The Client - John Grisham - A Short Summary & Review

 The Client - John Grisham - A Short Summary & Review

By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures

A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review

Representing the witness of a murder in Memphis.

A short summary:

The Client follows an eleven-year-old boy who accidentally becomes the sole witness to a murder connected to organized crime. When his knowledge makes him a target, he’s forced into protective custody and represented by a young attorney navigating a legal system far larger and more dangerous than either of them expected.

Set primarily in Memphis, the novel balances courtroom maneuvering with relentless external pressure. Grisham builds tension by pairing high-stakes crime with the vulnerability of childhood, revealing how justice becomes infinitely more complicated when the witness is just trying to survive.

My favorite quote from the book:

"It's amazing how lies grow."

- John Grisham, The Client

Questions to ponder while reading:

Would you take the case?

Would you actually go look?

My review of the book:

The Client moves quickly, but it isn’t empty. Grisham excels at accessibility, clear stakes, brisk chapters, and a story that keeps you turning pages without mental strain. That’s part of its charm. The legal drama never bogs down, and the suspense stays cleanly focused.

What surprised me most was the empathy beneath the thriller's surface. The novel doesn’t romanticize childhood precocity or single-parent heroics; it simply shows how hard survival can be when resources are thin, and the margin for error is nonexistent.

And yes, we should make it easier for single parents. The Client makes that point without preaching, just by showing what happens when support systems barely exist. It’s entertainment that understands human limits.

_____________________________________________________________________________

About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

✨ #TakeTheBackRoads

Enjoyed this post? Support the adventure by visiting my sponsors, shopping the gallery, or buying me a cup of coffee!