Top 20 American Crime Novels

Reading lists

Top 20 American crime writers

Best legal thrillers and courtroom drama books

The best legal thrillers and courtroom dramas to read now

The Pelican Brief

I would highly recommend it... a real page-turner.

John Grisham is the author of forty works of fiction and one of non-fiction. His works are translated into forty-two languages. He lives in Virginia.

Two Supreme Court Justices are dead, their murders unsolved. 
But one woman might have found the answer – if she can live to tell it. 
 
Darby Shaw is a brilliant New Orleans legal student with a sharp political mind. For her own amusement, she draws up a legal brief showing how the judges might have been murdered for political reasons, and shows it to her professor. He shows it to his friend, an FBI lawyer. 
 
Then the professor dies in a car bombing. 
 
And Darby realises that her brief, which pointed to a vast presidential conspiracy, might be right. Someone is intent on silencing Darby for good - somebody who will stop at nothing to preserve the secrets of the Pelican Brief... 
_______________________________________ 
‘A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' – Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' – Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' – Ken Follett 
 
‘John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers’ – Telegraph 
 
‘Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller’ – The Times 
 
‘Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.’ – Daily Record 
 
‘Masterful – when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating’ – Mirror 
 
‘A giant of the thriller genre’ – TimeOut

The Firm

He thought it was his dream job... It turned into his worst nightmare. 
 
When Mitch McDeere qualified third in his class at Harvard, offers poured in from every law firm in America. Bendini, Lambert and Locke were a small, well-respected firm, but their offer exceeded Mitch's wildest expectations: a fantastic salary, a new home, and the keys to a brand new BMW. 
 
Except for the mysterious deaths of previous lawyers with the firm. And the FBI investigations. And the secret files. 
 
Mitch soon realises that he's working for the Mafia's law firm, and there's no way out - because you don't want this company's severance package. 
 
To survive, he'll have to play both sides against each other... and navigate a vast criminal conspiracy that goes higher than he ever imagined. 
________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR JOHN GRISHAM 
 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction!' Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing and fast-paced thrillers' Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own. . .' Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre!' TimeOut

The Chamber

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC FROM THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING MASTER OF LEGAL THRILLERS 
 
There are some cases you have to take. 
 
Adam Hill is a rookie lawyer at a top Chicago firm. The world is at his feet. 
 
So why does he volunteer to represent a KKK terrorist under threat of execution? 
 
And why is the defendant happy to put his life in a novice's hands? 
 
The answer lies twenty years in the past, but there are darker, more shocking secrets to be uncovered... 
_______________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR JOHN GRISHAM: 
 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' - The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' - Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' - Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut

The Last Juror

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC FROM THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING MASTER OF LEGAL THRILLERS 
 
Never make an enemy of a murderer. 
 
In 1970, the Ford County Times went bankrupt - and to the surprise and dismay of many, was bought by 23-year-old college dropout Willie Traynor. The paper's future was grim, until a young mother was brutally raped and murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt family. Traynor reported all the gruesome details, and his newspaper prospered. 
 
The murderer, Danny Padgitt, was tried before a packed courtroom in Clanton, Mississippi. The trial came to a dramatic end when the defendant threatened revenge against the jurors if they convicted him. Despite his threats, they found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison. 
 
But nine years later, his influential family get him paroled. 
 
And then, one by one, the jurors who convicted him start to fall victim to terrible murders... 
_______________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR JOHN GRISHAM: 
 
‘A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' – Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' – Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' – Ken Follett 
 
‘John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers’ – Telegraph 
 
‘Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller’ – The Times 
 
‘Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.’ – Daily Record 
 
‘Masterful – when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating’ – Mirror 
 
‘A giant of the thriller genre’ – TimeOut

Never make an enemy of a murderer. 
 
In 1970, the Ford County Times went bankrupt - and to the surprise and dismay of many, was bought by 23-year-old college dropout Willie Traynor. The paper's future was grim, until a young mother was brutally raped and murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt family. Traynor reported all the gruesome details, and his newspaper prospered. 
 
The murderer, Danny Padgitt, was tried before a packed courtroom in Clanton, Mississippi. The trial came to a dramatic end when the defendant threatened revenge against the jurors if they convicted him. Despite his threats, they found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison. 
 
But nine years later, his influential family get him paroled. 
 
