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Cover of The Street Lawyer by John Grisham

The Street Lawyer

  • 413 pages · about 7 hours
  • First published 1989
  • 59 editions

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1 About this book

He gave up the money. He gave up the power. Now all he has left is the law. Michael Brock is billing the hours, making the money, rushing relentlessly to the top of Drake & Sweeney, a giant D.C. law firm. One step away from partnership, Michael has it all. Then, in an instant, it all comes undone.

A homeless man takes nine lawyers hostage in the firm's plush offices. When it is all over, the man's blood is splattered on Michael's face--and suddenly Michael is willing to do the unthinkable. Rediscovering a conscience he lost long ago, Michael is leaving the big time for the streets where his attacker once lived--and where society's powerless need an advocate for justice.

But there's one break Michael can't make: from a secret that has floated up from the depths of Drake & Sweeney, from a confidential file that is now in Michael's hands, and from a conspiracy that has already taken lives. Now Michael's former partners are about to become his bitter enemies.

Good for readers who want: a mystery and a thriller.

  • Mystery
  • Thrillers
  • Legal stories
  • Lawyers
  • Homeless persons
  • Hostages
  • Legal
  • Criminal investigation

2 About John Grisham

Born 1955

John Ray Grisham Jr. ( GRISH-əm; born February 8, 1955) is an American writer, lawyer, and former politician, known for his best-selling legal thrillers. According to the American Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 37 consecutive number-one fiction bestsellers, and his books have sold 300 million copies worldwide.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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