The Firm - John Grisham
In this blog, I put my own synopsis based on my understanding, and for my part, this is important to a summary of this book and too straightforward the flow of the story.
OVERVIEW OF THE AUTHOR:
JOHN GRISHAM, born February 8, 1955, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, U.S.), American writer, attorney, and politician whose legal thrillers often topped best-seller lists and were adapted for film. Grisham became one of the fastest-selling writers of modern fiction.
CHAPTER 1
Mitchell Y. McDeere is a Tax Lawyer who graduated from Harvard, he had a degree in accounting and passed the CPA Exam. In addition, played football for four years and starting as quarterback passed the CPA exam. And top choices in fact for this year and no one other prospects. And there is 2 interviewer Royce McKnight and Lamar Quin. They interview Mitch, and their goal is for Mitch to be part of their firm. As mentioned, Mitch is a very good lawyer. They offered high compensation and bonuses and also offered a BMW. They said that he must work in Memphis, Tennessee. After the discussion, Mitch went home and waited for his wife to arrive at their flat to tell the good news and he prepared food for the celebration of his new job. When his wife arrived, he told her the good news, and his wife is astonished about what she heard from his husband. The astound on her face is unbelievable.
CHAPTER 2
The Bendini, Lambert, and Locke were a big family of sorts. A rather rich family. Mr. Lambert greeted Mitch and introduced his group. Mitchell Y. McDeere finishes at Harvard in two months and will graduate with honors, he's associate editor of the Harvard Law Review. Mitch graduated Summa Cum Laude and did undergraduate work at Western Kentucky. Mr. Lambert explained to Mitch about the firm and explained the requirements for vacations of two weeks a year for the first five years and it's paid. In addition, three weeks until you become a partner, then you have to do whatever Mitch wants. The firm has a chalet in Vail, a cabin on a lake in Manutiva, and two cibdis on Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman Island. It's free but needs to book early. Partner of the firm to get priority. Mr. Lambert did a lot of explaining about the benefits of the firm. In addition, the Bendini Firm is strict and has a lot of demands and rules to be followed, however, the Bendini firm is like a family. They're great people, and Memphis is a wonderful old town to live in and raise kids. Also, the cost of living is much lower, and life moves at a slower pace.
CHAPTER 3
DeVasher is planning preliminary plans to eliminate Kazinski, Hodge, and Tarrance. Tarrance is an agent, young, green, overzealous but competent, and no match for our men.
CHAPTER 4
There are two members of the firm, Marty Kazinski, and Joe Hodge were killed and Kay Kamar and the kids were very close to them. Kazinski and Hodge were on Grand Cayman, they were scuba diving. There was some kind of explosion on a boat where Kazinski and Hodge drowned. Marty Kazinski was one of Lamar Quin best friends from Chicago. In retrospect, Kozinski joined Bendini Firm three years ahead of Lamar and was next in line for partnership. Kozinski is a great lawyer and one of them admired. Probably, the best negotiator in the Bendini firm very calls and dries under pressure. As well as Joe was a tall blonde-headed guy who didn't say much he was also a Harvard man. Therefore, Marty and Joe are best friends.
CHAPTER 5
Mitch has a new partner. The name of Mitch's partner is Avery Tolar. Avery Tolar, he worked the night shift in a shoe factory to finance junior college. He graduated with honors, applied to eleven law schools, and chose Stanford. Tolar had a wife and two kids.
CHAPTER 6
Mitch has a new case to be solved. The name of their client is Sonny Capps living in Houston and grew up in Arkansas. Their client is worth thirty million. Sonny Capps's father gave him an old barge line just before he died and turned into the largest towing service on the Mississippi River. Mitch taking his BAR Exam and he felt nervous. Randall Dunbar was head of real estate and had handled the purchase and sale of McDeere's home in May.
CHAPTER 7
Mitch is busy with the Sonny Capps case. Avery is a demanding man and strict man and one secretary dug through a file cabinet in search of something Avery needed immediately. Mr. Lambert explaining mitch what is the rule of their firm and especially of their clients. As a rule, they don't discuss a client's business with anyone. No other lawyers. No spouses. Sometimes, not even each other. In addition, simply do not discuss our client's business with anyone, and that included our wives. We're very quiet, very secretive and we like it that way. And this is the motto of Mr. Bendini's motto "Loose tongue loses lawsuits."