And then, one by one, the jurors who convicted him start to fall victim to terrible murders... 
_______________________________________ 
 
‘A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' – Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' – Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' – Ken Follett 
 
‘John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers’ – Telegraph 
 
‘Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller’ – The Times 
 
‘Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.’ – Daily Record 
 
‘Masterful – when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating’ – Mirror 
 
‘A giant of the thriller genre’ – TimeOut

The Confession

A gripping legal thriller from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author and creator of Sooley and The Judge's List. 
_______________________________________ 
 
An innocent man is days from execution. Only a guilty man can save him. 
 
Travis Boyette is a murderer. Nine years ago, he strangled a high-school cheerleader and buried her body so it could never be found. Then, he watched and waited as police arrested Donte Drumm, a local football star with no connection to the crime. 
 
Tried, convicted, and sentenced, Drumm was sent to death row whilst Boyette walked free. 
 
Now, Donte Drumm is four days from execution. But, as Boyette faces his own mortality, he has finally decided to do what's right. He has decided to confess. 
 
But can he convince the state that they are about to execute the wrong man? 
_______________________________________ 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' - The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' - Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' - Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut

The Street Lawyer

A gripping legal thriller from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author and creator of Sooley and The Judge's List. 
_______________________________________ 
Michael Brock is a man in the fast lane. 
 
He's a rising star at Drake & Sweeney, a giant Washington law firm. No time to waste, no time to help those in need. No time for a conscience. 
 
But when a violent encounter with a homeless man stops him cold, Brock is forced to confront the truth about who he really works for. What he finds is a shocking violation of the rights of the homeless, with Drake & Sweeney at the centre, and suddenly his conscience begins to stir. 
 
To do the right thing, Brock must put himself in the firing line and uncover his employer's most dangerous secrets. 
 
But is he willing to risk it all? 
_______________________________________ 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' - The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' - Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' - Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut

Playing for Pizza

From the No. 1 bestselling master thriller writer comes an American classic... 
 
Playing for Position 
 
Rick Dockery is an NFL quarterback who can’t catch a break. One huge mistake makes him a national laughing stock overnight, and no team will touch him. 
 
Playing for Pizza 
 
But all Rick knows is football, and he needs to find a team. Against all odds, Rick gets his break – as star quarterback for the Panthers… of Parma, Italy. 
 
Playing for Pride 
 
Rick doesn’t speak a word of Italian, and the crowds there aren’t exactly NFL-standard. But football americano is about more than fame, and home comes in the most unlikely of packages. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR JOHN GRISHAM 
 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos!' - Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive!!' - Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb and instinctive storyteller' - The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own...' - Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they are pulsating!' - Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut

Playing for Position 
 
Rick Dockery is an NFL quarterback who can’t catch a break. One huge mistake makes him a national laughing stock overnight, and no team will touch him. 
 
Playing for Pizza 
 
But all Rick knows is football, and he needs to find a team. Against all odds, Rick gets his break – as star quarterback for the Panthers… of Parma, Italy. 
 
Playing for Pride 
 
Rick doesn’t speak a word of Italian, and the crowds there aren’t exactly NFL-standard. But football americano is about more than fame, and home comes in the most unlikely of packages.

The Client

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC FROM THE NO.1 BESTSELLING MASTER THRILLER WRITER.

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC FROM THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING MASTER OF LEGAL THRILLERS 
 
A US State Senator is dead. Only Mark Sway knows where the body is hidden. 
And he's eleven years old. 
 
The FBI want him to tell them where it is, regardless of the risk to the boy and his family. 
 
The killer wants to silence him permanently. 
 
Reggie Love has only been practising law for five years, but she agrees to represent Mark pro bono, knowing she's his best hope for survival. Against the twin threats of the cold-hearted American state and the schemes of a cold-blooded killer, Reggie must fight the case of her life. 
 
Or it might be the last case of her life. 
_______________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR JOHN GRISHAM: 
 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' - The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' - Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' - Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut

Take it from me, this man Grisham spins a damned good yarn and is going to be around for a long, long time

It's gripping enough to be best read in daylight

A Painted House

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC FROM THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING MASTER OF LEGAL THRILLERS 
 
In rural Arkansas, seven-year-old farm boy Luke Chandler lives in the cotton fields with his parents and grandparents. 
 
When the cotton is ready to be harvested, the Chandlers hire a group of Mexicans and a family from the Ozarks to help harvest it. 
 
For six weeks the group pick cotton, battling the heat, rain, fatigue, and sometimes each other. During this time, Luke sees and hears things no seven-year-old should witness. 
 
Can he keep the secrets that could threaten his family's business and change their lives forever? 
 
A Painted House is a moving story of one boy's journey from innocence to experience, drawn from the personal experience of legendary legal thriller author John Grisham. 
 
