David Baldacci’s novel “The Simple Truth” will likely remind you of John Grisham’s novels. The plot is interesting, compelling and holds your interest. The lawyers, law clerks, and the conspiracy that involves the U.S. Supreme Court are very much Grisham-like.

It takes a good plot and characters to hold a reader interest and this book has both. Rufus Harms, a large slow-witted black man, is in a Virginia military prison convicted of killing a young girl on an army base twenty-five years ago. He finds a way to get a letter sent to Supreme Court that presents evidence that he was forced to commit the murder.

The letter is first seen by Mike Fiske a senior court clerk and he wants to learn more before processing it, but he is killed. John Fiske, Mike’s brother and a cop-turned-lawyer, is drawn to the case and finds help from Sara Evans, another Supreme Court clerk. Harms, helped by his Vietnam Vet brother, escapes from prison and John and Sara try to find him before those who plotted to keep him in prison and quite can find him.

The book has a believable romance as John and Sara get to know each other escaping to the spend a summer night on the Potomac.  We see the genuine goodness of Harms, even after spending much of his life in the cold reality of a prison cell.

The intricate workings of the Supreme Court when seen through the eyes of two of the rival justices and the clerks is intriguing. The book shows how important truth is and you will not want to put it down.

Quotes

“Small mistakes tend to lead to large ones. Ours is a lifetime appointment, and all you have is your reputation. Once it's gone, it doesn't comeback.” 

“Depending on the situation, sometimes you can know a person better in ten minutes than someone you have crossed paths with all your life.” 

“The real worth of a person came from how he acted during the bad times. (John Fiske)” 

“Confidence is one thing, disrespect is quite another. (Justice Elizabeth Knight)”