The Client

Eleven-year-old Mark Sway and his younger brother Ricky sneak into the woods behind their trailer park to smoke cigarettes. Mark , who has been smoking for two years, is teaching Ricky how to smoke. Their father, an abusive alcoholic, has left, and Mark feels responsible for Ricky . As they sit under a tree, they hear a car approaching. The boys witness a man, Jerome Clifford , attempting suicide in a car. Mark tries to stop him by removing a hose from the exhaust, but Clifford catches him and forces him into the car. Clifford , a lawyer, reveals secrets about a murder case involving the Mafia

Theme 1: Smoking in the Woods

This thread running through The Client gives the story its emotional weight. John Grisham weaves it into the narrative with skill, ensuring that the reader feels the stakes as deeply as the characters do.

Theme 2: A Deadly Encounter

This thread running through The Client gives the story its emotional weight. John Grisham weaves it into the narrative with skill, ensuring that the reader feels the stakes as deeply as the characters do.

Theme 3: Secrets and Lies

This thread running through The Client gives the story its emotional weight. John Grisham weaves it into the narrative with skill, ensuring that the reader feels the stakes as deeply as the characters do.

What Readers Say About The Client

The Client has resonated with readers for its emotional honesty and vivid storytelling. Many describe finishing it in a single sitting — drawn forward by John Grisham's prose and an almost desperate need to know how it ends.

A Passage Worth Sitting With

"Smoking in the Woods" — John Grisham, The Client

About the Author

John Grisham is the author of The Client. Known for emotionally resonant storytelling, their work has found devoted readers across the globe.