The Litigators

Oscar Finley and Wally Figg are lawyers who have been running an "ambulance chasing" law firm for a number of years. Neither of them is happy with their personal lives or careers. Oscar is married to a woman who no one likes but can't afford to divorce her. Wally is a recovering alcoholic who has had four divorces and just can't seem to let go of booze or women.

David Zinc at first seems to have it all. He is happily married and works for a very large Chicago law firm where his income is so large that he can't spend it all. The problem, however, is that he is working so hard that he seldom gets away from the office. His wife wants a baby but he is usually too tired to try to make one. Then, one day, David "loses it"!

David arrives at the office but before he even reaches his cubicle, he turns around and leaves again. He doesn't usually drink but heads to a bar and spends several hours consuming a great deal of alcohol. When the bartender finally puts him in a cab, he is so drunk that he can't tell the driver where to take him. That's when he notices an advertisement for the Finley and Figg Law firm that is plastered on a bus and tells the driver to take him to that address.

Oscar, Wally and David become the three stooges legal team for a class action suit that Wally believes will make them rich. Problem is that Wally didn't do the proper research and none of the three have ever been in a federal trial. David is nervous but as the third man on the team, he knows that he will not have to do anything more than research. That is, until Oscar has a heart attack in the Courtroom that requires surgery. Then Wally can't handle the pressure, disappears, gets drunk and needs to return to rehab again. David is left holding the bag.

In the meantime, David's wife has become pregnant. She also has introduced David to a family who are suffering because their young child has brain damage resulting from lead poisoning. David wants to help but doesn't have any experience with something so complex and painful.

In typical Grisham style, the plot is fascinating and the characters are well-developed and human. It is easy to become so immersed in the story because situations described are very relatable to everyday life. At the same time, however, the twists and turns capture attention as most of them are unexpected.

I loved this book. The humour had me laughing out loud at times. The suspense had me captured so that I didn't want to put the book down.

A wonderful read!