I'm not sure this would appeal to anyone who's not pretty familiar with the hazards (tortures?) of working for a large law firm, but this is obviously written by an insider. It tracks the evolution of a fictional law firm, but in doing so, explains a lot of the changes that have happened within the profession over the last few decades as well. There's a case at the heart of the plot that has some interesting twists, but the real story is the politicking and maneuvering that goes on amongst the equity partners of the firm. All in all, this was a very clear and coherent portrait of a giant corporate law firm -- obviously fictional but realistic enough that practically anyone in Biglaw could think, "Hey, maybe this is about MY firm!" ( )

Steven J. Harper's The Partnership is like a fine wine that takes time and age to appreciate, although in this case the "age" refers to the pages of the book. Lacking the volume of a John Grisham legal thriller, it does not lack in rich characters or in slowly building development and a heck of a payoff.

As a worker in the legal field myself, I found The Partnership to be authentic in its legal dealings, if not a little bit disconcerting in the struggling and backstabbing that goes on behind closed office doors. Mr. Harper's litigation roots come through in his descriptive writing without the novel sounding technical or simply spouting legal jargon.

Unusual in a novel, the main characters are not wholly likable nor people you would normally root for. They are all flawed, some more deeply than others and some so driven by their compulsive need to win at all costs that they could be absolutely unrelatable if not for Mr. Harper's slow but steady interweaving storyline.

And its core, though, The Partnership is about a struggle for power and control, between good and evil, with love, lust, greed and corruption in the eye of the political hurricane. The measured and deliberate crescendo that builds throughout the book reminds me of the one-time popular miniseries, with the first night being the set up and the payoff coming on the last night.

Read The Partnership and you will think twice about how glamorous the legal profession is in the large, major law firms and you will also get an unfettered look into the board room without the rose colored glasses.

I recommend The Partnership to any readers who enjoy the legal genre and legal thrillers but don't expect high action on every page. ( )

It’s been a while since I last read a John Grisham or Scott Turow legal thriller, more for lack of time than lack of interest. Reading The Partnership by Steven J. Harper reminded me why I so love those books; I guess I’ll be rereading them again soon, or hunting out ones that I’ve missed.

Steven Harper’s novel is set in a huge law firm in Chicago. The Executive Committee chairman is about to retire, and two powerful and successful candidates vie to inherit the throne. Albert Knight is the more appealing of the two, a man who has bought into the money-wins-all mentality of the modern world, while still retaining some vestige of concern for what’s right and what’s fair. His arch-enemy Ronald Ratkin plays the field of power and wealth like a pro, planning ahead for every turn of the plot, fully prepared to ride the wave of disaster and turn it into triumph. And retiring chairman Hopkins pulls the threads that may or may not be tied as tight as he imagines.

There are mysteries behind mysteries here, betrayals beyond betrayal, and clever plotting that keeps the reader turning pages and wondering, with loyalties that drift in the wind. A firm that was once a family, that prided itself on rightness, has slipped and grown. The first warning blows are remembered, where money began to take precedence and became the motivation for everything. The prices paid are seen in people and relationships and events. And the fall of a noble profession is richly lamented.

There was much I didn’t know about the legal profession, and the business model. I learned a lot, not by being lectured, but by spending time in the heads and lives of Harper’s characters. The story is a sad indictment on how we’ve let money change the world, and how temptation bests the best of us. It’s also a fascinating mystery, with twists and turns aplenty, an obscure form of justice, and a satisfying conclusion.

Steven Harper knows his law, and he knows his writing. He’s definitely a new author to watch, and I’m so grateful to book publicist Jennifer Prost for sending me a copy to read and review. This was certainly a fascinating and enjoyable book. ( )