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Legal Yarn Should Appeal To Fans Of John Grisham

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By K. SUE COLLINS

Published: February 17, 2008

"The Appeal," by John Grisham (Doubleday, $27.95)

The undisputed king of the legal thriller is back with his newest novel, "The Appeal," a modern yarn reflecting the climate of today's electoral process. John Grisham tells a tale of political murkiness, greed and the judicial system.

Behind it all is a $41 million verdict in Baker v. Krane Chemical Corp., a corrupt chemical dumping company. Carl Trudeau, Krane's billionaire owner, wants the verdict overturned in the appeals process.

The problem: The current Mississippi Supreme Court has a 5-4 record in upholding judgments in cases such as his.

The solution: Alter the results of an upcoming election for Supreme Court judges before the Krane verdict reaches the court. This would change the landscape of the adjudicators by inserting one more sympathetic to his plight and outing one known to be against, therefore revolutionizing the odds.

The cost to perpetrate such a maneuver, a mere few million dollars, is far less than the cost of the upheld verdict.

With shades of his earlier novel "The Brethren," Grisham manages to report a scathing commentary on American campaign tactics. One side is financed by big business, which may wish to be compensated for its investment. The other side is financed by trial lawyers, who regularly appear in court before their candidate. Both financiers expect to be compensated for their monetary support.

Grisham fans will welcome his return to the legal novel. His storytelling strength takes readers through a tale of corporate greed, campaign manipulations and moral tribulations.

K. Sue Collins of Tampa is a crime novelist.

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