Grisham has hit this one out of the park, and the narrator has portrayed the characters superbly, exposing both their flaws and their strengths The novel is not steeped in personal political opinions as so many books are today, although the liberal side peeps through on occasion. Instead, however, of committing the sin of being too woke, it is a detailed and finely tuned story about politics, law and order, the corruption throughout both systems, and the honorable people who work hard and tirelessly to keep it safe and on the up and up. It is obvious that Grisham is well-versed in these subjects and supports the justice system, as well as a political system with elections that are free of cheating, even as he exposes the cracks that have existed within the systems, and still do exist in them, very well.
As readers, we are introduced to two immigrant families, the Malco's and the Rudy's, originally from Croatia, and we follow them as they make their way in Mississippi. As time passes, children are born. Two children are destined to meet, Lance Malco and Jesse Rudy. However, only one of these family’s follows the straight and narrow path of what can be called a law-abiding life in America, while the other develops a mob mentality and conducts life accordingly, veering off in the manner of the Mafia, in America.
Jesse and Lance both continue to live and work in Mississippi, and they go on to have two sons, as well, Keith and Hugh, respectively. Starting out as friends, the sons also travel in decidedly different directions. Once compatible with each other, the two families become enemies.
Keith’s father, Jesse Rudy, is the District Attorney. Hugh’s father, Lance Malco, is the town gangster. For years, Lance and the Sheriff have worked together to conduct their business in the “underworld”, avoiding legal consequences and confounding the efforts of many District Attorneys to rein them in. Keith Rudy grows up and is inspired to follow in his father’s footsteps, studying to be a lawyer. Hugh Malco, is inspired by his father’s power and follows in his footsteps, studying to be a hoodlum. This is the story of the convergence of their lives.
Over several decades, Grisham proceeds to lay out the decay of Biloxi, Mississippi, as it descends into a place supporting criminal behavior under the guidance and tutelage of the Malco family and its compatriots. He couples that narrative with the path taken by the Rudy family and its supporters, as they fight against the corruption that led to the heinous, but well-deserved, rising criminal reputation of Biloxi.
Although the novel is long and sometimes repetitious, it is not tedious. It is compelling as it explains, step by step, how elections can be fraudulent, how crimes are committed, how criminals get away with them, and how the wheels of the justice system are sometimes mired in a bureaucratic morass that actually prevents justice.