Rogue Lawyer: A Novel

Grisham must have found a fountain of youth because this book is as good as his early hits--like The Firm. The author is at his most cynical in this tale; corruption and immorality is rampant. Cops lie, DAs lie, mayors lie, and pity the poor innocent defendant who is at the mercy of these liars. Enter the anti-hero, the attorney on a black horse, who is as corrupt as everyone else and will do whatever it takes to defend his clients. This book has echoes of Michael Connolly's "The Lincoln Lawyer," but stands on its own merits. The pages turn almost by themselves. What a narrative force Grisham is!

Attorney Sebastian Rudd is the lens through which readers will examine the criminal justice system, and it will not be a flattering portrait. Rudd is a unique character, a solo practitioner who does not even have a law office. His vehicle, a large Ford cargo van, serves as his office. Rudd has a legion of enemies, both former clients and police officers who have seen their professional lives heavily damaged by his “take-no-prisoners” approach to trials. Sebastian defends people other lawyers won’t go near: a drug-addled, tattooed kid rumored to be in a satanic cult, who is accused of molesting and murdering two little girls; a vicious crime lord on death row; a homeowner arrested for shooting at a SWAT team that mistakenly invaded show more his house. Why these clients? Because he believes everyone is entitled to a fair trial, even if he has to cheat to secure one. He hates injustice and distrusts all levels of government while laughing at the justice system’s idea of ethical behavior. Sebastian believes he is fighting for his clients' lives while also battling corrupt police and court officials who would rather have closure than the truth.

Grisham has multiple targets in his criticism of the criminal justice process. He has chosen to present his case using an episodic format; the result is a series of short novellas with Rudd’s battles with police, prosecutors and judges being the overarching theme binding them together. But as the book progresses, it doesn't matter who is on trial. Rudd narrates his adventures with a cocky, flippant attitude rather than typical attorney-client conversations. Sebastian is always the smartest and funniest person in the room, with an endless parade of idiots circling around him.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this strange sort of Grisham novel. I found Sebastian entertaining but not realistic at all. If you're looking for a quick novel where the police and the lawyers are most often the bad guys, this can be quite readable. If you're looking for a much better lone wolf criminal defense lawyer who operates out of the backseat of his Lincoln Town Car, who defends clients of every kind, then I highly recommend the first book of the Mickey Haller series by Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer. show less

On the right side of the law. Sort of.

Sebastian Rudd is not your typical street lawyer. He works out of a customized bulletproof van, complete with Wi-Fi, a bar, a small fridge, fine leather chairs, a hidden gun compartment, and a heavily armed driver. He has no firm, no partners, no associates, and only one employee: his driver, who's also his bodyguard, law clerk, confidant, and golf caddy. He lives alone in a small but extremely safe penthouse apartment, and his primary piece of furniture is a vintage pool table. He drinks small-batch bourbon and carries a gun.

Sebastian defends people other lawyers won't go near: a drug-addled, tattooed kid rumored to be in a satanic cult, who is accused of molesting and murdering two little girls; a show more vicious crime lord on death row; a homeowner arrested for shooting at a SWAT team that mistakenly invaded his house. Why these clients? Because he believes everyone is entitled to a fair trial, even if he, Sebastian, has to cheat to secure one. He hates injustice and doesn't like insurance companies, banks, or big corporations; he distrusts all levels of government and laughs at the justice system's notions of ethical behavior.

Sebastian Rudd is one of John Grisham's most colorful, outrageous, and vividly drawn characters yet. Gritty, witty, and impossible to put down, Rogue Lawyer showcases the master of the legal thriller at his very best. show less

C'est un roman captivant qui nous plonge dans l’univers unique de Sebastian Rudd, un avocat hors du commun. Grisham réussit à créer un personnage fascinant, dont le bureau est une camionnette blindée équipée de toutes les commodités modernes. Ce cadre inhabituel ajoute une dimension intrigante à l’histoire.

L’intrigue est bien ficelée, avec des rebondissements qui maintiennent le lecteur en haleine du début à la fin. Rudd défend des clients que personne d’autre n’ose représenter, ce qui met en lumière des questions de justice et d’éthique de manière percutante. La plume de Grisham est fluide et engageante, rendant la lecture agréable et immersive.

