A.A. Abbott

GREAT CRIME STORY WRITER

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Thriller of the Month – The Firm, by John Grisham

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John Grisham, crime thriller writer extraordinaire, describes himself as “America’s favourite writer”. His British sales aren’t exactly small either. His classic, The Firm, illustrates why his books sell by the million.

For a thriller, it has a slow and gentle start. Mitch McDeere, about to graduate from law school, is offered the job of his dreams at Bendini, Lambert & Locke. The law firm lures him with a fantastic salary, a BMW and a swanky house. His young bride is unimpressed that she’s expected to transform into a Stepford wife, but Mitch throws himself heart and soul into his work. Grateful for the riches heaped upon him and ambitious for more, he works a hundred hours a week. Sometimes, he slaves at his desk all night, popping home for breakfast and a quick shower at the crack of dawn.

I can assure you, having worked with many lawyers in my corporate career, that this is horribly realistic. Indeed, there appears to be a macho culture that prizes the ability to pull “all-nighters”. So far, so normal, then. But, just as Mitch settles into his new position, he’s approached by the FBI. Suddenly, the tension mounts and Grisham’s pace escalates to a breakneck speed, keeping the pages turning once Mitch realises he’s becoming trapped in a web of crime. He faces a race against time as he tries to escape with his life.

Mitch is by no means the perfect hero – he’s swayed by hard cash, and he hates his in-laws – but Grisham still makes him a sympathetic, and credible, character. His world and his troubles easily hold the reader’s interest. Do give John Grisham a go, if you haven’t already!

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Although proudly British, I’m also a crime thriller writer. Corporate skulduggery features in my books The Bride’s Trail, After The Interview and Up In Smoke, along with heady emotions, crime and suspense…

 

Gunpowder, treason and plot! They’re still with us…

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While we British remember the 5th of November, it’s easy to forget it’s a local tradition. The rest of the world don’t care that Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1606. Who knows what Britain might have looked like today if the plotters hadn’t been betrayed by a spy? Other coups of the past have had a massive impact on the shape of the world today – the American War of Independence, and the overthrow of monarchies in Russia, China and France, for example.

Intrigue simmers below the surface of big business too. While the Volkswagen emissions cover-up is in the news right now, the company’s been caught up in scandal before. In 1993, General Motors accused the German car maker of stealing its secrets. It cost VW over $1bn to settle, although it never admitted any liability.

The Matt Damon film, The Informant, was actually based on a true story of industrial espionage. The FBI used an inside man within the food industry to prove that an illegal cartel was fixing prices. The Insider, starred Russell Crowe in a similar role, as a whistleblower uncomfortable with his cushy executive job in Big Tobacco. It’s even harder, of course, to keep secrets in the digital age. They can be stolen at the touch of a button. Hackers recently attempted to blackmail British company Talk Talk – how many other companies have been clandestinely held to ransom?

Plotters and spies will always be with us. On Bonfire Night, we celebrate their failure. How very British – and what a great excuse for a fireworks party!

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I’m a British writer of short stories and crime thrillers. My first full-length book, Up In Smoke, features two corporate spies with totally different goals – one driven by money, the other by revenge. With counterfeiters, murderers, drug smugglers and a letter bomb or two, there are enough twists to rival the original Gunpowder Plot!