Star Values1 Star - Hated It2 Stars - Didn't Like It3 Stars - It was okay4 Stars - Liked it5 Stars - Loved it, it was amazingREVIEWThis was my first John Grisham book.Sometime in the middle of the book I read somewhere that John Grisham wrote this book keeping the movie in mind and that he wrote the character of Darby Shaw keeping Julia Roberts. I seldom watch English Movies and I haven't seen the movie of this book and I am not sure whether what I have mentioned above is true or not as I just read it somewhere but it seems to be true because I really this book could have been a lot better than what it actually was. The plot was excellent though a bit too stretched. And I always have a feeling for books that if the plot is good the book is at least good or better depending on how its written.The book started off very well. I didn't except such a blazing start, it took me off the hook a bit. As it moved it kept me interesting all the time, I never though there was a dull moment at least till halfway through. The second half was pretty predictable and slow paced though especially when the mystery was found out then it was just a case of whether Darby would survive or not and we all knew she would as there would have been no other way to end the book. Not that I mean she shouldn't have survived but Grisham didn't add any other dimension to the story and that was quite disappointing as I had heard very good things about John Grisham. Thats one point where I feel the movie point might be true because unlike in a novel you don't add separate dimensions in one single movie. The end of the book as a result was very stale and fragile.Talking about the characters I didn't like the characterization or the character development of the lead Darby Shaw. She never seemed like a lawyer or a law student to me but more like a glamorous female or a model. Although she did some brilliant things in trying to survive she didn't appeal to me. I didn't sort of got involved with it. All I think is the character could have been more properly related with the role and could have had a better feel to it. Again with this the movie points seem to be true as in a movie you want the female to be a bit glamorous. Rest assured all characters were very good. Gray Grantham did look like a real reporter and worked out very well. Voyles was I think the pick of them all. Being the FBI Director he had to sustain pressures from President every time and still had to do a respectable job of solving crimes. And I really sort of liked it they way he hated Coal and wanted to kick his ass off in the end. He managed everything well and helped Darby survive. Had there been one more dimension to the book, the second half being as good as the first if not better and the character of Darby Shaw been more portrayed to be suited to the role of a law student, a bit of more feel to it then this would have been a great book. Despite these loopholes I would say John Grisham has done a brilliant in this book to keep me interested all the while and definitely given me more than enough a reason to read his other books.