John Grisham

I haven't read much of Grisham's work in the past few years. While he is a very talented writer with a smooth command of the English language, my original intent was to cast a negative spin on this blog entry. In retrospect, I felt that wasn't fair or objective. Taking a step back in time (the memory is a dangerous thing!), I remembered the thrill of reading his early novel, A Time to Kill. I devoured that book as if I would never read again, and followed it with several more of his works. And I'm pretty sure I enjoyed every single one, until I reached The Rainmaker. For whatever reason, I lost interest at that novel. Ironically, I have read several since then and enjoyed them as well.

To be fair, Grisham is a master story teller, and I have to give the man his due. His books are easy to read, if not somewhat predictable. A Grisham novel is certainly an easy way to while away a rainy afternoon.

Verdict: Comfortable reading, but a bit on the "cookie-cutter" path for my tastes. On a positive note, there are plenty of Grisham books to choose from. And, who knows, maybe he'll lead you to my favorites, Cornwell and Lescroart, as well.