john grisham has become one of the most successful authors in the united states, all thanks to his experience as a lawyer. A graduate of Mississippi State University, John earned his JD from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981. In addition to practicing law for about a decade, he also served as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives. from 1984 to 1990. He began his writing career in 1989, publishing his first novel, Time to Kill. however, following the success of his second novel, The Firm, he eventually abandoned his law and political career to venture into writing full-time. Today, John Grisham’s books are considered required reading for everyone, both in the United States and beyond.
The author has written several bestsellers, some of which have been adapted into successful television series and feature films. With a career spanning more than three decades and counting, Grisham has made a name for himself as one of the best-selling authors in the United States and is currently regarded as the “king of legal thrillers” as most of his books revolve around around the law. Here, we take a look at John Grisham’s books ranked from best to worst, including his other works.
list of john grisham books ranked best to worst
1. The Firm (1991)
The Signature might not be John Grisham’s first book, but it was certainly one that brought the American writer into the spotlight and made him a household name. Released in 1991, The Signature is Grisham’s second book. tells the story of a young law school graduate who gets mixed up with the mob after accepting a job offer that seems too good to be true. the story shows how our greed and education can lead us to make decisions that can affect our lives. Shortly after its release in 1991, this legal thriller quickly became a bestseller with over 1.5 million copies sold by 1993. The novel was also adapted into a television series and a feature film of the same name starring gene hackman, tom cruise and jeanne tripplehorn.
You are reading: John grisham best selling books
2. the partner (1997)
Although he has written many books in both the fiction and non-fiction genres, the companion is without a doubt one of the best endings. He follows a Mississippi lawyer who fakes his own death, steals $90 million and flees to Brazil. however, he was found four years later and brought home, but not without secrets and plans of his own. This book is considered to be one of the best John Grisham books out there. With a very sensational story, it also comes with a lot of suspense, so it leaves the reader guessing from start to finish. It was John’s eighth novel and was published in 1997.
3. the last jury (2004)
Another legal thriller from John Grisham, The Last Juror combines courtroom drama and small-town lawyers with typical southern life and a man’s coming of age in the 1970s. Centered around people in a fictional Ford County featuring a gruesome murder, its trial, and its aftermath. Published in 2004, the last member of the jury came some fifteen years after Grisham’s first novel, A Time to Kill, is a prequel to the first. it was set several years before the events of a time to kill and also features some of the characters with the same occupation and characteristics.
4. the rainmaker (1995)
See Also: 7 Best Books to Learn Hebrew | With Amazon Links!
A standout piece from the writer, The Rainmaker brings humor, law, optimism, love, despair, and post-college angst into a simple narrative. Released in 1995, it is Grisham’s sixth novel and differs from most of his other works due to the fact that it was written in the simple past tense. chronicles the life of an inexperienced law graduate, his struggles to find a job and his tribulations trying to win a case against ruthless lawyers for an evil corporation. In this novel, John attempts to balance idealism with plenty of reality, and that places it among his best works to date. furthermore, the novel was adapted into a movie of the same name starring matt damon, danny devito, claire danes, jon voight, and danny glover in 1997.
5. the testament (1999)
another john grisham novel full of suspense, but with a great story. the plot comes with a twist and explores different sides of people’s lives including materialism, greed, sin and redemption. It has a dual plot of a lawyer searching for a missionary in Brazil while a group of heirs defy a will at home, with clever plot twists and a surprise ending. the novel also gives free rein to the writer’s personal social perception and how others perceive the crème de la crème of our society. Released in 1999, the 448-page hardcover adventure novel is Graham’s tenth novel and undoubtedly one of his best works.
6. time to kill (1989)
This is John Grisham’s first novel. Although it was not an instant success as the book was rejected by many publishers at first, however, the writer was not intimidated. He continued to write and followed the success of his second book, The Signature, A Killing Time which became a bestseller a few years later. According to the writer, A Time to Kill, which is a sequel to The Last Juror (published in 2004), was inspired by his experience in the Desoto County Courthouse in Hernando in 1984. There, he witnessed the extremely harrowing testimony of a 12- year old rape victim. In addition to its intrigue and suspense, the novel explores racial violence and retribution. Furthermore, in 1996, it was adapted into a movie of the same name, featuring characters like Samuel L. jackson, sandra bullock and matthew mcconaughey as its main cast.
7. the corridor (2005)
Set in the Italian city of Bologna, the runner revolves around the CIA, a presidential pardon, and a healthy dose of international intrigue. Despite the fact that the novel contains much of the maneuvering, suspense, and intrigue, as seen in some of Grisham’s best works, The Corridor reads simply like a travel guide to Bologna, with a lengthy description of foods, points of reference and a romantic subplot that leads nowhere. . Shortly after its release, the novel topped the New York bestseller list; despite that, it garnered mixed reviews from fans and critics.
