The 10 Best John Grisham Books of All Time
Since his first book, A Time to Kill, was published in 1989, John Grisham has written many bestsellers. He has a well-earned reputation of being one of the best thriller writers of all time, with over forty novels in his repertoire. Along with this, he’s also written children’s books, short stories, and some non-fiction too.
His books have been translated into many languages and he’s sold more than 300 million copies worldwide. With such an amazing body of work, it was hard narrowing it down to the 10 best books he’s ever written but we gave it a good shot. We start our list with the first he ever penned.
Best Buy
1. A Time To Kill
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This was the start of Grisham’s novel-writing journey. While not instant success and rejected by many publishers, Wynwood Press gave it a modest print run.
This did not deter Grisham, and he kept writing. The second book on the list fared better but A Time to Kill ended up being republished by Doubleday when Grisham started getting popular.
Grisham, a lawyer himself, said that the book’s inspiration took place with a courtroom testimony of a 12-year-old rape victim. The hardcover is full of legal suspense and a plot delving into racial violence and vengeance.
The story starts when a 10-year-old girl African-American is raped by two young, drunken, remorseless white men. Clanton, Mississippi, a primarily white town, reacts with horror at this inhumane crime but there is a fear that the men will walk free. Her father finds an assault rifle taking justice into his own hands.
After 10 days of burning crosses with anarchy spreading through Clanton’s streets, defense attorney Jake Brigance takes on the father’s case.
The book is sure to keep you in suspense until the end and remains a great novel to read. It was adapted into a film in 1996 with an all-star cast featuring Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, and Donald Sutherland.
