corporations who put him in position. This story is about as bogus as it gets! I will throw away this book and think long and hard about ever buying another book by John Grisham!
  
  
• bad story just politic
  By A14OA7LGDOUB5I on 2008-04-10
  Bad book: not a thriller, not even legal. Just political propaganda. A book written to judge: all repubblicans are nasty, cruel and racketeer, all democrats are good, honest and selfless. Too easy to detect Grisham's trick: the reps are playing dirty tricks to cheat the good people. their aim is to make money defrauding the good people who fights for the right of everyone: the right of omosexual marriage, the right of abortion, the right of leaving without rules.
  The book is also poorly written.
  I miss the early Grisham: hunger makes better books than fame.
  Paolo
  
  
• Big money...a cautionary tale.
  By A32O5FZH994CNY on 2008-02-07
  John Grisham can get a bit preachy from time to time. In this case, set within what amounts to the backstory of a mass toxic tort case brought in state court in South Mississippi, the guilty defendant attempts to stack the deck for its appeal by electing an unknown conservative to the state's highest court. Through this tale, Grisham rails against the danger big money presents to the judicial system and how contemporary political techniques can be used in unscrupulous ways.
  
  While this work is fiction. the danger is quite real. Shortly before I was admitted to the Florida Bar, two Supreme Court justices were found to be circulating an opinion secretly drafted by the counsel for one of the parties, a major utility company. The removal of the two justices from the bench (as well as their subsequent disbarment) presented an opportunity for the governor to appoint the first African-American jurist to the court. This was followed in short order by an election campaign in which a trial judge of limited ability campaigned on the platform of a "matter of black and white."
  
  Florida amended its Constitution after these events to provide for retention elections giving the voters power to remove appellate judges, but not seat them. This method is known as the "Missouri Plan" after the first state to implement it. It provides a degree of voter control, but removes the dangers skillfully exposed by The Appeal.
  
  Few states followed suit, creating opportunities for big money donors to buy judicial elections. Grisham's point is clear-we must resist the efforts of any special interest group to destroy the public's right to (in Edmund Burke's words) "the cold neutrality of an impartial judge." Such a loss would be catastrophic, in Grisham's opinion and in mine as well.
  
  However this lesson is not delivered with too heavy a hand. The engaging narrative of corporate misdeeds, political operatives, church/state meddling, and trial lawyering will keep you turning pages until late at night.
  
  In the end, we find that its lessons are imbedded in our consciousness. Hopefully they will not be lost on readers and voters.
  
  
• the master of the legal thriller strikes again
  By A2NKVD6GES15LD on 2008-02-07
  I just this moment finished The Appeal, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it, as I do all of Mr. Grisham's works. He is far and away my favorite writer. In regards to this book, hopefully without giving too much away, I have to say I was a little disheartened by the way it ended. But I would guess it was Mr. Grisham's intention to invoke a sense of outrage at the way the 'system' works, and in writing this book, he hits it right on the head. Congratulations to the master of the legal thriller for writing another engaging, exciting story. Here's to his continued success.
  
  
• Don't Do It!
  By A3VZWR5KHW7M8B on 2008-02-11
  While I have previously been entertained by many of John Grisham's novels, this is NOT one of them! He may think that in this account of the more egregious aspects of our legal system, he is performing a public service. Not So!. This book is painful and ultimately very disappointing! I read for pleasure and I sincerely regret the money and hours spent on this novel. John Grisham ... Never Again!
  
  
• Most depressing Grisham book
  By AFMT9FYP6QI9N on 2008-02-14
  Very disappointing book. Ended poorly. Why take us through the ordeal with the injury to Ron Fisk's son and not allow that impact his decision for the Krane appeal? Which human (father or mother)ever looks at life the same way after such a tragic event to thier child? The end of the story would have made more sense if Ron Fisk's son never suffered such an injury. Then we could say, how could he empathize with anybody when he himself never had to watch his own loved one slip away from the gross negligence of huge companies like Krane and others. But he did suffer a terrible loss and still did not allow that change his views. That I say is not a true reflection of life and how we make decisions after a life altering experience. I am sorry Mr Grisham but this story should never have been written. The end is very depressing. What happened to Fisk's son, Sheila McCarthy, Clete Coley, Jeanette, Wes & Mary. The story ended very abruptly and did not tie up a lot of loose ends. Sure there is evil and corruption in the world but my goodness gracious me, this books says there is no hope left in the world!
  
  

• 7th Heaven (The Women's Murder Club)
• The Whole Truth
• Playing for Pizza
• Sail
• Compulsion (Alex Delaware, No. 22)