The Colour of Law. Does Law have a Colour? Black, green, red, white, what? Or is law just colourless? Does law serve innocent people justice or is law the forte of only those who are corrupt and hold sway, making those who they believe to be incompetent suffer? Do those who practice law serve just their dreams or do they satisfy their inner conscience? In a world where money means power, people do all sorts of things, even lie. Same with lawyers! There are some who do good while there are many who do well?

What carves out a significant difference between the two breeds? This book written by a debutante author answers just these types of questions. This wonderful novel is written by Mark Gimenez who grew up in Galveston County, Texas. He was once a partner at a major Dallas law firm. He gave it up in order to start his own practice and to write. The novel is the best legal thriller a reader has ever come across in the recent years. A “can’t – put – the book down”, not till you reach its end and you will still want more; you will still wish the case had been longer. An absolute firecracker and a deserving bestseller! You, as a reader, will keep savoring the flavors of such a worthwhile read. And yes, completely worth the price.

The book starts with a neat pace, introducing a certain impulsive young boy named Clark McCall. The book highlights his character as one that submits to his demons, who is into doping, drinking, brawling and entertaining street hookers. One night in Dallas, this young boy picks up a certain hooker, Shawanda Jones. The scene slowly shifts to his father Mack McCall. He is a US Senator in Washington DC running for the White House. A man who cares for nothing but his dreams and who will do anything for it. When the real story starts, it introduces us to our hero, the protagonist, A Mr. Scott Fenney, a partner at the topmost law firm in Dallas. An ex-footballer who scored 193 yards against Texas, the most eligible bachelor-cum-lawyer in the city, in him, the author has created a complex and believable character who carries a story that still intrigues. According to the story, there are certain rules which most lawyers follow when they profess. One is to check their conscience before they enter the firm and make rich clients richer. But such types of lawyers are those who do well. And there is the other breed, those who do good; and they are few in between. Scott Fenney belonged to the breed which did well. Scott Fenney was hired by Dan Ford - a big time lawyer-cum-businessman – and had eleven years of experience in the field. Scott was an expert lawyer who always did well.

In the first few chapters of the story, we are told how the lawyer world truly acts in the competitive world of today. The rich move their lawyers to obtain property conducive to their businesses by bringing down the only inhabitations of the poor. Rich people like Tom Dibrell, who paid Scott Fenney, 3 million dollars per year as his legal fees. And Scott loves the way he leads his life. He owns a Ferrari, a luxurious home at the Highland Park which is an all white posh and rich area; an area only the hotshots can afford. He has a perfect beautiful wife, Rebecca Fenney who is the Miss SMU, and who is running for the Carol Ball chairmanship. He also has a daughter Boo, who can never be a candidate for the Belle. As Scott thinks, even you would be pressed into thinking that a thirty year old woman is trapped into that intelligent nine year old girl. All these perks until his life is thrown into a hurricane by a call from a revered judge, Sam Buford. It seemed that the federal judge listened to an impressive speech by the protagonist for the legal campaigning and decided to enlist him into the Clark McCall murder trial. The accused is a Shawanda Jones, the black hooker.

Scott cannot believe he was chosen. A corporate lawyer that he is; he is now being pressed into criminal law, just because of an awe-inspiring speech he had made. He desperately wants to get off the case at first; he consults Dan Ford, his employer who he respects as a father. He tries Shawanda Jones who is also a heroin addict to plead guilty to the murder. When he fails, he just hires her out. He gets in another lawyer to represent him, a Mr. Bobby Herrin, a old time mate at his law school, who had worshipped Scott Fenney till he had joined Ford Stevens and now envied him. What’s more? Events unfold to a position where Scott Fenney finds himself in the projects, a land inhabited by the blacks. A white man in a red Ferrari amidst the black people is a scene rarely sighted. He was there to collect Shawanda’s daughter, Pajamae. The character of Pajamae is quite interesting; ah! The innocence of that girl, not to mention her knowledge and intelligence, you will just love her, like I did, especially the way she does say “whereas”. Scott doesn’t want to go back to the projects and so he brings her to stay with them. Boo and Pajamae immediately get along well.

As events unfold, Scott begins to check his conscience. His belief in law becomes stronger. He once wanted to be Atticus Finch, the famous lawyer who did good. But when an opportunity like that strikes, his mind revolts. He is in a dilemma on what is right. Will he do the right thing? And when he does decide to do the right thing, is his belief strong enough to withstand the loss of everything he holds dear – his salary, his lifestyle, his wife, his child? All shall vanish just because of a crazed Senator who wants to become The President and who will do anything in his power to stop this football player turned expert lawyer, an employer who will do anything to improve his business and become the Presidents hired lawyer firm, a prosecutor who will do anything to rise up the ladder and a bodyguard who will do anything to keep the Senator safe during his campaign, even if it means framing a poor victim and accusing her of Clark’s murder. An entirely thrilling story that will keep your hands on the book till you reach the last pages.

The author truly brings the readers into the Grisham mould. It is one of the most promising American lawyer – writer book I have read till date and I think all readers who are into reading Grisham will appreciate this thriller which has style. As Time Out warns, you can lose an entire lazy Sunday to this novel. I put my hands on a holy book and agree, completely.

Review by: Varun Prabhu