It is Grisham's fourth novel and follows the story of an 11-year-old boy, Mark Sway, who becomes entangled in a mob-related legal case after witnessing the suicide of a lawyer who knows the location of a murdered U.S. senator’s body.

Desperate for a breakthrough, Roy Foltrigg, a federal U.S. attorney, focuses on Barry "The Blade" Muldanno, a notorious thug and nephew of Johnny Sulari, the acting boss of the New Orleans Mafia.

[2] Mark Sway serves as the protagonist of the novel, and through his character, Grisham explores the vulnerability and moral strength of a child thrust into an adult world of legal intricacies and criminal dangers.

As noted by scholars, Grisham’s portrayal of Mark situates him among literary adolescents like Holden Caulfield and Huck Finn, where the young protagonist must navigate complex moral and societal landscapes.

Grisham's depiction of Mark, a child caught between the criminal underworld and the legal system, serves as a critique of how society handles young witnesses.

However, some critics, like those from the Chicago Tribune, found the novel's pacing uneven, noting that while the opening chapters hooked readers, the middle sections felt "plodding."

According to Wolfgang Funk, The Client stands out for its moral complexity, where the protagonist’s struggle mirrors larger societal concerns about justice, ethics, and child protection.

[6] In 1994, The Client was adapted into a successful film directed by Joel Schumacher, starring Susan Sarandon as Reggie Love and Tommy Lee Jones as Roy Foltrigg.