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A Time to Kill

by John Grisham (Goodreads Author)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 348,579 ratings · 2,255 reviews

Before The Firm andThe Pelican Brief made him a superstar,John Grisham wrote this riveting story ofretribution and justice -- at last it's available in aDoubleday hardcover edition. In this searing courtroomdrama, best-selling author John Grisham probes thesavage depths of racial violence...as he deliversa compelling tale of uncertain justice in a smallsouthern town...Clan...more

Hardcover, 496 pages

Published November 1st 1993 by Doubleday (first published January 1st 1989)

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Mar 08, 2012 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, legal, 1980-1989, thriller, popcorn

Considered Grisham's best novel by many readers far more perspicacious than moi, this well-written, emotionally-charged thriller certainly delivers. While it doesn't rank as my eye's own personal apple, I can certainly see why it is esteemed by fans of both the legal-thriller and Grisham.

Despite being fast-paced and a true page-turner (what I would call a popcorn-read), there's a gravity and social conscience that pervades the story and adds a weight to the narrative. There is depth here, more...more

80 likes · like · see review

Jun 10, 2011 Paul Eckert rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A young black girl is raped by two rednecks in Mississippi. She survives and is able to identify the two men. Before their trial begins, the girl’s daddy shows up at the court and mows them down with an M16. Now the black dad is on trial for his life, and attorney Jake Brigantz (the archetype of all Grisham lawyers to come in future novels – young, cocky, inexperienced lawyer takes on an evil entity, in this case racism) has taken on the case in order to keep the well-meaning father off death ro...more A young black girl is raped by two rednecks in Mississippi. She survives and is able to identify the two men. Before their trial begins, the girl’s daddy shows up at the court and mows them down with an M16. Now the black dad is on trial for his life, and attorney Jake Brigantz (the archetype of all Grisham lawyers to come in future novels – young, cocky, inexperienced lawyer takes on an evil entity, in this case racism) has taken on the case in order to keep the well-meaning father off death row.

At the heart of the novel is the question, “Would you convict a man for killing the men that raped and beat his daughter?” Grisham effectively sets the stage for a theme of conditional morality that carries really well throughout the book. At every plot point, someone is facing a morally ambiguous decision that affects the lives of other people. Many of them have no problem bending the rules, or being downright unethical. Our hero, Brigantz, seems to have the most difficult decisions to make, as his decisions affect more people than anyone else. He doesn’t spend a lot of time considering whether his decisions are right, but he certainly suffers the consequences of the decisions he makes.

As in his other novels that I’ve read, Grisham does the morality tale well within the confines of the legal system. He shows how our legal system, theoretically our most fair and objective institution, is full of gaping holes that are not easily fixed. It’s a classic prisoner’s dilemma (no pun intended) wherein one must be willing to sink to the lowest ethical rung of the opposition in order to have a chance of winning. A system of justice that is supposed to be based on a judgment of the facts instead hinges on so much more.

This was Grisham’s first novel, and it shows in a lot of ways (and not all of them are bad).

For one thing, the story is way too long. Grisham drags the reader through every painstaking point in the legal process, even those moments which have little or no impact at all on the case or the story at large. Subplots are carried for three quarters of the book, only to be conveniently discarded near the end.

As for the characters, Jake Brigantz is too good to be real. I don’t know much about being a lawyer, but I’m willing to bet that it is nearly impossible to run a successful law practice with just yourself and a secretary, and even less plausible that one could take this bare bones practice and defend one of the biggest capital murder cases in state history with just the help of a couple of lawyer friends and a gorgeous stranger that literally just shows up at the front door.

Luckily, Grisham’s brush with sex scenes are brief, because they’re almost too embarrassing too read, like a horny fourteen-year-old boy’s idea of sex. Every time Jake’s wife is on the page, Grisham never fails to mention her ‘bronze’ legs and arms, and in one paragraph mentions ‘bronze legs’ at least three times.

There are many plot holes and inconsistencies, though many are forgivable for the sake of the story. Fortunately, the court scenes are rather short, and the story is propelled by everything happening around the trial. The end is satisfactory enough, and I think it’s the right ending for this story.

A Time to Kill is a story of competing interests, and in the end no one is truly a good person. The fun is trying to figure out one’s own position amongst the many presented in the story, and thankfully there are few easy answers.
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Mar 03, 2008 Charlotte rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Continuing with my reading of all Grisham titles. This is the first I've read of the southern trial novels. Extensive use of the N word was disturbing but it's used for an accurate portrayal of the voice of white southerners of the period, not gratuitously. Much more disturbing was the scene of the violent attack on a little girl that's the basis of the story. Again, not gratuitous. This novel was based on a true story. A thoughtful and thought provoking reminder of the cruelty and racial prejud...more

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Mar 13, 2008 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

4 likes · like · see review

Aug 30, 2007 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: J. Grisham fans

There are 104 pages of review on this book, and I read two pages worth and agreed with a dozen or so. I always wondered why cheap thrillers like this book never get discussed in great literature classes and I think I can answer that question. 1. Because there is no interpretation. Books like this are no brainers. Little thinking is required.
That's really it.
Now for the book review. First of all, Grisham needed like 1 or 2 more pages to close out. He rushed the ending.
Sure it was a great thrill...more

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Nov 19, 2008 David rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have always had mixed feelings about Grisham, but this is one of his best. The inherent drama of a death penalty story, with a background in the crime of rape, makes this a natural for an audiobook, where the high drama can really be brought out.

