The Associate (2009) by John Grisham

Anyone who has read a book by John Grisham knows his style within the first 50 pages. Tense, legal-based stories with a main character being subjected to all the drama that comes with being associated with the law. The Associate is no different.

Young and promising lawyer-to-be Kyle McAvoy, has the world at his feet. Soon to be set out into the world as a graduate with plenty of smarts and qualifications behind him. However, his dreams of becoming a defender of the poor and helpless are soon shattered, when an event from his past comes back to haunt him. A video from a college party he threw emerges, whereby a possible rape took part and it shows him and his friends. Now, a dangerous group of people are blackmailing him to join a particular law firm, in order to steal information and secrets which they can then use for their own ends. Kyle must now become an undercover associate in the big bad city of New York, where he will barely sleep, going through all the trappings of life as a rookie lawyer in a massive firm, whilst also leading a secret life.

The premise of this book is good, and the twists and turns do well to make it a page-turner. The problem comes from not having many pages to turn! Less than 400 pages, I went through this novel rapidly, and found myself unsatisfied by the end. It plays out like a film, moving from scene to scene without much character development, instead focusing on the action.

If you like Grisham, which I most certainly do, there are much better examples of his work out there. This is a half-hearted attempt, which will entertain you for a while, leave you cold. Instead, try A Time To Kill, The Chamber, or most definitely The Firm.

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest - By Stieg Larsson

The final instalment of the addictive Millennium trilogy, a book that fails to deliver the same excitement and thrill of its predecessors.

Going into the third book, I was desperate to learn of Lisbeth Salander’s condition, after being buried alive and shot in the head at the end of the second. The exhilarating finale to The Girl Who Played With Fire had been a tremendous achievement, but sadly, the third book lost the momentum.

The initial couple of chapters are interesting, as the follow immediately on for the action before. However, once the new story begins, it soon loses pace and excitement. Too many characters are introduced, with two many different agendas, that the plot becomes a web of barely coherent rumours and conspiracies. Lisbeth plays such a minor role that the book should not even mention her in the title, and her absence is a crying shame. Blomkvist is there, but his heroic investigations do little to bring tension to the story. Throughout the novel the twists and turns are predictable and, in some cases, boring.

The writing is still good, Larsson has a talent for crime fiction. The locations are enjoyable (if not a bit too plentiful), and his main character of Lisbeth is still devilishly intriguing.

A must-read for those who have read the previous two books, but The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest is a weak successor.