_______________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR JOHN GRISHAM: 
 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' - The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' - Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' - Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut

Christmas with The Kranks

Skipping Christmas

The bestselling novel behind the iconic movie Christmas with the Kranks 
 
Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded shops, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes and no unwanted presents. 
 
That's just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they'll skip the holiday altogether. 
 
Theirs will be the only house on the street without decorations, a Christmas Eve bash or even a tree. Because come December 25th, they're setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. 
 
But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences - and isn't half as easy as they'd imagined . . .

The Rainmaker

The gripping legal thriller from the master of mystery and suspense and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Widow and A Time to Kill. 
 
NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES STARRING JOHN SLATTERY 
 
One case. One chance. One man against the world. 
 
Rudy Baylor is a rookie lawyer who is about to take on a career-defining case, fighting for justice for a young man whose death could have easily been prevented. 
 
This case has the power to change everything for Rudy - eliminate his debts and save his legal practice. 
 
But he's never argued a case in court before. And he is up against the most expensive lawyers that money can buy. 
 
Can Rudy win against the odds? Or will the truth be buried forever? 
 
Praise for John Grisham: 
 
‘A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' – Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' – Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' – Ken Follett 
 
‘John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers’ – Telegraph 
 
‘Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller’ – The Times 
 
‘Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.’ – Daily Record 
 
‘Masterful – when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating’ – Mirror 
 
‘A giant of the thriller genre’ – TimeOut

The gripping legal thriller from the master of mystery and suspense and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Widow and A Time to Kill. 
 
One case. One chance. One man against the world. 
 
Rudy Baylor is a rookie lawyer who is about to take on a career-defining case, fighting for justice for a young man whose death could have easily been prevented. 
 
This case has the power to change everything for Rudy - eliminate his debts and save his legal practice. 
 
But he's never argued a case in court before. And he is up against the most expensive lawyers that money can buy. 
 
Can Rudy win against the odds? Or will the truth be buried forever?

The Brethren

Trumble is a minimum-security federal prison, home to drug dealers, bank robbers and three former judges known as The Brethren. 
 
Each day in the law library, The Brethren spend hours fine-tuning their mail scam, and it's starting to pay big. 
 
But when their scam goes awry and ensnares the wrong victim - a powerful man on the outside - they're in trouble. Because this man has dangerous friends. 
 
Just as the prison failed to protect society from The Brethren, it won't protect them from their victims... 
_____________________________ 
 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' - The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' - Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' - Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut 
 
 
John Grisham, Sunday Times bestseller, December 2023

The King Of Torts

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC FROM THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING MASTER OF LEGAL THRILLERS 
 
Clay Carter has been working in The Office of the Public Defender for too long and he dreams of better things. 
 
When he reluctantly takes the case of a young man charged with a random street killing, he assumes it's just another of the many senseless murders that hit Washington D.C. every week. 
 
But as he digs deeper, Clay stumbles upon a conspiracy too horrifying to believe. A pharmaceutical giant has been secretly and illegally testing a new drug on addicts - one that helps stop addiction, but which drives them to random acts of violence. 
 
Overnight, Clay becomes a celebrity among lawyers and a national media figure. 
 
But as the financial stakes rise, so does the danger... 
 
_______________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR JOHN GRISHAM: 
 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' - The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' - Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' - Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut

The Associate

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC FROM THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING MASTER OF LEGAL THRILLERS 
 
Kyle McAvoy is one of the greatest legal students of his generation. He has a brilliant mind and a glittering future ahead of him. 
 
But he has a secret from the past that threatens to destroy his entire livelihood. 
 
When this secret catches up with him in the form of a compromising video, Kyle is left with an impossible choice. 
 
He can take a job in New York at the largest law firm in the world and share the sordid secrets of its biggest trial to date. 
 
Or his past will be exposed to the masses. 
 
It's a deadly game of blackmail. And someone is making him play. 
 
__________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR JOHN GRISHAM: 
 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction!' Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing and fast-paced thrillers' Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own. . .' Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre!' TimeOut

Bleachers

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC FROM THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING MASTER OF LEGAL THRILLERS 
 
Glory never dies. 
 
Neely Crenshaw was the best quarterback ever to play for legendary high school football team, the Messina Spartans. But fifteen years later, with his glory days far behind, the man everyone remembers is Coach Eddie Rake. 
 
When Neely returns home to bury the dying Coach Rake, he's not alone. Many Spartans veterans want to pay tribute to the man who moulded them. 
 