CHAPTER 8
This chapter is not having so many good and important events. For me, this is the most important among the rest I read in this Chapter 8. Koker-Hanks is a big general contract out of Kansas City. Keep about a hundred million under contract, all over the country. An outfit out of Denver called Holloway Brothers has offered to buy Koker-Hanks. They want to swap some stock, some assets, some contracts, and throw some cash.
CHAPTER 9
Avery explained what happen to the past firm and explaining the tragedy of the past firm lawyer. In 1972 he was deer hunting in Arkansas and turned up missing. They found him a month later in a ravine with a hole in his head. An autopsy said the butler entered through the rear of his skull and blew away most of his face. They speculate the shot was fired from a high-powered rifle at long range. I could never imagine anyone wanting to kill Bobby Lamm. John Mickel 1950-1984, the most tragic of all. He was not a strong man and the pressure got to him. He drank a lot and started taking drugs. Then his wife left him and they had a bitter divorce. The firm was embarrassed. After he had been here for ten years, he began to fear he would not become a partner. The drinking got worse. We spent a small fortune on treatment, shrinks, everything. However, nothing worked. He became depressed, then suicidal. He wrote a seven-page suicide note. And Avery gave brief obituaries of the five dead lawyers in twenty years. It was a dangerous place to work.
CHAPTER 10
This chapter is not having so many good and important events. For me, this is the most important among the rest I read in this Chapter 10. The parents of Abby visited their new home and Mitch does not like of parents of Abby because the attitude of their parents is somewhat a little bit unpleasant to Mitch, also, Mitch wanted to ban Abby's parents.
CHAPTER 11
Many days passed by, and Mitch passed the board exam and get the highest score in the bar exam. Including Lambert called Mitch to announce the result of his board exam in Nashville and Mitch felt anxious, he might not pass the board exam because Avery gave him a lot of burdensome to do that's why he can't review for his board exam. Nevertheless, Mr. Lambert prepared a plaque which prepared in anticipation of the day of being Mitch passed the board exam. Speaking of Tarrance Wayne a Special Agent, FBI. Proceed to Mitch and Tarrance met and they talked for a while and Tarrance gave a warning about the Firm. And Tarrance gave three things about the firm. Number one, don't trust anyone, especially inside the firm. There's not a single person in that firm you can confide in. Remember, it will become important later on. Number two, every word you utter, whether at home, at the office, or anywhere in the building, is like to be recorded. They might even listen to you in your car. Number three, money don' grow on trees, and in addition, Hodge and Kozinski's death was not accidental.
CHAPTER 12
McDeere met his brother in prison named Raymond McDeere. After an hour of conversation, his brother recommended Mitch to Eddie Lomax. When Mitch already got the name given he look for it and when he found Eddie Lomax, he was asked to investigate these four persons who made his conscious a lot of his mind, and Mitch was not convinced that he heard the explanations of Avery. And given the name of the persons to Lomax and these are the four people who he wanted to know what happen to the two lawyers who passed away because he did not satisfy the explanations for their deaths. The third person is the FBI named Tarrance, he wanted to know how many years he had been here in Memphis, how long he had been an agent, and what his reputation was. Last but not the least, is about Bendini, Lambert, and Locke's firm. and what are their secrets, is there an illegal, money fraud and etc,.
CHAPTER 14
Mitch was planning to tell his wife about what happened during his trip because he can't take himself lying to his wife. And he will explain what happened that night. Amid his driving, he went to Abby asking for a date. Mitch's secrecy thought that no one ever knows about what happened to the girl and him during his trip and nobody watches them, however, without knowing Mitch there's someone sneaking out and that's DeVasher. DeVasher was happy and enjoyed watching the girl and Mitch. Without knowing, all that happened was planned by DeVasher. The girl who met Mitch on the beach is a prostitute and she's pro. And Lambert always watching Mitch for his every move. They are so much more cautious and attentive to their action or plans because Mitch is starting to seem suspicious and the reason that is he found out that there's someone who followed him.
CHAPTER 15
Abby is so upset about his husband because Mitch has no time for Abby. And Abby wanted to bring her husband back to the way used to before, in addition, Abby started hating the Bendini Firm which her husband worked with and worked for almost 24/7 and did not have much time as a partner. Mitch and Eddie Lomax met, discussing Mitch's favor in Chapter 12. And the accident of Alice Knauss is very suspicious and has no evidence. Eddie Lomax is interested to investigate the Bendini firm where Mitch worked. And this is the start of Mitch being in jeopardy.
