Lazy, tired writing. The central characters lack of a life, of friends, his pale watercolour existence, reflects it seems to me, Grisham's state of mind. "Must churn out another book," appears to be his modus operandi in writing this. It is listless, the professor's reactions seem odd for a man of his intelligence, trawling up and down the country obsessively dragging the money around with him is patently odd. Would he really be petrified of the taxes on the money, given the resultant number would still be huge? Ultimately he had to declare it to his brother anyway so why all the contrived fuss? Grisham's novels typically have to bend to the unlikely improbable human reaction to move the plot on; this story took it to a new extreme.
But, it was readable, even at low ebb Grisham can still get the reader turning pages. Unfortunately at the end of this one only shrugs ones shoulders and moves on. Where's the pace, the energy of the early books I wonder. Is Grisham written out and should he take a sabbatical himself. I think there are clues in the novel; the professor is on the edge of a sabbatical, there is a book that he needs to write but it's only a chore to him. I suspect Grisham is right there with him. Take a break John, and come back refreshed and stronger
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