summary
The Pelican Brief by John Grisham is a legal thriller set primarily in New Orleans, New York City and Washington D.C. In one night, two United States Supreme Court Justices are brutally murdered. No one knows who did it, or why. The top agents from intelligence agencies like the CIA and the FBI go to work to find the killer. In New Orleans, a young law student named Darby Shaw writes a legal brief exploring a possible theory. She thinks nothing of it; just a random guess, but gives it to her law professor and boyfriend, Thomas Callahan. Thomas then goes to D.C. to have dinner with his best friend, Gavin Verheek, an FBI lawyer. Thomas gives the brief to Gavin, who reads it and shows it to a higher FBI official. Before long, Darby's brief goes all the way to the top, and is being investigated by the CIA and the FBI. They do not take her theory seriously, but investigate to make the President uncomfortable. The brief mentions the President in a way that could be damaging if leaked to the press, and the director of the FBI, F. Denton Voyles, dislikes the President, and his assistant, Fletcher Coal. Coal controls the president, and does not want the brief to be investigated. He tells this to the CIA and FBI, and they slow down their investigation. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, Thomas Callahan is killed by a car bomb in his Porsche, on a date with Darby. She realizes that the bomb was meant for her, and that her theory is true, and flees. She is chased by ruthless killers across the country, and along the way, teams up with Washington Post investigative reporter Gray Grantham. She calls Gray anonymously, and offers him the chance of writing the biggest story of his life in exchange for his help. He agrees, and helps her investigate the brief. Darby and Gray dig deeper than they can imagine, and uncover a chilling conspiracy that reaches all the way into the White House. Read The Pelican Brief for an amazing mystery story by acclaimed author John Grisham.
review
I would rate this book eight out of ten stars. The plot is interesting, and makes you wonder what it would be like for something like to this to occur today. The plot is fresh, and explores an unrealistic yet realistic idea. I love the author's writing style, and enjoyed the characters and their personalities. The book moves slowly in the beginning, but picks up after Darby and Gray meet and start investigating. At that point, it is impossible to put the book down. The plot starts to move fluidly, and clears up earlier confusions and misconceptions. The ending is good, and gives you a sense of closure. I would definitely recommend The Pelican Brief for fans of mystery stories, and books that blur the line between imagination and reality. The book is an adult novel, and contains some mature content, but is not too inappropriate or graphic. I would recommend asking your parents before you read it. Overall, The Pelican Brief was a great read, and I would definitely recommend it!