'King of Torts' another predictable read

As an author, John Grisham has had a great run. Almost any book with his name on the cover is guaranteed to reach the New York Times Bestseller List, and they are usually captivating, page turners. However, what works for Grisham has become quite apparent -- a small-time lawyer stumbles into a case beyond his or her scope and that case somehow changes his life. Did I mention nine times out of 10, this lawyer will be from a small town in the deep South?\nKeeping with his formula in "The King of Torts," Grisham involves us with Clay Carter, a young lawyer who works in the Office of the Public Defender in Washington, D.C. Clay's father was a powerful D.C. attorney who left the town in disgrace and his son to work in the poorly-paid position of defending indigent criminals. After getting stuck with the case of Tequila Watson, however, his life changes dramatically.\nTequila, a street hood with a long rap sheet but no history of violence was caught nearly red handed with the brutal slaying of another hood. Clay does some digging into Tequila's background and he discovers puzzling discrepancies in his medical files from the rehab facility he was living in when he committed the murder. Another public defender has a nearly identical case, and the two puzzle over their nonviolent clients becoming murderous at random.\nClay gets all of his questions answered when he is approached by Max Pace, a man who presents himself as a "firefighter" for major corporations. The long and short of the story is Max's client, a well-known pharmaceutical firm, was illegally running human tests of a promising new drug that miraculously cured crack addiction in Washington, D.C. rehab clinics.\nThough the drug, named Tarvan, had amazing results, in about 8 percent of the recipients the drug caused an insatiable blood lust -- previously non-violent offenders would kill people at random. The company had done everything it could to cover up the tests, but Clay was the only person who began to piece together the conspiracy. \nMax presents Clay with a deal. Since Clay is the only person who knows of Tarvan and its victims, he will be paid millions for his silence. Max also gives Clay the information necessary to assault a major pharmaceutical company with a class-action lawsuit, alleging their drug causes tumors. Thus, Clay Carter is thrust into the high-stakes world of tort lawsuits.\nThe majority of the book focuses on the tactics used by the lawyers assailing firms with class-action lawsuits. Clay is thrust into this world and becomes greedier and greedier, and suddenly the millions he is making is barely enough to cover his living expenses.\nClay becomes so blinded by the money he is making that he forgets the suits he files affect real people and have real consequences. He is forced to confront the fact that he bankrupts his company and an entire town ruins several people's lives. Attempts are made on his life, and the game he is playing has higher and higher risks. Eventually his whole world crumbles down around him and he leaves the U.S. with his tail between his legs. \nWhile "The King of Torts" is an entertaining read, it is the same formula used by Grisham in several other novels. If you have read any other of his books you aren't in for anything new, but it still makes for a good, quick read. If you've read Grisham before and enjoyed it, you will most likely enjoy this one. Conversely, if you have been unimpressed with his writing, steer clear of this novel. \n"The King of Torts" retails for $19.57 at www.amazon.com.