The Appeal by John Grisham

At 11:00am, Tony moved the show south to McComb, the eleventh-largest city in the district. (Brookhaven ranked fourteenth with a population of 10,800.) Traveling in a newly leased Chevrolet Suburban, with a volunteer named Guy at the wheel, with his new but already indispensable first assistant, Monte, in the front seat and on the phone, and with Doreen sitting by his side on the rather spacious middle bench of the SUV, Ron Fisk smiled smugly at the countryside flying by him. It was a moment to be savored. His first foray into politics, and in such grand style. All those supporters, their enthusiasm, the press and the cameras, the heady challenge of the job ahead, the thrill of winning, all in just the first two hours of the campaign. The strong rush of adrenaline was only a sample of what was coming. He imagined a great victory in November. He could see himself springing from the mundane anonymity of a small-town law practice to the prestige of the supreme court. It all lay before him. ~ The Appeal, page 199 ~

The latest from John Grisham is all about buying the election of a supreme court justice. In this case big business throws huge dollar amounts around, they pick a unknown candidate to put up against an unsuspecting sitting supreme court justice, they spread lots misleading campaign information at the general public all in an attempt to buy themselves a verdict. This isn't a book full of fast paced action, there aren't any chase scenes, no big bad guys in black brandishing guns. This is a thinking book. It's about everyday people, you and me, doing something we know is right and hoping and praying that those we've elected, in the end, will also do the right thing.

While many have complained that Mr. Grisham writes for the masses and his work is formalistic I still enjoy his books. He never fails to entertain me and, really, bottom line that's what it's all about. He writes about the relevant topics of the day, brings them into our lives and lays them at our feet. I enjoyed it and I''m looking forward to his next book.