8. Skipping Christmas (2001)
While John Grisham is known for his legal fiction novels, hardly anyone would believe that he writes about other aspects such as comedy. Skipping Christmas is a comedy novel that centers on how a couple who are fed up with the commercialization of Christmas decide to skip the holidays. Although cleverly structured and a New York Times bestseller, the novel lacks humor and its ending is somewhat sentimental. the good thing is that it was adapted into a movie called christmas with the kranks in 2004 and an audiobook in 2006.
9. the confession (2010)
See Also: Books & e-books – Oxford Referencing – Library Guides at Victoria University
an interesting fact about the grisham is that his inspiration comes mainly from real events and this 2010 novel, the confession is indifferent. the novel delves into the problems of wrongful convictions and the death penalty. however, at some point, it becomes unexciting and unconvincing, with caricatures rather than characters, painfully long scenes, and choking. the story ended predictably and unsatisfyingly.
10. the whistler (2016)
Another legal fiction thriller released in 2016, The Whistler focuses on the legal and moral issues facing Native American casinos. It also chronicles the life of a corrupt judge (Claudia Mcdover) and the lawyer (Ramsey Mix) who wants to bring him down. however, mix is not an angel himself, as he was previously disabled. Despite having surprising plot twists, the whistler has no climax or suspense as the story is explained in a very basic and very boring way until it reaches the end.
also read: 5 books and stories by robert rosenthal on psychology and human behavior
other books by john grisham
The American author has proven his writing skills and has published more than 40 novels since the beginning of his career. he has also written non-fiction and other short stories. During the 1990s, John Grisham authored several books, including The Pelican Brief (1992), The Client (1993), The Chamber (1994), The Runaway Jury (1996), and The Street Lawyer (1998). At the dawn of the millennium, he released The Brothers in 2000. In subsequent years, he released A Painted House (2001), The Summons (2002), The King of Torts, and Bleachers in 2003; playing for pizza (2007), the appeal (2008), and the associate (2009).
From 2010 to the present, John has published works including Theodore Bone: Kid Lawyer (2010), The Litigants, and Theodore Boone: The Kidnapping in 2011; Calico Joe, The Mobster, and Theodore Boone: The Accused in 2012; Sycamore Row and Theodore Boone: The Activist (2013); Gray Mountain (2014), Theodore Boone: The Rogue Fugitive Lawyer (2015); Theodore Boone: The Scandal (2016), The Rooster Bar and Island Road in 2017; the reckoning (2018), and theodore boone: the accomplice and the guardians in 2019.
See Also: 6 Ways to Promote a Childrens Book – Smith Publicity
list of books by john grisham (1989 – 2000)
- 1989 – “time to kill”
- 1991 – “the signature”
- 1992 – “the brief pelican”
- 1993 – ” the client”
- 1994 – “the camera”
- 1995 – “the rainmaker”
- 1996 – “the runaway jury”
- 1997 – “the partner”
- 1998 – “the street lawyer”
- 1999 – “the testament”
- 2000 – “the brothers”
list of books by john grisham (2001 – 2010)
- 2001 – “a painted house”
- 2001 – “skip christmas”
- 2002 – “the summons”
- 2003 – ” the king of torts”
- 2003 – “bleachers”
- 2004 – “the last jury”
- 2005 – “the broker”
- 2006 – “the innocent man”
- 2007 – “playing pizza”
- 2008 – “the appeal”
- 2009 – “the associate”
- 2009 – “ford county” (short stories)
- 2010 – “theodore boone: boy lawyer”
- 2010 – “the confession”
list of books by john grisham (2011 – 2020)
- 2011 – “theodore boone: the kidnapping”
- 2011 – “the litigants”
- 2012 – “theodore boone: the accused”
- 2012 – “calico joe”
- 2012 – “the mobster”
- 2013 – “theodore boone: the activist”
- 2013 – “sycamore row”
- 2014 – “gray mountain”
- 2015 – “theodore boone: the fugitive”
- 2015 – “rogue lawyer”
- 2016 – “partners” (a “rogue lawyer” short story)
- 2016 – “theodore boone: the scandal”
- 2016 – “trial witness” (a digital short story)
- 2016 – “the whistler”
- 2017 – “the island of the road”
- 2017 – “the rooster bar”
- 2018 – “the reckoning”
- 2019 – “the guardians”
- 2019 – “theodore boone: the complice”
- 2020 – “camino winds”
- 2020 – “time of mercy”
list of books by john grisham (2021 to date)
- sooley (2021)
- the judge’s list