The Appeal.

• Author: Mandell, David
• Position: Book review

The Appeal

By John Grisham

After two detours in Italy, John Grisham returns to his native Mississippi in The Appeal. His story begins as a small-town jury deliberates over a water contamination case. Brought by a widow whose husband and children died of cancer, the suit claims that a large company, Krane Chemical, caused the cancer by poisoning the town with its waste. The widow's lawyers, Wes and Mary Grace Payton, are going broke pursuing the litigation. Krane's Atlanta attorneys have a bottomless expense account. They continually remind the Mississippians that they are Atlanta counsel, not local. In New York City's financial district, Krane's boss, Carl Trudeau, waits anxiously for the verdict. A loss will open a floodgate of suits and cause his stock to drop by millions. It is inconceivable to Trudeau that a jury in a Mississippi state court could cost him his fortune.

When the verdict--$41 million for the plaintiff--comes in, Trudeau is stunned. Fourteen million dollars spent defending the case have been wasted. The verdict must be overturned or Trudeau is ruined. He vows to his underlings that Krane will never pay a dime to the Paytons or anyone else. Trudeau will not rely on lawyers and briefs any longer. He must take over the Mississippi Supreme Court. In the process he will destroy the Paytons. No one will ever challenge him again.

A slick campaign strategist creates a plan to capture the state Supreme Court. Justices in Mississippi are elected, and if Krane can get the right justice elected, Trudeau will have the vote needed to control the court. They need to target a justice for removal and find one in Sheila McCarthy. A centrist whose vote can't be predicted, McCarthy is selected for defeat.

The scheme requires a willing opponent for McCarthy, and they find one in Ron Fisk, a 39-year-old insurance defense lawyer who has grown bored handling fender benders. Fisk, having never written, said, or done anything memorable, is a blank slate, the perfect candidate for Trudeau's plan. He can be molded into anything his campaign managers want. With unlimited funding, the obscure lawyer is quickly turned into a major candidate.

Grisham's portrayal of Mississippi judicial elections is a far cry from what's taught in civics class. Negative ads destroy McCarthy's reputation and turn her into an extreme activist who is soft on criminals and wants to impose...