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Jun 18, 2009 Melanie added it · review of another edition

I've actually never read a Grisham book before. Don't everyone throw tomatoes at me at one. Maybe the reason I haven't read one before was 'cause I was afraid I would be compelled to buy the rest of his books and I'd rather save the money for purchasing my very own movie studio.

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Jan 22, 2013 Anca Bettencourt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved it

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Feb 18, 2010 Kevin Walther added it · review of another edition

A Time to Kill
By: John Grisham
Review by: Kevin Walther

A Time to Kill is written by John Grisham. It takes place in Clanton, Alabama in the spring and summer of one year in the 1970’s. This is a time where racism is still very evident in southern states, and is a major issue in the book. The story revolves around a trial in which a black man has killed the two white men who brutally raped his eleven year old daughter.
The man who kills the two men who rapped his daughter is Carl Lee Hailey; he i...more A Time to Kill
By: John Grisham
Review by: Kevin Walther

A Time to Kill is written by John Grisham. It takes place in Clanton, Alabama in the spring and summer of one year in the 1970’s. This is a time where racism is still very evident in southern states, and is a major issue in the book. The story revolves around a trial in which a black man has killed the two white men who brutally raped his eleven year old daughter.
The man who kills the two men who rapped his daughter is Carl Lee Hailey; he is a married man who has three sons, and a daughter Tonya. He works at a paper mill and is the main source of income for his family. The two men he killed are Billy Ray Cobb and James Louis Willard, both known for their reputations regarding there use of drugs and opinions towards other races. The attorney representing Carl lee is Jake Brigance, a young lawyer who has only a few murder cases under his belt, but represented Carl Lee’s cousin on a murder charge and got him off. He is also married with one daughter.
The novel begins with Cobb and Willard rapping Tonya Hailey, the cops quickly find out who did it because Cobb and Willard were bragging about it at a local bar. When Cobb and Willard are escorted out of the court house after their preliminary hearings, Carl Lee Hailey comes out of a cleaning closet with a machine gun and kills the two men. Carl Lee is put into custody for the murders, and he requests Jake Brigance to represent him in court, even though he is tempted at times from groups like the NAACP to use their lawyers. The D.A. is Rufus Buckley, who is determined to win this case not only for the positive publicity he would gain for his law and political career, but also because he and Jake Brigance are constantly feuding with each other. During the trial Mr. Brigance, his secretary, and some possible jurors are harassed by the KKK, sometimes in very harmful ways. Jake and his family receive so much harassment that he has his wife and daughter move with her parents in South Carolina to keep her out of harms way. There is also plenty of excitement surrounding the court house once the trial begins, with reporters from all over the country present, and the front lawn of the court house divided in two, the KKK on one side and Carl Lee supporters on the other.
Many themes are present throughout the novel, the most popular being the racial issues that were present in this time and region of the United States. This theme is evident during the protests related to the trial, when the KKK is brought back into Clanton, when the NAACP tried to get involved in the trial, and in the trial itself when the question is presented, would he be treated the same if he was white and killed two black men who raped his daughter? Another theme that is evident in the novel is, doing what you believe to be right vs. what the legal system believes to be right. This theme is clear when Carl Lee Hailey kills the two men who raped his daughter, despite it being very illegal because he cannot live knowing his daughter’s rapists are still alive, and that she would have to live knowing they were alive. So, Carl Lee thought his personal view of what was right was a better option than letting the two men go to jail and be let out in a few years.
When I was reading this book, I was very surprised at the level of racism that was present, especially because it was only 30-40 years ago. I haven’t been to this part of the country, but I hope it has changed drastically for the better since then. Even though Carl Lee did murder two men, I think he should be a free man, because what the two men did to his daughter was sick, disturbing, and horrible. I don’t think any child should go through what Tonya Hailey did, and I think Carl Lee’s response was appropriate for what happened.
Also, when I read this book I liked the way it was written, it was my type of book, I just couldn’t put it down. It was full of action and dialogue that wasn’t boring, and had very few low points that I would consider useless.
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Jan 06, 2009 Antof9 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2004-read, americana, made-me-cry, upsetting

This was one of the first books I've ever read *after* seeing the movie. Although that isn't my preferable book/movie order, it wasn't too bad!

