The American novelist John Grisham is a well-known writer who dedicated his life to legal thrillers. This style of writing amazed many American readers and became one of the most popular writer. Thus, John Grisham became famous and one of the best-selling authors in the USA.
So now, we’ll observe the top 10 of the best John Grisham books in order of popularity which are worth your attention and reading.
Best of John Grisham: Top Books to Read
Rank | Review | Product Name | Price | Date | Page | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | A Time to Kill | Check Here | November 1, 1993 | 496 | 9.9 |
2 | ![]() | The Firm | Check Here | February 1, 1991 | 432 | 9.7 |
3 | ![]() | Sycamore Row | Check Here | October 23, 2013 | 447 | 9.5 |
4 | ![]() | Theodore Boone: the Abduction | Check Here | June 6, 2011 | 256 | 9.4 |
5 | ![]() | Theodore Boone: the Activist | Check Here | May 21, 2013 | 304 | 9.2 |
6 | ![]() | The Street Lawyer | Check Here | February 16, 1998 | 352 | 9.1 |
7 | ![]() | The Last Juror | Check Here | February 3, 2004 | 368 | 9.0 |
8 | ![]() | The Litigators | Check Here | October 25, 2011 | 400 | 8.9 |
9 | ![]() | The Confession | Check Here | October 26, 2010 | 432 | 8.8 |
10 | ![]() | Playing for Pizza | Check Here | September 24, 2007 | 262 | 8.6 |
A Time to Kill
Let’s start with the best works of John Grisham, and the first one that should be mentioned is A time to kill, which is not the first work that gave luster to John Grisham but the one which poured gas on the fire of his popularity and the first of his novels that received wonderful reviews.
The story is a fiction and based on the blatant case of the rape of a ten-year-old African-American girl in the 1980s. As you might have guessed, the plot involves racism and its consequences in society that can’t be properly regulated by local justice institutions.
Not without a reason, this plot led to an unprecedented interest among readers and discussions that made it a bestseller.
The plot teases the reader with a question, what would you do in the same situation. Would you do what is described in the book, or would you do in another way? It’s highly recommended for those who are keen on detective stories and want to read something different from an obvious plot pattern.
The book itself is in hardcover. On the title page there is a man tied to a column. It has 496 pages and was released on the 1st of November, 1993.
- The plot is absorbing and the final part is like coming up for fresh air
- There is plenty of specific language that creates the particular flavor of the plot
- There are many twists and turns which make the plot unpredictable
- Some pages have quite long and irrelevant descriptions
The Firm
The Firm is the second book of the young and, at that time, poorly known writer of legal thrillers. The readers were super excited about this work, and they admitted that the plot is really unusual — as a result it sold over 1.5 millions copies. So what is the reason – let’s figure out!
The story is about a straight-A graduate of Harvard law school, who has made a wrong decision in his life. As a result, after a short period of success, his life has changed significantly. Now he’s caught in the crossfire and has to solve his situation in order to live.
As in the previous book, this also makes you continue reading greedily until the last lines and final upshot. Definitely, this book is one you can be proud of reading.
The book comes in a hardcover, with a puppet-man on a title page and is comprised of 432 pages. It was officially released on February 1, 1991.
- It’s light read, so a reader can finish it within 3-5 days
- The book has an unusual style of writing along with absorbing plot
- The final part is not as appealing as the whole book
Sycamore Row
Sycamore Row is a newer work of John Grisham as compared to the previous copies. However, this copy can be unofficially called the continuation of the well-known prequel A Time to Kill. In fact, there is the character Jake Brigance who appeared in the prequel, thus readers are familiar with him and can predict his decisions, right?
The plots of John Grisham can’t be ordinary, and Sycamore Row is no exception. Here in Sycamore Row there is a main character who is wealthy but gravely ill. After he commits suicide, people find his last and unexpected will. Now, the people who were mentioned there and his relatives have to fulfill his will.
