Summary
The Pelican Brief is a legal thriller – a thriller in which
much of the plot and action is based on elements of the
law and the roles of big business and government. It was
written in 1992 by John Grisham. It was his third novel
and the second of his books to be made into a film. The
film was directed by Alan J. Pakula and stars Julia Roberts
and Denzel Washington.
The Pelican Brief tells the story of Darby Shaw, a young
law student in the United States, who puts together a
theory of why two Supreme Court judges have been
murdered. She shows her theory to her lover, a professor
in law. He then shows it to an ex-colleague of his who now
works for the FBI. Awful things start happening to Darby
and she realizes that her theory has put her life in danger.
She runs away and eventually turns to the only person she
can trust – a newspaper reporter determined to find out
the truth and save Darby’s life.