I thought the movie was a decent adaptation. A few interesting exceptions -- Sandra Bullock's character shows up early in the movie. In the book, I had almost decided she was added for the movie because she came into the story so late. I was also really surprised that the comments made by one of the jurors (no spoilers) were essentially Matthew McConaghy'...more

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Nov 29, 2008 The other John rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed, crime

I'm tempted to think that this one is about truth, justice and the American Way gone wrong. The story is set in Mississippi and opens with the account of a ten-year-old girl, Tonya, being raped by two men. They abuse her, try to kill her but end up abandoning her to die in a ravine. She is found, taken to the hospital and, eventually, the two men are arrested. The wheels of justice begin to turn, but Tonya's father, Carl Lee, decides to take matters into his own hands and guns down the rapists a...more

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May 10, 2013 Skate Penny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just missed my love for trials and courtrooms ever since I last read Patterson and Sheldon. Oh well, and I've been enjoying Picoult's courtroom dramas. This is my first ever Grisham read, and what to say? While other suspense and crime writers write how the lawyer researches everything and bla-bla, while there are so many twists hidden behind the bushes, Grisham's approach in this novel was rather different.

I was waiting for some kind of an unraveling of a mystery within the pages, but there w...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Alan Gilfoy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Standard Grisham"

By his first novel, Grisham was already in his classic form, somehow making a legal case interesting rather than dry or tawdry while also relishing delving into the Southern small town culture surrounding his cases. There were some awkward spots in the writing, expected for a first work and not too bad. Occasionally he seems to take too much pleasure in using the word 'nigger' or describing Jack's and everyone else's drinking. At worst, he sticks too closely to 'write what you...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Jr Bacdayan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Imagine that you had a little daughter and she was raped. You decide to bring justice into your own hands and kill the people who raped her. It is certain that you'll receive some sympathy from the jury, but is it enough for an acquittal? This is the emotionally affecting and morally disturbing story of John Grisham's first novel. Considering that this is his first work, you'll be impressed because the writing is already top notch and the theme already controversial. Aside from rape, vengeance,...more

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Jan 22, 2013 T.J. Cooke rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is no coincidence that this is my first book listed on Goodreads. It wasn't the first Grisham book I read, but it is his first chronologically, and that held interest for me both as a reader and a budding author.

It's not his best work, but I still give it five stars because all the clues were there, both literally and metaphorically. You could tell that Grisham was setting about the art of crime fiction story telling and that he was prepared to do so from a standpoint, or at least an angle,...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Olivia Wicker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

1. A time To Kill
2. John Grisham
3. Thriller
4. A ten year old black girl named Tonya Hailey is raped, beaten, and left to die by two white men. Carl Lee Hailey, Tonya’s father, is filled with such a rage that he shoots and kills the two white men. A friend of Carl Lee’s is Jake Brigance, a defense attorney who agrees to defend Carl Lee. Then, Jake begins to get a ton of death treats for defending a black man who killed two white men.
5. One motif in the book is violence used to solve problems. Thr...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Allyson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Would you convict a man for killing the men who raped his daughter? Would your decision change if you were told that the man wasn't white? These questions are some questions I frequently asked myself while reading the book A Time to Kill by John Grisham.
The book, A Time to Kill, is the first book by Grisham I have read. This book ranks among the top books in my mind. Originally, I read this book because of a school project. When I first received my copy, I thought that this book was huge and t...more Would you convict a man for killing the men who raped his daughter? Would your decision change if you were told that the man wasn't white? These questions are some questions I frequently asked myself while reading the book A Time to Kill by John Grisham.
The book, A Time to Kill, is the first book by Grisham I have read. This book ranks among the top books in my mind. Originally, I read this book because of a school project. When I first received my copy, I thought that this book was huge and that I couldn't finish it. However, once I opened the book and started to read, I was immediately hooked. After getting past the first gruesome pages describing the rape, the book turns into a question of personal values.
In the book the attorney Jake Brigance is defending Carl Lee Hailey, a man accused of murder. However, he only murdered the men who raped and beat his daughter, Tonya. Later in the story, characters like Noose and Mickey Mouse appear and add depth to the story. I would suggest reading this book because of the realistic characters and vigilante justice.
Sure, many people think that it is extreme and unrealistic for an eleven-year-old girl to have to go through a brutal rape, but it does happen. However, I could visualize what the characters were saying in my mind, and it broke my heart. I cried when I reread the rape and slightly agreed with Carl Lee's actions. This story, although a thriller, brought me to tears when Carl Lee finally won the trial. I did a victory dance in my room after reading it, and my parents probably thought I was crazy. The characters brought the plot to life in my mind and I reflected the excitement of the African-Americans after Carl Lee won.
A theme that occurs in the book is vigilante justice. This book sets the stage for this theme because the question I kept hearing was "Would I sentence this man to death for killing the men who raped his daughter?" Carl Lee is a man who took the law into his own hands, knew the consequences, but didn't want to accept them. I can somewhat relate to these feelings. I was once angry with my writing teacher so I wrote all of my essays in chalkboard font, which he hated. I knew that there would be consequences, but I wrote in chalkboard font anyways. This book also has an idea of racism. I don't think a person's color matters. However, in this book, an African-American man, Carl Lee, is tried with a white jury. Jake Brigance, Carl Lee, and their supporters are all subject to horrible racial crimes that almost caused them to admit defeat.
A Time to Kill is one of my favorite novels and I would suggest it to anyone who has never read a Grisham novel.The entire book was filled with excitement and readers will never expect some of the plot twists and will want to continue to read. (less)

