"The Boys From Biloxi"

Long before there was such a thing as Artificial Intelligence (AI), there was the fertile and prolific writer's brain of John Grisham, the author of forty novels, all of them best sellers.  I can just see Grisham sitting at his desk as he contemplated  writing Novel Number 41.

He probably scribbled a few notes on a yellow legal pad that went something like this....

• Two first generation immigrant families produce two sons.  One son struggles to become an attorney, one drifts into vice and illegal doings
• They each produce sons born 28 days apart who become Little League teammates and All-Stars, and good buddies through high school
• Each follows in Dad's footsteps
• Each now become enemies on opposite sides of the law
• Add healthy doses of crooked cops, scumbag hoodlums and thugs, a murder or two, jury tampering, horrifying views of prison life, ruminations on the death penalty, and hinky Old South (or maybe not so old) Mississippi politics.
• Set it in Biloxi, Mississippi during the course of the 1950's, -60's, -70's, and -80's.

Toss all of these elements into the patented "John Grisham AI Processor", and  BOOM! out pops "The Boys From Biloxi."  Grisham probably didn't even break a sweat while churning it out.

Yes, it is formulaic.  Yes, it seems like Grisham wrote this one in his sleep, and yes, there are a few plot points that are a bit inexplicable.  It is also a vintage Grisham story.  Gripping and totally and completely readable and enjoyable.  I can't disagree with critics who have said that Grisham is now just phoning it in and waiting for the residual checks to roll in, but I will also tell you that I can't wait for the next time Grisham goes to his AI Processor and cranks out his next best seller.

"The Boys From Biloxi" gets Three Stars form The Grandstander.