#1 New York Times bestselling author John Grisham’s newest legal thriller takes you inside a law firm that’s on shaky ground.“[A] buoyant, mischievous thriller . . . Grisham writes in such an inventive spirit. . . . A treat.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times Mark, Todd, and Zola came to law school to change the world, to make it a better place. But now, as third-year students, these close … better place. But now, as third-year students, these close friends realize they have been duped. They all borrowed heavily to attend a third-tier for-profit law school so mediocre that its graduates rarely pass the bar exam, let alone get good jobs. And when they learn that their school is one of a chain owned by a shady New York hedge-fund operator who also happens to own a bank specializing in student loans, the three know they have been caught up in The Great Law School Scam.
But maybe there’s a way out. Maybe there’s a way to escape their crushing debt, expose the bank and the scam, and make a few bucks in the process. But to do so, they would first have to quit school. And leaving law school a few short months before graduation would be completely crazy, right? Well, yes and no . . .
Pull up a stool, grab a cold one, and get ready to spend some time at The Rooster Bar.
“Satisfying . . . Grisham [is] at his best when he brings his sardonic sense of humor to the sometimes questionable ethics of law and banking.”—USA Today
“[A] smartly told tale . . . gratifying and all-too-real.”—The Washington Post
more
A very interesting story, with warm, interesting characters.
I think this book has all the components to be a great movie.
I foolishly thought this one would be predictable.
This book kept me guessing until the end of what the characters would do, not what I expected at the end. A great book with some twists and turns to keep your attention. We read this in a book club where I work and everyone loved it. Highly recommend. What I love about John Grisham books is that you don’t have to know anything about law to appreciate his books but you get a glimpse into law practices and I guess it fascinates me.
Let me start by saying I’m a big fan of John Grisham. He caught me with “The Firm” and I’ve appreciated his novels and movie adaptions ever since. His stories have an authentic feel due to his background and he writes taut and compelling action. So, I go into Grisham books with high expectations. Let me continue by saying this was my least favorite Grisham book so far. It’s good subject matter which I appreciated. It covers the trap of high-end college degrees such as law schools, where lower-middle class kids build gigantic student loan debts at sub-par law schools only to find their chance of passing the bar and landing a decent paying gig at a law firm are very long odds. It also some what timely hits on the challenges that immigrates find themselves trapped in. It mostly follows a very successful formula that Grisham has often explored – unfairly treated underdogs overcoming great odds to topple evil men and corporations.
However, I struggled with this one. Two of the three underdogs, weren’t quite the underdogs I was used to, walking very shaky moral ground throughout the story. Grisham spends significant effort (the first hundred pages at least), building up the case for their decisions and desperate actions. Most of the rest of the novel, the protagonist spent their time digging themselves a deeper and deeper hole. While this builds plenty of tension, I struggled to fully root for them and felt more angst than enjoyment. I won’t spoil the ending, which Grisham does well to leave in the balance until the very end, but it was slightly satisfying. However, it wasn’t the same underdog story where I was able to cheer like a crazed Leichester City F.C. supporter in 2016, which I have done in many of his other books. I spent more time questioning their decisions and wondering if they should pay a price or not. Maybe that’s what Grisham wanted, to mix it up a bit, and make the reader more uncomfortable.
A lesser effort from a master storyteller, which explores some relatively important themes with strong tension, but fails to build the same rabid underdog enthusiasm, that his best previous works have delivered.
I adore John Grisham, but this was one of my favorites that he’s written!
Although I tried, I couldn’t connect to this book. There is a story here that just towards the end somehow manages to fascinate and cause some tension. Unfortunately, the world of student loans and the world of justice built by the writer didn’t succeed in making me connect to its plot until the end.
Read about half way and quit. Thin story line, shallow characters. Seemed like a rush job to meet a deadline.
Grisham’s books just keep getting better as he matures. He’s proven repeatedly that lawyers in all shapes & sizes help him tell the most complex, engaging & entertaining stories.
John Grisham did it again! Although it seemed a bit of a slow start, I continued reading and couldn’t put it down until I had to, and couldn’t wait to get back to it!
I have read every John Grisham novel and am a huge fan. The Rooster Bar was a disappointment. It seems like Mr. Grisham had a deadline with his publisher and found himself with only a weekend to grind one out.
Great beach read!
NOT one of John Grisham’s better works. The slap at “for profit” law schools is well intentioned but the story was tepid.
Kept my interest, great characters. Loved the story line.
John never fails to disappoint. All his books carry a message and enlighten the reader to a possibly new subject matter. Nice one John!
Another Grisham great story, fast moving and intriguing
Down to earth and realistic.
Good one, very entertaining.
Twists and turns in another epic law story by Grisham!
Excellent reading