The Street Lawyer

Summary:

Michael was in a hurry. He was scrambling up the ladder at Drake & Sweeney, a giant D.C. law firm with eight hundred lawyers. The money was good and getting better; a partnership was three years away. He was a rising star with no time to waste, no time to stop, no time to toss a few coins into the cups of panhandlers. No time for a conscience.

But a violent encounter with a homeless man stopped him cold. Michael survived; his assailant did not. Who was this man? Michael did some digging, and learned that he was a mentally ill veteran who'd been in and out of shelters for many years. Then Michael dug a little deeper, and found a dirty secret, and the secret involved Drake & Sweeney.

The fast track derailed; the ladder collapsed. Michael bolted the firm and took a top-secret file with him. He landed in the streets, an advocate for the homeless, a street lawyer.

And a thief. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

I know that many people will disagree with me on this rating, but I really loved this book!  There’s something about it that gets to me every time.  I will admit now: there are some comments that could be characterized as racist, but I think they purposefully are demonstrating the previous elitism and awakening that Michael is working through.  It’s not a quick transition and it takes him some time to step out of his “perfect” life to see what’s really going on around him.

I really like the highlight of the homeless in D.C.  It may not be the full picture, but it was still refreshing to me to read about a serious issue while reading a thriller.  All in all, I found this book mesmerizing and when I re-read it, I pretty much ignore everything else until it’s finished.

Warning: Contains some violence and more truth than I could handle the first time I read it.

Rating: 5 stars!

Who should read it? Fans of thrillers or folks who would be interested in learning a little more about homelessness in a "light” approach.