The Boys from Biloxi

The usual page-turning fare from one of my favorite escape artists. Two immigrant families settled along the Gulf shore in Mississippi follow divergent paths to "success", and despite early associations end up on opposite sides of the law, and in sometimes violent conflict. Pure entertainment, not a lot to say about it. Grisham does his usual tutorial on legal tactics and courtroom shenanigans, which never feels "teachy", and never gets old for me. There is an epic editorial FAIL near the end, however, when one thug is dead on page 412, "freezing in Maine" on page 413, "behind bars" on page 414, and then dead again on page 435.

The Boys From Biloxi follows two families beginning with the immigration of the two patriarchs in the early twentieth century. The publisher’s plot summary suggests the story focuses on Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco, the grandsons. Instead, the primary focus is on their fathers.

The patriarchs were hard-working, church-going, family men, but the families grew apart over generations. The Malco family found success in gambling and prostitution, while the Rudy family stuck to honest labor and, eventually, the practice of law.

When Hurricane Camille destroyed the business along the Biloxi coast and the homes of hundreds of working- and middle-class residents, Lance Malco saw an opportunity to expand his underworld empire and eliminate his show more competition. All the major insurance companies denied the residents valid insurance claims, further enriching themselves. Jesse Rudy agreed to represent the desperate residents, often with no remuneration. These forces resulted in Lance becoming the head of the loose-knit criminal organization ruling the Mississippi coast, Rudy becoming the district attorney, and a head-on clash between the two.

The Boys From Biloxi plods along at a sluggish pace due to the summaries describing Biloxi’s history, the multiple chapters establishing Jesse, Lance, Keith, and Hugh as three-dimensional characters, and the 54-page epilogue. The necessary information could have been into action-oriented plot segments, shortening the book by 80-90 pages and moving the story along smoothly. These enervating flaws could have been fatal, but I never considered setting the book aside after the first sixty pages.

While the book has the potential for an outstanding story, it is marred by a slow-moving plot that gets up to speed only in its third section. Nevertheless, Grisham is a skilled storyteller, and The Boys From Biloxi will please many of his faithful fans. show less

Why have I waited so long to read a John Grisham?!? I was thoroughly engrossed in this legal thriller and it wasn't as "literary" or "legally" as I thought it might be. It was very straightforward and the plot kept me engaged. Biloxi wasn't just known for it's coastal beauty and fishing, it was also known for its vices and corruption. The police and judges were in bed with the mobsters; taking cuts from the illegal drinking, gambling, and prostitution. Two young boys were raised in this environment and they couldn't lead different lives; once friends and athletes the two grow apart after high school and find themselves at opposite sides. One will become a lawyer who idealizes his father and the work he is doing to clean up Biloxi; the show more other a thug and mobster, one who also idolizes his father and the "empire" he built. Fast paced, I liked how this story spans over decades. The city of Biloxi also feels like a character. I definitely need to read more Grisham! show less

Review of Uncorrected Proof

For Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco, baseball was their world. Born just twenty-eight days apart, the two boys dreamed of playing in the Little League World Series in Williamsport. The two boys were inseparable.

Their friendship would not stand the test of time.

With Hugh’s father, Lance, the “boss” of Biloxi’s criminal underground and Keith’s father, Jesse, a legendary prosecutor determined to clean up the Coast, Keith and Hugh find themselves drifting away from friendship to travel different paths.

What lies ahead for the two boy and their families? Will the Dixie Mafia maintain its control or will Jesse find a way to break their hold on Biloxi?

What does the future hold for the two boys from Biloxi?
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Well-defined characters, a strong sense of place, and a compelling plot all work together to pull the reader into the narrative. Early on in the telling of the tale it becomes apparent that the Rudy and Malco families are racing toward a confrontation and, as the events in the unfolding story take on a grimmer aspect, it becomes apparent that it will be catastrophic.

Through three generations, readers learn the stories of the Point and the Strip; the choices made by family members and friends clearly delineate the lines drawn as the “fight” for Biloxi reaches its climax. Both Keith and Hugh, clearly influenced by their fathers, step into roles that seem foreordained for them.

