Book info

• Title The Rainmaker
• Author John Grisham
• Year 1995
• Genres Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

In his first courtroom thriller since A Time to Kill, John Grisham tells the story of a young man barely out of law school who finds himself taking on one of the most powerful, corrupt, and ruthless companies in America - and exposing a complex, multibillion dollar insurance scam.

Review

This was a bit of an odd John Grisham read, because although it had the fundamental law and courtdroom drama that you would expect, the main protagonist really didn’t seem to be that engaged. Rudy Baylor, fresh out of law school, waiting to pass the bar, isn’t even sure he wants to be a lawyer.

And, spoiler alert, by the end of the book, he’s definitely sure he doesn’t. Because although we go through a great degree of drama, the end result isn’t really a happy one - and how could it ever be? Baylor’s first huge case out of law school is against an insurance company that denied life-saving treatment to a patient who, naturally, passes away midway through the story. Although the case goes the right way, and the result is astounding, the company still don’t really get their comeuppance. The family don’t get their beloved back, and Rudy ends up… well, he gets the girl but he’s on the run and unhappy with his chosen career.

So, it was interesting and it’s a really good story, and there’s no reason that all books should have a happy ending, but at the same time, I was left feeling a bit bereft… that it had all been for nothing. Which isn’t really the feeling I want having finished a book.

Rating: 2 / 5