CHAPTER 16
Mitch explains to Abby the suspicion of their house that their house had a wired and the phones are tapped, thus, their communication was recorded and someone listening. After Abby ascertain what she heard about the Bendini firm and told her that the FBI strictly followed him because for them Mitch is the key investigation of their case or unsolved problems. Consequently, Abby and Mitch are watchful of their actions.
CHAPTER 17
At this time, Mitch went to San Luis Street to see his mother for Christmas, however, he did not talk to her mother, he just stared a little bit distant for a couple minutes at this point, and Mitch was not ready to meet his mother. The Death of Eddie Lomax was slumped against the wheel yet that's not the main reason for his death.
CHAPTER 18
After the incident with Eddie Lomax, Tammy Hemphill a secretary of Lomax, leave a note to Mitch in his house it said " Dear Mr. McDeere: Please meet me at Ernie’s Lounge on Winchester tonight— late. It’s about Eddie Lomax. Very Important.". Mitch and Tammy met and Tammy started talking and explaining what happened to Eddie she was so anxious about herself. And they were suspecting themselves that they were the next target of this good investigator and do a professional job and clean. After Eddie was targeted and died, furthermore they we're agreed with each other to team up about this matter and need to be extra cautious of their moves and actions.
CHAPTER 19
Mitch met Grant Harbison, FBI. Grant handed a note to Mitch. And Mitch secretly opened and read the note. The note was given to Denton Voyles, Director of the FBI. The FBI chaperoned Mitch going to the Director, the twenty FBI were very watchful because there were two goons following Mitch from Memphis, and the FBI was successful to lose those bastard goons. Mitch and the Director met. The director is starting the conversation and slowly explains about the Bendini firm where Mitch worked. Subsequently, Mitch was shocked and incredulous at what the director said however, the director expected a reaction from Mitch. The Bendini, Lambert & Locke firm is owned by the Morolto crime family and the company is running an illegal and they're the Mafia, the Mob. and their group is a menace. They will kill a lawyer if someone is treachery of their firm or their secrecy. The FBI wanted to help Mitch keep away from a menacing group. These are the background of owners in the Bendini firm. Anthony Bendini married a Morolto, 1930, the old man's son-in-law. They had an operation in Philadelphia back then and he was stationed there. Subsequently, in the forties, for some reason, he was sent to Memphis to set up a new shop. Bendini is a good lawyer. Oliver Lambert is a prince of a guy. The perfect senior partner, who just happened to know all about Hodge and Kozinski and the plans to eliminate them because they were treachery of the firm. The director gives a piece of advice to Mitch about Lambert, the next time you see Lambert around the office, try to remember that he is a cold-blooded murderer. Nathan Locke grew up a poor kid in Chicago and was running errands for old man Morolto by the time he was ten. He's been good all his life. Scratched his way through law school, and the old man sent him south to work with Anthony Bendini in the white-collar crime division of the family. He was always the favorite of the old man. Morolto died eleven years ago at the age of 88 years old. He has two sons. Mickey the mouth and Joey the priest. Mickey lives in Las Vegas and has limited roles in his family business and Joey is the boss.
CHAPTER 20
After Mitch arrived in Memphis, Mitch met his wife and invited a date, and explained a little bit of information he said to his wife that she needs to act like she missed Mitch because someone watching them however, Mitch can explain to Abby but she needs to act normal or missing me. DeVashers and McDeere met and get a walk, DeVasher showed a photograph to Mitch. If ever Mitch caught that he meet Tarrance and having a conversation with one of the DeVasher goons, without hesitant DeVasher will send a picture of Mitch and the girl on a beach. DeVasher intimidates Mitch to tell his wife or sent a picture to a mailbox of their house. Therefore, DeVashers warned Mitch to get away from Tarrance and never talked to him a single word.
CHAPTER 22
Mitch and Tarrance met again on the bus but they were very cautious of their moves because someone watching Mitch every second and Tarrance talked about what are their next move. Tarrance instructed Mitch on what file they need to get at Bendini firm, the files, and the names of all secretaries, clerks, and paralegals. And who worked on the files? who's got, which client? who's on the fifth floor and etc.
CHAPTER 23
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