John Grisham
Pioneering the modern legal thriller and making courtroom drama into bestselling page-turners.
Biography
John Grisham is an American author and attorney who became the master of the legal thriller. Born in Jonesboro, Arkansas in 1955, he practiced criminal law before his second novel The Firm became a massive bestseller in 1991. He has since published over 40 novels, selling more than 300 million copies worldwide, and his works have been adapted into numerous major films. Grisham's ability to turn courtroom drama into page-turning suspense redefined the legal thriller genre.
Best Starting Book
A Time to Kill
Written while Grisham was still a practicing lawyer, it has an authenticity and moral urgency that captures everything he does best — justice, race, and the power of a courtroom.
Reading Order
A Time to Kill
Grisham's debut is a raw, emotional courtroom drama about race and justice in the Deep South — his most personal novel.
The Firm
The breakout bestseller about a young lawyer trapped by a corrupt firm — a masterclass in paranoid suspense.
The Pelican Brief
A law student uncovers a conspiracy behind Supreme Court assassinations — Grisham at his most cinematic.
The Rainmaker
A David-vs-Goliath insurance fraud case that showcases Grisham's populist heart and courtroom craftsmanship.
The Innocent Man
Grisham's only nonfiction book — a true wrongful conviction story that's more shocking than any of his novels.
Books by John Grisham
A Time To Kill
John Grisham
Sycamore Row
John Grisham
Rainmaker
John Grisham
The Chamber
John Grisham
The Widow
John Grisham
The Rainmaker
John Grisham
The Litigators
John Grisham
The Firm
John Grisham
The Runaway Jury
John Grisham
The Partner
John Grisham
The Client
John Grisham
A Time for Mercy
John Grisham
The King of Torts
John Grisham
The Associate
John Grisham
The Brethren
John Grisham
A Painted House
John Grisham
The Street Lawyer
John Grisham
The Innocent Man
John Grisham
The Pelican Brief
John Grisham
The Summons
John Grisham