But stories soon emerge that could tarnish the coach's legacy. 
 
As Neely struggles to come to terms with his explosive relationship with the coach and the choices he made as a young man, the stakes have never been higher . . . 
__________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR JOHN GRISHAM: 
 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' - The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' - Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' - Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut

The Runaway Jury

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC FROM THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING MASTER OF LEGAL THRILLERS 
 
When justice is for sale, every jury has a price . . . 
 
In Biloxi, Mississippi, a landmark trial against a tobacco company begins. 
 
Millions of dollars are at stake and soon the case swerves mysteriously off course. The jury begin behaving strangely, and one of the jurors is convinced he's being watched. 
 
Soon they have to be sequestered. 
 
But then an anonymous tip from a young woman suggests she knows why the jury are behaving oddly. 
 
Someone has a plan. But who? And, more importantly, what do they want?_______________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR JOHN GRISHAM: 
 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' - The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' - Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' - Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut

The Partner

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC FROM THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING MASTER OF LEGAL THRILLERS 
 
A man will do almost anything for ninety million dollars. 
So will its rightful owners. 
 
Patrick S. Lanigan died in a car crash in February 1992. 
 
He left behind a mourning wife, young daughter and bright future. 
 
Six weeks after his death, ninety million dollars disappeared from the law firm he'd worked at. 
 
It was then that his partners knew he was still alive. 
 
And the chase was on . . . 
_____________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR JOHN GRISHAM: 
 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' - The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' - Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' - Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut 
 
 
John Grisham, Sunday Times bestseller, December 2023

The Appeal

Ford County

Ford County. The heart of the American deep South. A place of harsh beauty, of broken dreams and final wishes. 
 
From legendary legal thriller author John Grisham comes a unique collection of stories connected by the life and crimes of Ford County. 
 
From a hard-drinking, downtrodden divorce lawyer looking for pay-dirt, to a manipulative death row inmate with one last plea, Ford County features a vivid cast of attorneys, crooks, hustlers, and convicts. From their stories emerges a rich picture of lives lived and lost in Mississippi. 
 
Completely gripping, frequently moving and always entertaining, Ford County brims with the same page-turning quality and heart-stopping drama of his previous bestsellers.

The Summons

_______________________________________ 
An edge-of-your-seat legal thriller from the undisputed master of the courtroom drama. 
 
Ray Atlee teaches law at the University of Virginia. His ailing father, Judge Atlee, was once a loved - and feared - titan, towering over local law and politics in the ancestral Atlee home of Clanton, Mississippi. And now, entering his last days, he calls Ray home to discuss the family estate. 
 
Newly single and far from happy, Ray reluctantly heads south to meet his father. He never does. The Judge dies too soon, but leaves behind a shocking secret which Ray believes only he knows; a secret that could destroy Clanton's very foundations. 
 
And it soon becomes clear that Ray's wrong. 
 
He's not the only one who knows. 
_______________________________________ 
‘A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' – Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' – Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' – Ken Follett 
 
‘John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers’ – Telegraph 
 
‘Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller’ – The Times 
 
‘Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.’ – Daily Record 
 
‘Masterful – when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating’ – Mirror 
 
‘A giant of the thriller genre’ – TimeOut

John Grisham

THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLER 
 
John Grisham's first and most shocking novel, adapted as a film starring Samuel L. Jackson and Matthew McConaughey 
 
When Carl Lee Hailey guns down the violent racists who raped his ten-year-old daughter, the people of the small town of Clanton, Mississippi see it as justice done, and call for his acquittal. 
 
But when extremists outside Clanton - including the KKK - hear that a black man has killed two white men, they invade the town, determined to destroy anything and anyone that opposes their sense of justice. A national media circus descends on Clanton. 
 
As tensions mount, Hailey hires the inexperienced Jake Brigance to defend him. It's the kind of case that could make a young lawyer's career. 
 
But it's also the kind of case that could get a young lawyer killed. 
______________________________ 
 
The original, epoch-defining Jake Brigance novel. Brigance returns in SYCAMORE ROW and A TIME FOR MERCY. 
______________________________ 
 
'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent 
 
'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult 
 
'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett 
 
'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, fast-paced thrillers' - Telegraph 
 
'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' - The Times 
 
'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' - Daily Record 
 
'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they're not just alive, they're pulsating' - Mirror 
 
'A giant of the thriller genre' - TimeOut

John Grisham

Books by John Grisham

Articles featuring John Grisham

Top 20 American crime writers

The best legal thrillers and courtroom dramas to read now

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