In fact, there is no particular category of people who will like this copy, an instead everybody who starts reading will never stop until the truth is revealed. As a result, readers will be amazed by the the twists and turns and puzzles that author has prepared for the readers.
The book is in hardcover with a picture of a tree on the title page. It has 447 pages.
- The story has elements of drama, comedy, and thriller
- Continuation of developing Jake Brigance character
- Quite long and boring entry part
Theodore Boone: the Abduction
Unlike the previous copies, Theodore Boone is highly rated fiction written for young readers. Thus, the plot has the same style of writing, with wit and a breathtaking plot that will captivate every reader until the last word. In addition, it was ranked among the bestsellers and received high ratings that bribed attention from not just teenagers but adults as well.
Theodore Boone: the Abduction is one of series about Theodore Boone who has sleuthing and deductive skills. The book describes the abduction of the main character’s friend who might be dead already. The police find a clue, but Theodore thinks it’s wrong and decides not to wait for the official investigation but to find his friend by himself.
This is a continuation of a story about Theodore Boone, thus it will be interesting for those who are familiar with his adventures and investigations. However, the plot of this copy is an independent story and easily understandable for anyone who doesn’t know anything about this person at all.
Theodore Boone: the Abduction comes with 256 pages in hardcover. The title page shows a picture of a boy standing in the dark on a bridge.
- Well-described child-oriented investigation using deductive skills
- The plot will absorb even an adult
- Unrealistic and hyperbolic situations and skills of Theodore
Theodore Boone: the Activist
Theodore Boone: the Activist is another installment from the series about young investigator Theodore Boone. In fact, this is the 4th book in the series and it is successful as well. Although, the plot is designed for young readers, it will also attract both young and older adults.
The title suggests, rather obviously, that the story will be about Theodore, who will act as an activist in a conflict. Having legal prowess to defend those who are right, with adventures, he and his friends are depicted as struggling for what they believe in. The readers will love descriptions of the adventures and the stories related to them.
The book comes in a hardcover, with a picture of a boy on the title page. The date of release was May 21, 2013.
- The plot is quite instructive which shows children how behave in a proper way
- There are some scenes of violence
The Street Lawyer
The Street Lawyer is another highly-rated book which received many positive overviews. As with all of Grisham’s works, this plot is not lacking Grisham’s branded approaches that he usually uses in his works. The plot is full of unexpected turns and that’s what keeps the reader’s attention until the end.
The story is about a lawyer named Michael who succeeds at a huge law firm, and no impending troubles. However, once he met a homeless man who was evicted by a developing company where Michael’s company also was involved, the first plot twist starts. This acquaintance made him change his role, and he became a lawyer who defends hopeless people.
Unlike the previous works, The Street Lawyer has a plot that attracts not only detective or legal thriller lovers but anyone, especially those who have had a hopeless period of life, when seemingly nobody would help them. These people might recognize themselves in those who are wonderfully depicted by the author.
The copy comes in a hardcover and it’s quite small s compared to the other Grisham’s works, as there are 352 pages.
- The plot is heart-melting and makes the reader rethink people’s lives
- Grisham has gloriously described the hidden world of homeless people in America, like nobody has before
- There are some inconsistencies in the plot that lack basic credibility
The Last Juror
Another successful attempt to bring horror into everyone’s life by making every reader frightened and astonished to finish the book non-stop. The Last Juror – the title says so for itself, but is it as frightening as it seems?
The plot takes place in the 1970s. The story begins with an acquaintance of young journalist Willie Traynor, owner of The Ford County Towns newspaper, which was nearly bankrupt until the case of a brutal murder of a young mother was published. Thanks to jurors, who neglected the murderer’s intimidation of savage reprisal, he was convicted and jailed. However, he was paroled and once he was released, he intends to keep his promise and get rid of all the jurors.
This book is quite contradictory because of the plot, but many who are familiar with other of Grisham’s works read this as well, since they know already they will receive pleasure by reading such an unusual copy.
