The Rainmaker

Grisham's intricate, spellbinding sixth novel differs from his last few, it's his only book with first-person narration and his first since his debut to be set in a courtroom, but the trademark Grisham touches are in place. Rookie attorney Rudy Baylor is the customary David fighting a legal Goliath (here a multibillion-dollar insurance company), and the suspense builds with impeccable pacing despite workaday prose. When the modestly sized law firm that contracted for his future services unexpectedly merges with a tony Ivy League firm, Rudy finds himself without a job and bankrupt.