The Associate

A Novel

By: John Grisham

Narrated by: Erik Singer

Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • If you thought Mitch McDeere was in trouble in The Firm, wait until you meet Kyle McAvoy, The Associate

Kyle McAvoy grew up in his father’s small-town law office in York, Pennsylvania. He excelled in college, was elected editor-in-chief of The Yale Law Journal, and his future has limitless potential.

But Kyle has a secret, a dark one, an episode from college that he has tried to forget. The secret, though, falls into the hands of the wrong people, and Kyle is forced to take a job he doesn’ t want—even though it’s a job most law students can only dream about.

Three months after leaving Yale, Kyle becomes an associate at the largest law firm in the world, where, in addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal, and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed.

With an unforgettable cast of characters and villains—from Baxter Tate, a drug-addled trust fund kid and possible rapist, to Dale, a pretty but seemingly quiet former math teacher who shares Kyle’s “cubicle” at the law firm, to two of the most powerful and fiercely competitive defense contractors in the country—and featuring all the twists and turns that have made John Grisham the most popular storyteller in the world, The Associate is vintage Grisham.

Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE EXCHANGE: AFTER THE FIRM, coming soon!

©2009 Belfry Holdings, Inc (P)2009 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“GRISHAM HAS A FIELD DAY…The Associate grabs the reader quickly and becomes impossible to put down.” —Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“Grisham’s confident style hasn’t changed, and THERE’S SUSPENSE APLENTY.” —People

“Grisham makes it easy for us to keep flipping the pages…A DEVASTATING PORTRAIT OF THE BIG-TIME, BIG-BUCKS LEGAL WORLD.” —Patrick Anderson, The Washington Post

Not the best

Ok story, ending was a let down. I am still waiting for Grisham to get back to writing better books.

Love John Grisham

Disappointed in the ending; felt like there should have been more.

fast paced and engrossing, but generic

...in the broad strokes. Plus it is such a quick read. Blink and it's over. However, I enjoyed it and there is no question that Mr. Grisham knows how to get his reader hooked early on and until the story concludes.

Good, not great, but good

Grisham does such a good job with making you care for the characters, and this book is no different. But I think the whole "I'm not doing a series." mentality is wearing on him. He has to come up with new storylines and characters every single book. It's gotta be difficult.

Could this be a new long running character?

Kyle McAvoy is a guy everyone will like. Smart, self-depracating, young and naive, Kyle begins what looks like a stellar career with the top law firm "in the world" as the firm bills itself. That he begins this career under duress is just the beginning of a series of legal twists and turns for McAvoy and his fraternity brothers from Duquesne University. Every step he takes is directed by a man he hates. Every move is watched, every call monitored, every ethical thought trampled by the man he knows only by a pseudonym. As the story unravels it becomes evident that Kyle McAvoy will not be exonerated in one book; his story requires at least one more book, and every reader will look forward with eager anticipation to the next volume. Perhaps Kyle will become a long running character in a series of book. He really is that compelling. Great read!

Captivating story......terrible ending!

If you could sum up The Associate: A Novel in three words, what would they be?

Captivating, poor ending

Which character – as performed by Erik Singer – was your favorite?

Kyle Mcavoy

Any additional comments?

Great story that kept me intrigued the entire time. The ending was wrapped up in 45 minutes and was very disappointing.

Wanted to stay in the car for this

This is what Grisham does best Legal!

Another winner

Slow start but I so enjoyed this story!! Loved The Associate and can't wait to start his next book!

Gripping story line & excellent narrator

My first audio book and I enjoyed it thoroughly. A typical Grisham story line taking place in the legal m?tier that keeps you in suspense from the first moment to the last.

Very John Grisham

I really enjoyed this book. I read many reviews about the ending but I thought the ending was fine - not action packed but intriguing as it leaves you wondering - what could happen now? It was very much typical John Grisham in the style of The Firm. I also really liked the narrator. Great listen.