Here readers see the results of choices made, of paths followed, of friendship, of heritage. Greed, vengeance, and secrets all play a part in the telling of the tale. The complexity of the plot and the backstories of Point Cadet, the Strip, and the families make for fascinating reading. With the unfolding story weaving an inescapable web of certainty, readers are sure to “see the handwriting on the wall” and predict the outcome of the conflict between the two families. But there are a couple of surprises . . . leading to a denouement that is shattering in its simplicity.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Doubleday Books, Doubleday and NetGalley
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I stopped reading John Grisham because I got tired of the formulaic approach to most of his books. Good Guy, bad guy, courtroom intrigue and drama. I took a break despite Grisham being a really good writer. When I read a book, cover to cover, and don’t take notes, don’t highlight passages, don’t circle back, that book had my complete attention. I have just described my take on The Boys from Biloxi.

Grisham digs deep into the depravity rampant in Biloxi set against a backdrop of beautiful beaches and everyday kids who play on different teams much like their fathers, who walk on opposite sides of the law. Slow burn, slow build up, a foregone conclusion which takes years to play out, but I liked it for just those reasons.

It was more show more than I expected and a solid reunion with a very good writer. Thank you Doubleday and NetGalley for a copy. show less

Book 253 - John Grisham - The Boys from Biloxi

Hmmm…in all the years I have been reading books by Grisham…I have felt many emotions…anger at the US legal system - ‘The Guardians’; revulsion at humanity - ‘The Brethren’; punch the air moments - ‘A Time for Mercy’; tears at the brutality of humans - ‘Theodore Boone : Book 4 The Activist’ but rarely, if ever, have I felt such ambivalence to one of his books.

It reads like a Jeffrey Archer tale of two families…coming over from Europe and adapting to the US way of life…a tale of the history of two families through the decades…it had so much potential…and it is different…but it is all a bit perfunctory…just meh…

Only once before have I felt a yawn coming on show more when reading one his books…and that was ‘The Firm’…nowhere near as good as the movie.

Sorry…just…bland and a story by numbers…a book that can’t make up its mind…is it the story of how two immigrant families diverged ? Is it the story of the law versus crime ? Is it the story about the rights and wrongs of the death penalty ?

In the end it just feels like a good 40 page Grisham novel lost within 454 pages.

What it actually is, is just dull. show less

The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham is a very highly recommended legal thriller and the story of two families.

Biloxi, Mississippi, is known for its beaches, resorts and seafood industry, but it is also know for gambling, liquor, and prostitution which is run by a small group with tacit approval by the local police. Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco, two sons from Croatian immigrant families grow up as friends in Biloxi in the 1960s, head in different directions as teens, and find themselves on opposites sides of the law as adults. Hugh’s father, Lance, became the “Boss” of Biloxi’s criminal underground. Keith's father Jesse, became a lawyer determined to take down the illegal establishments plaguing Biloxi.

The narrative of The Boys show more from Biloxi is the kind of intricately plotted and detail oriented story that will grab you and pull you into the lives of these fully realized characters. Rather than a story with lots of twists and surprises, this is a legal thriller, but more essentially it is a family drama spanning generations and decades while covering the history of Biloxi and the fictional families involved in this saga. The enjoyment is the details of the story, who does what over the decades, the choices the characters make as well as the consequences of these choices. The novel starts out at an even pace before it takes off and picks up speed.

The writing is excellent in all areas: the quality of the writing, the complexity of the plot, the establishing of the setting, the development of the characters, the corruption, and the courtroom scenes. Everything on the pages springs to life under Grisham's hands and these characters and the story become real. It should be mentioned that the novel is populated with male characters, with females taking a secondary role, but it works as the focus of the novel is on fathers and sons as well as the male dominated social circle that dominated the area.

I loved this long family saga that is rich in details and atmosphere while creating a tense and compelling drama.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Knopf Doubleday via NetGalley.
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