Some words about the author:

He was born in 1955, in Jonesboro. He spent his childhood preparing for a career as a professional athlete with playing baseball. Grisham began writing in 1984, and three years later he finished his first novel, A Time To Kill, published in June 1988. It was followed by The Firm in 1987, The Pelican Brief in 1990, The Client in 1993, The Chamber in 1994, The Rainmaker in 1995 and others.

Some words about the main characters:

Mark Sway: He is a young, cute boy who is really mature for his age. He is clever, quick and remarkable. He takes care of his little brother and hismother. He feels like the father.

Diana Sway: She is anxious and very worried about her sons. She has weak nerves. She is very poor and works hard. She tries to enable her sonseverything. Diana is a warm-hearted woman.

Reggie Love: She is a fantastic lawyer with many experiences. From the first time she sees Mark, she loves him very much. She is a good friend forhim and does nearly everything to help him and his family. She likes it to work with children.

CONTENT:

This is the story of 11-year-old Mark Sway, who lives with his mother Diana and his younger brother Ricky in a trailer park. They had a very terriblechildhood because their father was hooked by drugs and alcohol. He often beat his family. Fortunately, Diana is divorced now. Mark is very mature forhis age and he is like a father for Ricky. One day Mark and Ricky go to the wood to smoke a cigarette, which Mark has stolen from his mum. They hidebehind bushes and trees. Suddenly they watch a big car which stands still only 40 feet from them. It is obvious that the man inside the car wants tocommit suicide, because he puts a water hose into the exhaust pipe and the other end through a small hole of the window. Mark sneaks twice to the carto put the hose out of the exhaust pipe. Suddenly the man, Romey Clifford a New Orleans attorney, discovers Mark and pulls him into the car angrily.He wants Mark to die with him. The lawyer tells Mark a deadly secret concerning the recent murder of the first US Senator. Romeys client, Barry TheBlade, a Mafia guy, has killed the Senator and has hid the body under the fresh concrete of Romey Cliffords garage. The police and the FBI need tofind the body to start with legal procedures against Barry.

Ricky is brought into psychiatric care. He is very ill and Diana and Mark have to stay with him at hospital. The police finds out that Mark was in the car,before Romey shot himself. So the police, the federal prosecutor, special agents, like Mr. Trumann, US attorneys like Mr. Foltrigg or Mr. Thomas Finkand the FBI pressure Mark to tell them the attorneys last word; But Mark knows that with the mob (Mafia) is watching each of his moves and thatrevealing his secret would almost surly mean his death.

Mark hires a lawyer: Reggie Love, a 52-year-old divorcee whos been through more than anyone could imagine basically, because she is tough. Sheloves helping kids overlooked or abused by the system. She has a male secretary, named Clint. Mark trusts her, so he tells her the whole story, exceptthe hiding place of the body, to protect himself and Reggie. Reggie and Mark immediately go to the hospital. The FBI is still waiting in a conferenceroom and want to talk to Mark. Reggie hides a small record under Marks T-shirt and waits outside the room. After a while Mark comes out of theroom. He is very scared because the agents asked him unfair questions. Reggie goes into the room and tells them that he represents Mark Sway. Sheshows them the recorder. She is very angry that they have attempted to interrogate Mark outside the presence of his mother.

In the meantime the Mafia, especially Paul Gronke and Bono, follow and watch every single step Mark takes. They also threat on him in the elevator ofthe hospital, where an ugly man clenches his fingers around Marks throat and shows him a knife. Mark is very afraid of the Mafia.

The same night a big car stops at the trailer park and puts a box against the Sways trailer. He has come and gone without a noise or a trace. Later thebox explodes and a fire brakes out. The Sways home is nothing but rubble. Diana has weak nerves. First she loses her job, because her chef doesnt understand the situation and fires her, second she is so worried about Ricky whos state will not be getting better and now she lost her home.

So two policemen come to the hospital to fetch Mark. Diana is near a nervous breakdown. She shouts and cries at the police as they take Mark. Theybring him to the Juvenile Detention Centre. Mark is locked in, and a woman called Doreen looks after him. So it comes to a hearing but Mark refusesto answer any questions concerning his experience with Romey. He is locked up in "jail" again.

One evening, on the final room check of the Juvenile Centre they find Mark under a big shock. He curls tightly with his knees on his chest,motionless, except for rapid, heavy breathing. He has his thumb in his mouth. They bring him to St. Peters hospital, where Ricky is. He isnt escortedby cops, security men or the FBI. They bring Mark to a small room. But he has only simulated a traumatic shock. Mark gets up, informs Reggie of hisescape, and sneaks out of the hospital. He knows all doors, exits and ways in the hospital. Mark doesnt want another hearing. Reggie comes to theparking lot very quickly. Clint has given her his car and his credit cards. So Reggie and Mark disappear. First Reggie doesnt know where Mark wantsto go. She only knows that she can loose her job and she can be arrested for this action. Mark wants to go to New Orleans, to find out whether the bodyis really under the boat in Romeys garage. If it is not, Diana and Ricky would be safe. Mark knows the FBI would never suspect them to be in NewOrleans because there, Barry The Blade and the rest of the dangerous Mafia have their head quarters.

Reggie and Mark also head towards the garage. The house of Mr. Clifford is very big and in the bend of an old, shady street. They park their car in oneof the neighbours street and sneak through bushes and trees to the garage which has one door and one window. Suddenly they can hear noises out ofthe garage. Mark can see the men digging up the body. Both are afraid, because they know these men are dangerous and would kill them if they findthem. They are killers. Mark tells Reggie to stay under the bushes and not even to move a muscle. Mark crawls to the neighbourhood garden andthrow a stone into a window. Suddenly an alarm is wailing and Mr. Ballantine, the owner, runs into his garden with a gun. His wife calls the police. Aftera few minutes the first police car arrives. The cops search the area. The three men are so scared that they flee quickly. After a while the cops leave.Reggie and Mark wait, trembling and holding hands. Then they creek to the garage and look for the corpse. They can see the decaying face of the lateSenator Boyd Boyette which is full of snakes, worms and other insects.

Diana, Ricky and Mark fly to New Orleans. Mark kisses Reggie goodbye and wipes his tears. He would never see her again.