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Whatever happened to Calico Joe? It began quietly enough with a pulled hamstring. The first baseman for the Cubs AAA affiliate in Wichita went down as he rounded third and headed for home. The next day, Jim Hickman, the first baseman for the Cubs, injured his back. The team suddenly needed someone to play first, so they reached down to their AA club in Midland, Texas, and called up a 21-year-old named Joe Castle. He was the hottest player in AA and creating a buzz....
High school all-American Neely Crenshaw was the best quarterback to play for the Messina Spartans. 15 years have gone by since those glory days, and Neely has come home to Messina to bury Coach Eddie Rake, the man who molded the Spartans into a football dynasty. Now, as Coach Rake's "boys" sit in the bleachers waiting for the dimming field lights to signal his passing, they replay the old games, relive the old glories, and try to decide once and for all whether they love Eddie Rake or hate him.
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 if it's a job most law students can only dream about....
In a departure from the legal thriller genre, John Grisham's latest novel draws inspiration from his own rural childhood in Arkansas. Listen and enjoy this moving tale about a 7-year-old boy and the dose of reality that comes, one autumn during the harvest, to take away his innocence. Also available abridged.
John Grisham returns to Ford County, Mississippi, the setting of his immensely popular first novel, A Time to Kill. This wholly surprising collection of stories reminds us once again why Grisham is America's favorite storyteller.
In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems Backman, in his power broker heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world's most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.
Whatever happened to Calico Joe? It began quietly enough with a pulled hamstring. The first baseman for the Cubs AAA affiliate in Wichita went down as he rounded third and headed for home. The next day, Jim Hickman, the first baseman for the Cubs, injured his back. The team suddenly needed someone to play first, so they reached down to their AA club in Midland, Texas, and called up a 21-year-old named Joe Castle. He was the hottest player in AA and creating a buzz....
High school all-American Neely Crenshaw was the best quarterback to play for the Messina Spartans. 15 years have gone by since those glory days, and Neely has come home to Messina to bury Coach Eddie Rake, the man who molded the Spartans into a football dynasty. Now, as Coach Rake's "boys" sit in the bleachers waiting for the dimming field lights to signal his passing, they replay the old games, relive the old glories, and try to decide once and for all whether they love Eddie Rake or hate him.
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 if it's a job most law students can only dream about....
In a departure from the legal thriller genre, John Grisham's latest novel draws inspiration from his own rural childhood in Arkansas. Listen and enjoy this moving tale about a 7-year-old boy and the dose of reality that comes, one autumn during the harvest, to take away his innocence. Also available abridged.
John Grisham returns to Ford County, Mississippi, the setting of his immensely popular first novel, A Time to Kill. This wholly surprising collection of stories reminds us once again why Grisham is America's favorite storyteller.
In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems Backman, in his power broker heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world's most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.
Michael was in a hurry. He was scrambling up the ladder at Drake & Sweeney, a giant D.C. firm with 800 lawyers. The money was good and getting better; a partnership was 3 years away. He was a rising star with no time to waste, no time to stop, no time to toss a few coins into the cups of panhandlers. No time for a conscience. But a violent encounter with a homeless man stopped him cold. Also available abridged.
Best selling author John Grisham ( A Time to Kill, The Brethren) returns with a new tale for modern times, offering a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become a part of our holiday tradition.
Late one October night, Justice Abe Rosenberg, at 91 the Supreme Court's liberal legend, is shot to death in his Georgetown home. Two hours later Glenn Jensen, the Court's youngest and most conservative justice, is strangled. The country is stunned; the FBI has no clues. But Darby Shaw, a brilliant law student at Tulane, thinks she has the answer.
It's summer in Memphis. The sweat is sticking to Rudy Baylor's shirt and creditors are nipping at his heels. Once he had aspirations of breezing through law school and punching his ticket to the good life. Now he doesn't have a joy or a prayer...except for one: an insurance dispute that leaves a family devastated and opens the door for a lawsuit, if Rudy can find a way to file it.
Clanton, Mississippi. The life of a 10-year-old black girl is shattered by 2 drunken and remorseless young men. The mostly white town reacts with shock and horror at the inhuman crime. Until her father acquires an assault riffle - and takes justice into his own outraged hands.
An innocent man is about to be executed. Only a guilty man can save him. Travis Boyette is such a man. In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, he abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high-school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Donté Drumm, a local football star, and marched him off to death row.
In Biloxi, Mississippi, a landmark tobacco trial with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake begins routinely, then swerves mysteriously off course. The jury is behaving strangely, and at least one juror is convinced he's being watched...
Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five.... Nothing is as it seems and everything’s fair game in this wickedly clever new novel from John Grisham, the undisputed master of the legal thriller.
In a minimum security federal prison known as Trumble, three former judges who call themselves the Brethren are quietly writing letters to unsuspecting victims of a monumental mail scam. Much to their delight, the money is pouring in. But now they've ensnared the wrong man and the Brethren's days of marking time are over.