The copy is wrapped in a hardcover, with a picture of a table on the title page.
- Unexpected plot twists
- The description is hypnotizing and makes you feel like you’re in the story
- There is lack of information about the victims
The Litigators
It’s predecessor, The Firm, gave the green light to the story The Litigators, which also brought success to its author. Let’s find out why it is so popular.
The plot of The Litigators follows a law firm which consists of two law specialists who consider themselves boutique lawyers and have had enough already – they desire a big break. Then appears a young and successful attorney who has just lost his job and who becomes their associate. He will be a clue to their desired “big break.”
The book is well-written, and it is full of wit and describing details. It would be a nice option for anyone who loves Grisham’s works or simply wants to read something new.
The book comes in a hardcover, and there are 400 pages. It was released on October 25, 2011.
- The plot is enjoyable and absorbing
- There are lot of humorous moments
- The description of characters is the worst in this book, compared to the previous ones
The Confession
It’s very easy to understand from the name what this book is about. Despite having such a title, this book has the typical Grisham plot where the juridical system is described.
In fact, this time, the author decided to make this book outstanding and besides depicting the juridical process and having a victim and a murderer, there is also an innocent man who is ultimately convicted. Eventually, the real murderer finds out that he is gravely ill, and he decides to reveal the truth about the convicted innocent man. However, it becomes a difficult task to do.
This is another work which can’t leave anyone with a neutral opinion. It deserves to be read by those who struggle to find unusual scenes and plots for everyday reading.
The copy is wrapped a hardcover and has 432 pages. The date of release is October 26, 2010.
- One of a few books that involved sports
- A light read book
- The overflowed political agenda throughout the whole plot
Playing for Pizza
Playing for Pizza has very unusual name for a book among legal thrillers. In fact, it was made for a specific reason – it shows that this work is comprised of humorous moments which allures readers.
The story follows an American football player, who has lost the game during the last minutes in a leading team. Obviously, after that fatal mistake no one wanted him to be on their team, and this made him seek other alternatives. Luckily, he found one alternative but much farther than he thought – in Italy. That’s where the whole story begins.
The story is very light and full of moments that won’t leave anyone thinking that this book is boring. There is a mix of sport and humor from the author who specializes in writing thrillers. It should be said that this was successful trial and everyone who read this is pleased. Now it’s your turn to get acquainted with it.
It has a hardcover and 262 pages of pleasure.
- This one is another successful sports-related book among the few written by Grisham
- The story is full of informative and fun descriptions of Italian culture
- A huge chunk of the book is a description of traveling Rick Dockery over Italy
Most Interesting Facts About John Grisham
When reading books, not everyone asks themselves what is the mood of the author while he was writing this chapter of a book. Not everyone knows about his personal life and achievements. Thus, you are invited to find out some interesting facts of the person who developed to oh-so-intriguing genre of a legal thriller – John Grisham.
- Most of his works take place in the Mississippi area.
- In 2019, there will be released a continuation of the Theodore Boone adventures: the Accomplice.
- Despite having a law degree – it is not the only degree he has. He also has a Bachelor’s degree in accounting.
- The publishers didn’t want to publish John Grisham’s first and one of the most successful works, A Time to Kill. In fact, he received 28 rejections before it was finally released in 1989.
- 2 books were adapted into TV series, and 11 books were filmed.
- John Grisham is one of three people in the world who sold 2 million copies from his first release.
Hopefully these facts will inspire you to find out more about John Grisham’s works and you will be glad that you found them.
In Closing
Now you are familiar with one more writer who is worth being on your list to read. If you are familiar with him already, hopefully, you found something interesting about him that you didn’t know before. In addition, this overview of the best works ever will help you to understand which copy should be the next. Stay tuned with BooKKooks!
References
- The Official Website of John Grisham – http://www.jgrisham.com/
- John Grisham – https://en.wikipedia.org/
- More Books of John Grisham – https://www.reddit.com/
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