Prospective readers who may believe that the 'Butler done it' should visit an optician and a doctor now!
I enjoyed being set up to follow the finely plotted heist only to see the rapid degeneration of the theft into a murderous farce. No such thing as the perfect crime and criminals have feet of clay and hearts of stone. For all their technical majesty and resources the Federal Bureau of Ineptitude were unable to make the closure of a conviction in the face of 'no comment'. So it is up to the plucky and no doubt delightful insurance investigator to pull the cat or rather the Gatsby out of the (swag) bag.
I found it a ripping good yarn and a relaxing way to cope with the recent drought and heat wave.
My only complaint, and this is not damming with faint praise, is that I did not like the ending. It was tricky and neat and all things Grisham. BUT far too easy an ending for Bruce who had committed the most heinous of crimes. In his corner you might claim that he is not a genocidal maniac a mass murderer, rapist or child molester, fair enough. He did however "traffic in stolen books". It is not a defence or plea in mitigation that no books were harmed in the process. The august and wealthy educational institution could stand the hit and the insurance company would, no doubt, collectivise their losses.
The blackguard was a party to the stealing of the books!
Hanging, drawing and quartering are not enough.
But then I always was a tender-hearted liberal!
