THE protagonist in the latest thriller by John Grisham is 13-year-old Theodore Boone. He is the son of lawyer parents, growing up in an overwhelmingly judicial atmosphere. So it is no surprise that he finds himself in the middle of the town’s murder trial that is taking place after many many years and holds the rapt attention of the locals.
Boone alternately dreams of becoming a great lawyer or a wise judge. His law career is already on as he advices his friends and neighbours with on legal issues – from home mortgage to pet court to drunken driving penalty. But the situation he is in now, vis-à-vis the murder case is tricky.
Boone has the key information, a witness, who can send the accused to jail. But Boone is bound to secrecy. He cannot let the murderer go scot free. So what does he do? Boone’s closest friend and guide is his uncle, who is out of practice. What is his advice to Boone?
Grisham, by making a teenager the hero of his novel has definitely made an intelligent move. Boone is sure to catch the imagination of the young readers, given the fact that the teenager readership has dramatically increased in the past few years.
A racy novel, in a now familiar Grisham style, giving enough spice for a single sitting reading. -DVN
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