5 stars There’s some great prosaic storytelling in this book. It doesn’t get bogged down in overly flowery phrases or poetic descriptions, which I generally like. Instead, it tells the story in a straightforward and easy to follow way from third-person POV. There were a lot of moving parts and a variety of different characters, none of whom really seemed to be the “main character.” Right up until the end, I was unable to predict what would happen next. I particularly liked the character of Boz, not because his character was likable, but because I loved the way his character was described. “He had joined the firm thirty-four years earlier and had quickly established himself as a man with no apparent legal skills...had he not been the son of a founding partner, he would have been put out on the street within a few months...Any normal self-respecting employee would have resigned, but there was nowhere else for Boz to go.” This man likes to pretend he’s relevant by monitoring the activities of others and pretending to be busy with important matters. He has perfected the art, aptly described in this scene: “He rubbed his forehead and sighed, as if recovering from a major intellectual challenge.” Channing is described as the conniving lawyer you love to hate. Were it not for the fact this book was written by a lawyer, I might be tempted to believe he dislikes them as a whole. Instead, I think he probably has first-hand experience with low-lifes like this. At times, Channing’s behaviors reflected stereotypical lawyer behaviors, but for the most part, the character was believable. Billy, too, displays stereotypical thug behaviors. Even so, I enjoyed the story and overlooked the cliched characters. The plot is really the jewel of this book. Characters are not terribly complicated and there’s no pulling of your heartstrings. The ones that are relatable are the good guys; the bad guys are bad with no shades of goodness to them. To me, none of this mattered. I enjoyed the story for the plot and the narrative was good enough to relate the story. I’m giving it 5 stars because I found it inventive, original, and fun to read. May 28, 2020
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