En somme, c'est un excellent choix pour les amateurs de show more thrillers juridiques. C’est un livre qui non seulement divertit, mais qui pousse également à réfléchir sur les complexités du système judiciaire. Un must-read pour tous les fans de John Grisham ! show less

Since someone torched his office, Sebastian Rudd has found it necessary to be creative; he now meets clients in an office in a bulletproof cargo van whose interior has been suitably altered to serve this purpose. The charges his clients face are as varied as the people: capital murder in a case involving a satanic cult and the brutal deaths of two young girls . . . a man defending his home and family against an elite police force who battered down the door of the wrong house in the wee hours of the morning . . . a Mafia mobster on death row and accused of murdering a judge.

Thanks in part to his trial tactics and his propensity to question arbitrary legal reasoning, Sebastian counts few friends among his colleagues or law enforcement show more folks; his clients may be despised, but since everyone is entitled to a defense, they, too, have need of a lawyer to handle their cases. And Rudd, unconventional renegade street lawyer that he may be, nevertheless advocates for the powerless and has no regard for police who overstep or prosecutors who hide facts in order to win their cases.

A parallel storyline shows Sebastian's difficulties in dealing with his estranged wife, a conniving lawyer waging an on-going battle to deprive him of his visitation rights and determined to keep the father out of his young son’s life.

Rather than a detailed focus on one specific case, readers are treated to snippets of the lawyer’s case history, enabling them to make the acquaintance of several unsavory characters. Rudd may not be the most lovable character Grisham has ever penned, but he definitely has his moments.

The writing is top-notch, the case stories focus on weighty issues involving the justice system and are intriguing enough to keep the pages turning.

Highly recommended. show less

On the right side of the law. Sort of. Sebastian Rudd is not your typical street lawyer. He works out of a customized bulletproof van, complete with Wi-Fi, a bar, a small fridge, fine leather chairs, a hidden gun compartment, and a heavily armed driver. He has no firm, no partners, no associates, and only one employee, his driver, who’s also his bodyguard, law clerk, confidant, and golf caddy. He lives alone in a small but extremely safe penthouse apartment, and his primary piece of furniture is a vintage pool table. He drinks small-batch bourbon and carries a gun. Sebastian defends people other lawyers won’t go near: a drug-addled, tattooed kid rumored to be in a satanic cult, who is accused of molesting and murdering two little show more girls; a vicious crime lord on death row; a homeowner arrested for shooting at a SWAT team that mistakenly invaded his house. Why these clients? Because he believes everyone is entitled to a fair trial, even if he, Sebastian, has to cheat to secure one. He hates injustice, doesn’t like insurance companies, banks, or big corporations; he distrusts all levels of government and laughs at the justice system’s notions of ethical behavior. Sebastian Rudd is one of John Grisham’s most colorful, outrageous, and vividly drawn characters yet. Gritty, witty, and impossible to put down, Rogue Lawyer showcases the master of the legal thriller at his very best. show less

Sebastian Rudd is not your typical street lawyer. He works out of a customized bulletproof solid black van, complete with Wi-Fi, a bar, a small fridge, fine leather chairs, a hidden gun compartment, and a heavily armed and massive driver. He has no firm, no partners, no associates, and only one employee, his driver, who’s also his bodyguard, law clerk, confidant, and golf caddy. He calls him Partner. He lives alone in a small but extremely safe penthouse apartment, (after all there are so many people who would like to see him dead), and his primary piece of furniture is a vintage pool table. He drinks small-batch bourbon and carries a gun.

Sebastian defends people other lawyers won’t go near because they are already presumed guilty: show more a drug-addled, tattooed kid rumored to be in a satanic cult, who is accused of molesting and murdering two little girls; a vicious crime lord on death row; a homeowner arrested for shooting at a SWAT team that mistakenly invaded his house. Why these clients? Because he believes everyone is entitled to a fair trial, even if he, Sebastian, has to cheat to secure one. He hates injustice, doesn’t like insurance companies, banks, or big corporations; he distrusts all levels of government and laughs at the justice system’s notions of ethical behavior.

I liked the book all they way through until the end. I was listening to the book so I didn't realize I was at the end until I heard "Thank you for listening to Audible, we hope you have enjoyed..."
The ending was very unsatisfying. I wanted more closure I guess. show less