Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham

Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

(Audio version)
This is a bona-fide john Grisham novel, so naturally the central character is a lawyer in a mid-size southern town.
Sebastian Rudd doesn't bother with the ordinary cases. His clients are the type of people who are just shy of beyond a reasonable doubt guilty. He drives around town in his mobile office, a black bullet-proof van.
Unlike most Grisham novels, at least the ones that I have read, "Rogue Lawyer" is not driven by a single tale of moral dilemma. Instead, several key episodes in the life of Sebastian Rudd are interwoven into a well-paced tale.

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The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(audio version) Great use of POV.
Rachel, Anna, Megan, Tom and Scott. One is an alcoholic. One, well actually three, are cheaters. One, maybe two is abusive. One keeps secrets. One is a liar. One is a very good liar. Two are trying to regain control of their lives. Three think they are in control of their lives. They are all wrong. Four don't realize that they are in danger. Two will die. One is a killer. And these are their good traits.

The story is told from the point of view of Rachel, Anna, and Megan. And as is usually the case, people observing the same event often perceive things differently. Some books use this POV gimmick to have each character tell their version of events. "The Girl on the Train" avoids that tedium by keeping the narrative moving forward regardless of whose eyes we are looking through.

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