#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • Jake Brigance is back! The hero of A Time to Kill, one of the most popular novels of our time, returns in a courtroom drama that The New York Times says is “riveting” and “suspenseful.” Clanton, Mississippi. 1990. Jake Brigance finds himself embroiled in a deeply divisive trial when the court appoints him attorney for Drew Gamble, a timid sixteen-year-old boy … for Drew Gamble, a timid sixteen-year-old boy accused of murdering a local deputy. Many in Clanton want a swift trial and the death penalty, but Brigance digs in and discovers that there is more to the story than meets the eye. Jake’s fierce commitment to saving Drew from the gas chamber puts his career, his financial security, and the safety of his family on the line.
In what may be the most personal and accomplished legal thriller of John Grisham’s storied career, we deepen our acquaintance with the iconic Southern town of Clanton and the vivid cast of characters that so many readers know and cherish. The result is a richly rewarding novel that is both timely and timeless, full of wit, drama, and—most of all—heart.
Bursting with all the courthouse scheming, small-town intrigue, and stunning plot twists that have become the hallmarks of the master of the legal thriller, A Time for Mercy is John Grisham’s most powerful courtroom drama yet.
There is a time to kill and a time for justice. Now comes A Time for Mercy.
more
The characters as usual with Grisham were wonderful. The end was perfectly crafted. Yanked me from the television blah blah back to loving a good book.
Bestselling author John Grisham cranks out another superior novel in his quality line of legal thrillers with his primetime lawyer, Jake Brigance. Set in the fictional town of Clanton, Mississippi, not skipping a beat from Grisham’s debut novel A Time To Kill, Grisham stacks the odds against Brigance in the case that seems nearly impossible to win and calls into question immense aspects of the legal system that remains unveiled atypically. Thematic questions of mercy and its application, as the title implies, is omnipresent from the beginning, all the way until the very end. Grisham writes with novel clarity but also keeping true to the system likely drawing his time as a practicing lawyer and public servant. Fans of Grisham will not be disappointed with A Time For Mercy, particularly those who desired a return of Brigance. Those who may not be familiar with this book would still stand to benefit as a standalone and circle back to the original works of Grisham to have it come full circle.
Jake Brigance is back defending an accused murderer. He puts his financial security and family at risk in an attempt to make sure that justice is served. I really enjoyed the story line and hope that Jake will appear in subsequent books. This book would make an excellent movie!
I LOVE all John Grisham books!
Returning to Clanton with Jake Brigance is always an entertaining journey. Between a fast paced and heart wrenching opening to the realities of a young life held in the balance. The courtroom, the crime, the client and his family continue to remain with me long after having turned the last page. Whether it is due to the not completely tied up ending (future Jake Brigance novels perhaps???) or to the question I have yet to answer for myself, is there a time for mercy when one cannot refute the act of the crime?
He is always at the top of his game and this is no exception!
I like the continuation of Jake Brigance and the others, it felt like Grisham was writing like he used to in the early days. From the finish, it seems like there will be another book and I look forward to it.
It’s vintage John Grisham!
Always the very best, highly recommend
the ending left a lot of “loose ends.”
Another superb read by Grisham. He never disappoints! This story is filled with gripping suspense, tragedy, and horrors no family should have to endure. It also challenges our legal system and laws that often have no leniency in certain cases. Without giving away the story, I will just say it’s a definite must read!!
Terrific – Grisham at his best.
Best book
Grisham is a master storyteller. I love that Jake and all his family and friends are back. This one will make a great movie, too.
Third in the Clanton, MS series about Jake Brigance. I don’t really like Jake, and as the series goes on, I have come to dislike his wife also.
Definitely not the best effort by Grisham.
And, as a final insult, the story stops with no resolution.
Not a bad read, but I expected better from Grisham.
Classic Grisham legal thriller! This is the third in the Jake Brigance lawyer series, and like the previous two, it centers around a case that initially seems Jake and his team cannot win. I found it entertaining, readable, with likeable characters, and a great plot.
I don’t think that John Grisham needs validation from me, but I truly enjoyed “A Time for Mercy.” Grisham picks up with the characters from his debut novel, “A Time to Kill.” Set in 1990, five years after the murder trial in “A Time to Kill”, Brigance is still a small town, Southern lawyer trying to make a living. He is appointed to defend a 16 year old boy accused of murdering his mother’s boyfriend. I won’t spoil the twists, but it was obvious that Grisham still cares about these characters thirty years after the original book was published. There is depth in this novel, and also a wonderful portrait of Mississippi, race, and the criminal justice system..
This book was an enjoyable read. Revisiting some characters who have become familiar like people you actually know add to the realistic nature of the storyline. Their issues and efforts to resolve the problems that confront them are of the nature that many face on a daily basis. Getting to know a woman that one might easily dismiss because of her checkered past, we find a mother who will do whatever is necessary to protect her children. This is a story that is very relevant in our times.
This story is John Grisham at his best, with Jake Brigance, a character that this reader always roots for. He takes cases that other lawyers won’t and does his best to defend them, even at his own peril. This story had me from the beginning and I didn’t want it to end. The build up from the arrest, to the preparation of the trial and all of the heartbreaking details of the story, to the jury trial keeps the reader engaged in the story and rooting for the defendant and justice. I probably could have read this book in one day, but I wanted to prolong my enjoyment of it and stretched it over two days. Read this book, you will not be disappointed.
3.5 (rounded down to 3 as I liked it but didn’t really like it)
I had super high hopes for the return to Clanton, Miss set back in 1990. I think that might have affected my rating and how I felt about the story. Had I read this book and not any other Grisham books I might feel differently. I can’t say much without spoiling the novel for y’all but the dual stories going on with Mr. Brigance made the book a lot longer than it needed to be and I felt myself skipping over it at times. The overall story involving the murder and charging of Drew was great, and I enjoyed the back and forth of the outcome as the story went along but the end was a huge let down for me.