Malcolm Bannister/Max Baldwin is one complex character. I did not understand at first where he was
coming from. Yes, I understood his desire to get out of prison, wrongfully
convicted of a crime he did not commit. I
understand that prison creates strange alliances. Somewhere I missed that Vanessa was Quinn’s
sister but even that makes sense in the end.
Individuals using their knowledge of the law to put things right is what
Grisham is famous for and this is one of his best since The Firm in my humble
opinion.
I thoroughly enjoyed the way Malcolm/Max used the system to
win his freedom and win his retribution. The details that went into the
scripting of this novel are extensive even though the author says it is a total
work of fiction and that paragraphs of prose make up for lots of research it is
still entertaining! The workings of the
parole system, Rule 35, witness protection etc. give a convincing story
line. Add to that love interest and the
fake movie plot, I was hooked. I admit that at first I wondered why he was
going after Nathan but even then thought he had something to do with the reason
why he wanted to get out of prison. I
admit also that it did not occur to me that he was in on the “scam” with
Quinn. I do recall that he mentioned
several times how good friends they were but I focused more on the “were” than
the “are”! I also remember him talking
about Nattie but even when he referred to him as Nattie later on it did not
occur to me that he was the killer and would be held accountable for his crime
until the trip to Jamaica. Guess I was
too caught up in the story to see the intricate way in which Grisham wove this
tale of deceit and retribution! The use
of the film company to win his confidence and get him away from the Bombay was
well done.
I am a firm believer in holding folks accountable. I would
have been a bit disappointed had Malcolm/Max just gotten his friend out of
jail, gotten the real killer convicted for the murders and collected the gold as
a reward without a higher purpose. The
idea of getting the group responsible for uranium mining is just icing on the
cake! That is the true genius behind
Grisham—righting wrongs in a subtle fashion.
If anything, I would like to know how things progress after
the entire group arrives in Antigua. Does Quinn stay on the straight and
narrow? Does Malcolm/Max and Vanessa
live happily ever after? Does Nathan live long enough to go to trial for the
murders he committed? I look forward to hearing what the rest of
you think!