As Clay Carter digs into the background of his client, a young man charged with a random street killing, he suddenly finds himself in the middle of a complex case against one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, looking at the kind of enormous settlement that would totally change his life - that would make him, almost overnight, the legal profession's newest king of torts...
John Grisham's first work of nonfiction, an exploration of small town justice gone terribly awry, is his most extraordinary legal thriller yet.
The incomparable master of the legal thriller takes us deeper into the labyrinth that is the American justice system, always drawing us in with an irresistible hook, pulling the thread of tension tighter and tighter, and then knocking us out with a conclusion that's never "by the book". Maybe that's why, after more than 20 years of consecutive number-one New York Times best sellers, a new novel by America's favorite storyteller is still a major publishing event.
But all Rick knows is football, and he insists that his agent, Arnie, find a team that needs him. Against enormous odds, Arnie finally locates just such a team and informs Rick that, miraculously, he can in fact now be a starting quarterback: for the mighty Panthers of Parma, Italy.
Yes, Italians do play American football, to one degree or another, and the Parma Panthers desperately want a former NFL player, any former NFL player, at their helm. So Rick reluctantly agrees to play for the Panthers, at least until a better offer comes along, and he heads off to Italy. He knows nothing about Parma, not even where it is, has never been to Europe, and doesn't speak or understand a word of Italian. To say that Italy holds a few surprises for Rick Dockery would be something of an understatement.
Like many others have said, there is some good and bad to this story. You know Mr. Grisham is at his best with lawyers, courtrooms and the like. But I applaud his efforts to go somewhere else. To me, it improves his talent level! Even though the new style may need some work.
I am not a football fan, nor have I ever traveled across the great seas. However, I expand my horizons through reading. This book did that for me. Yes, some of the detailed descriptions of both the sport and the scenery got tedious, and I am not a fan of loose sex, but I have been more bored or confused or disgusted by other selections than this one.
There was no mystery, no twisting plot, but there was a story. The main character was enlightened in the end. We got to experience that change of heart along with him. That was the story. Predictable? Maybe. Entertainng? Definitely.
The narration was well done. Nothing spectacular, but well done. I appreciate Frank Muller and Michael Beck from numerous previous titles, but Mr. Welch did a fine job.
If you enjoy Grisham, you will still enjoy this slightly different style of his stories.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
I have read all of his other books. I believe this book has a unique quality -- it lacks the urgency of the other stories, at the same time it invites you to consider why you like the things that make up your life. There is a subtle suggestion that you may be too serious or too structured. You may have been patterned to think you like the pleasures in your life. The Italian option will no doubt inspire many who read about Parma and the Panthers. This felt to me me like another trip to Italy. I have been to many of the places in the story and hearing about them again makes me want to see them in person again. Thank you for the vacation. Thanks also for the visit to the world of those who truly love football. I hope there are more of these stories to come...
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Grisham is a very good story teller. His writing is fluid and descriptive. While this story may not resound with thunder and lightening, it is solid and enjoyable. It tells a realistic and possible story about honesty with yourself and others. It does have quite a bit of football game descriptions in it, but they are easy to follow and if you like Grisham, but are not familiar with football, don't let that stop you from listening to this good story about a good guy. As for the reader, he is very constant. I liked his easy style and his different accents were quite believable. I recommend this book for a nice, light listen.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Great story with a central character that rediscovers his love for the game. I wish we all could get back to the ideals that sparked our enthusiasm for life. I was laughing and smiling at the trials and tribulations of the poor down and out football player who had great talent but a few flaws that too many of us have. There were a few twists and turns that I did not see coming, especially what he did on his trip back to the US. There were times in my life when I wish I did what he did. Thrown in with all this is a nice expose to Italian customs and traditions. Really hard to believe that this is a John Grisham novel.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
This is a great story and I enjoyed listening to it, but... the narrator sounds a bit stilted for some reason.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
What a wonderful little book! This book really made us laugh and have a good time. Even if you are not a football fan you will really like the story and the characters!
Get this one and have some fun!
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
This was not one of Grisham's better efforts. Got to the end and still did not catch the plot. I have read all of Grisham's books and this is at the bottom.
16 of 20 people found this review helpful
I'd give this 3 1/2 stars. The story was fun, simple, and enjoyable. I loved how it began and how you get to know Nick, the main character. I also really, really liked the ending. I listen to these Grisham books about sports with my 12 & 14 year old step sons, this is our third of Grisham's, This was the best of the three. The narrator just wasn't very warm and didn't include any of the humor in his voice, he was a bad choice for this story.
Still worth a listen though.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I'm new to Audio books -- and since I really enjoy Grisham -- I thought I'd give this one a try. I was thoroughly entertained. Frankly, I hated to hear it come to an end. Grisham did a fine job of describing the local scene of Italy -- makes me want to visit.
I've read some criticism of this audio download -- fortunately we're all entitled to our opinion -- mine is as valuable as any -- they're all free!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I wish Mr.Grisham would stick to rogue lawyers. I really don't get this effort. It was boring. I kept waiting for something to happen. I'll buy his next book, but I hope he goes in another direction
6 of 8 people found this review helpful