The 10 Best Books by John Grisham

John Ray Grisham Jr. is the sixth most read writer in the United States of America, according to Publishers Weekly. Around the world, the author has sold more than 300 million copies, with titles translated into more than 40 languages, always appearing on bestseller lists, nine of which have been made into movies.

Grisham has been writing best seller after best seller since his first book, "A Time to Kill", was first published in 1988. The undisputed king of legal thrillers, he has published 39 more books in the following decades, including " Camino Island" and "The Rooster Bar", both released in 2017, and "The Reckoning", released in 2018. His books have been published in 42 languages ​​and have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide. He is one of only three mainstream authors to sell over 2 million copies of a first print.

So, with all of that in mind, we've prepared a selection of the top 10 best books by John Grisham for you to read, with reviews from avid readers like me and you.

If you want to purchase any of the books listed below, click on the titles. They are affiliated links that will take you directly to the store.

1 - A Time to Kill

This is the book that started it all, so any reading of Grisham should start here. It wasn't exactly an instant hit, though. It was rejected by several publishers before Wynwood Press accepted it and gave it a (very) modest print run. Grisham wasn't intimidated and continued writing. His second book, "The Firm", fared much better, and Doubleday ended up republishing "A Time to Kill" as Grisham's "second" release. A lawyer himself, Grisham said the book was inspired by the courtroom testimony of a 12-year-old rape victim. In addition to the usual legal thriller and intrigue, "A Time to Kill" delves into racial violence and retribution.

02 - The Firm

When "The Firm" was released in 1991, it quickly topped the bestseller lists and was made into a major movie starring Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman. His second book, he put Grisham on the map. It's the story of a law school ace who is richly recruited by a major corporation only to discover that something decidedly crooked is going on behind closed office doors. The next thing the protagonist knows is that the FBI is knocking on the door of the house the company so generously helped him buy.

03 - The Rainmaker

1995's "The Rainmaker" brings humor to the courtroom drama Grisham is known for. The hero is an underdog - a lawyer, of course - who hires a major insurance company. He thinks of David and Goliath. "The Rainmaker" is a good read, quick and totally enjoyable.

04 - The Testament

Similar to other Grisham novels in its legal thriller, "The Testament" adds a new twist by taking the main character on a perilous journey through remote regions of Latin America. This novel explores greed, materialism, sin and redemption.

05 - The Summons

"The Summons" has a simple plot, but it will still keep you awake and turning pages long after you've turned off the lights. It is the story of two children and their estranged father, who they find dead in their Mississippi home. This is Grisham's familiar territory - a large sum of money and a lot of lawyers - but if the formula hasn't been broken, why fix it?

06 - The Broker

"The Broker" is set in Italy, and the first half of the book is slower than some readers would like, because it describes Bologna in detail. But then the pace picks up and Grisham offers a nice rollercoaster ride to the end. The action revolves around a presidential pardon, the CIA, and a good deal of international intrigue.

07 - Rogue Lawyer

As the title suggests, Sebastian Rudd is no ordinary lawyer. Released in 2015, "Rogue Lawyer" tells the story of Rudd and his less-than-scrupulous criminal clients. It's gritty but fun - a must-read for Grisham fans.

08 - The Whistler

Released in 2016, "The Whistler" is the story of a corrupt judge and the lawyer who would like to bring him down. Greg Myers is not an angel - he was previously expelled. This is Grisham's signature at his best, with very human characters, eye-popping plot twists and lots of danger.

09 - Camino Island

One of Grisham's two books published in 2017 and one of his few non-legal thrillers, "Camino Island" features a female protagonist trying to solve the mystery of some of F. Scott Fitzgerald's stolen manuscripts. "The New York Times" calls it, "...a tourist town tale that says as if Grisham is taking a vacation from writing John Grisham novels." But they mean it in a good way: it's a departure from "type," but with Grisham's characteristic twists and turns and an eye for local color.

10 - The Rooster Bar

Grisham's second release in 2017, "The Rooster Bar" sees the author returning to familiar territory, only now he's targeting obscure third-tier law schools. When a handful of students at one of those schools, the comically named Foggy Bottom Law School (in DC, actually), stumble across a conspiracy theory involving Wall Street and its school, the action quickly heats up.