I feel like he plans his plot and scenes around food. But, in this case the mystery was different than anything I have seen in one of his books before.įinally, I go back to one of the things that amuses me about Grisham the most. The story opens with a gang of thieves staging a daring robbery from a secure vault below Princeton Universitys Firestone. Normally, it feels like he is using the same formula and it is getting stale. One thing I liked a lot compared to Grisham’s recent efforts is that it felt fresh and unique. In this case, it seemed like any time Grisham wanted something to fit he would be like, “Well, it just so happens that over here is the exact thing we were discussing!” It’s a bit silly, but only mildly distracting. It is fiction, so of course the author is making it up, but I want there to be at least some sense that the events are plausible. The story was just okay – some of the plot points convenient and convoluted. All of that was what kept me in this right up to the very end. Hardcore readers – which most of you probably are – will appreciate the discussion of bookstore business/politics, book values, first edition collecting, and book heists. The main appeal of this book is that books are central to the theme. I will compromise at 3.5 stars (but round up to 4 on the official scale – since I have been so harsh on Grisham lately!) Many parts of it were 3 stars and many parts were 4 stars.

I enjoyed this more than some other recent John Grisham novels I have read.

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