[834] The King of Torts – John Grisham

“Were these people so blinded by the money that they honestly believed themselves to be defenders of the poor and the sick?” (Ch.15, 164)

As the title implies, the book is about a down-and-out public defender turned mass tort who brings lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies for their defective drugs and rakes in millions of dollars. From a mysterious source he also benefits from inside trading of the stocks. Soon Clay Carter takes on other cases and is noticed across the country as he amasses case after case against these companies, until he jumps on one bandwagon too many, compelled by greed, and starts making mistakes.

The book is off to a more gripping start as Carter learns about the conspiracy behind a drug with fatal side effect. Then it trickles to a tedious pace with long repetitions. It goes on about the indecent practices of mass torts, their shameless advertising and solicitation, ripping off their clients of their rightful settlements by charging huge fees. It’s a predictable book with little thrill element. Clay’s character is flat—it’s not like a good person was being corrupted by money, rather it feels like the author doesn’t know who the character is. The errors in judgment concerning the waste of money and lack of caution are more than unbelievable. I only recommend it if you need a no-brainer book that carries you over a long airport layover.

470 pp. Dell Books. Pocket Paper. [Read|Skim|Toss] [Buy|Borrow]

Advertisement