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Dec 01, 2012 Veronique rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's surprising how many corrupt lawyers you can cram into one book.

I have loved half of the books by him, and hated the other half. This one is in between, but more toward the hated side.

When the main character, Jake, was first introduced I thought this would be one of the good ones. The main problem I have with Grisham's books is that everyone is corrupt, including the main characters. Jake seemed okay: he didn't drink, went to church, loved his family, and had many friends. That didn't last l...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Jason Kent rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had to start my reviews with this book. I'm a Grisham fan and this was his first, though it's been re-released several times and made into a movie. It is, essentially, a superb legal thriller with themes of racism, murder and revenge. I'm not going to say its his 'best' because Grisham honed the art of taut legal thrillers and used each as a template to better his craft. But this is his most striking and possibly most colorful prose.

In simple terms it's the story of a black father, Carl Lee H...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Dian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ini adalah.. entah buku John Grisham keberapa yang sudah saya baca. Seperti biasa, Mr. Grisham selalu membawa pembacanya mengikuti alur pikiran para pengacara, hakim, pelaku, korban, dan masyarakat sipil melalui bahasa yang mudah dicerna. Dalam bukunya ini Mr. Grisham mengangkat isu rasisme yang memang menggerogoti kehidupan manusia di dunia. Mengambil setting di Mississippi, USA, isu rasisme di sana memang kental antara "whites" dan "blacks". Perlakuan hukum yang seringnya tidak adil untuk kedu...more

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May 15, 2012 Matt Russell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Matt Russell
4/5/12
2nd Block
Mr. Bales
A Time to Kill

I chose to read a book entitled “A Time to Kill” by John Grisham. John Grisham was born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker. He had always dreamed of being a professional baseball player ever since he was young. The first book he had ever written “A Time to Kill” (finished in 1987) was published in June 1988. It’s about a murder and rape trial that takes place in rural Mississippi in the 1970s, in...more Matt Russell
4/5/12
2nd Block
Mr. Bales
A Time to Kill

I chose to read a book entitled “A Time to Kill” by John Grisham. John Grisham was born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker. He had always dreamed of being a professional baseball player ever since he was young. The first book he had ever written “A Time to Kill” (finished in 1987) was published in June 1988. It’s about a murder and rape trial that takes place in rural Mississippi in the 1970s, in Ford County. This crime fiction novel is a good example of the struggles of African-Americans who were living in the south during this time period.
The Main character of “A Time to Kill” is Carl Lee Haley. He is the father of Tonya Haley. Carl was a family man, a hard working man and generally known for his kindness. When he was faced with a life altering situation, he became very closed off and personal. After the arrest of the criminals who raped and beat his daughter, he became closer with past friends, which provided him the means to carry out the murder of the two men who did it. In the time throughout the trial, Carl remained closed off, yet honest about the events that had occurred.
“A Time to Kill” is the story of the rape of a little girl which occurred in rural Mississippi in the 1920s, which is followed by the double murder trial of her father. After the arrest of the two men, her father is so enraged (due to similar trial outcomes), he decides to take matters into his own hands by taking the lives of the two men. Throughout the process that followed, Carl was very open and extremely honest about all of the events and actions he made. In an unexpected turn of events, the jury presiding over the trial of Carl concludes on a not guilty verdict.
In my opinion, “A Time to Kill” was a very interesting book. I feel this way because the author was able to grab and keep my full attention throughout the book. Along with being able to grasp my interest, the book also had a very well formed, yet thrilling plot. Despite these good qualities, I found it difficult to follow each of the characters in this book individually. Thus at some points in the book, it was hard to differentiate one character from another. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel, and I thought it was very well written and enjoyable.
As a whole, this book was able to give me a new insight on racial issues that we seldom see in today’s modern society. By gaining this new insight, I was able to learn and further grasp the injustices of different ethnicities, In this case, African-Americans who struggled in the early 1900s. The moral of “A Time to Kill” is that legal justice and moral justice are not always the same. In conclusion, this novel would be a great read for anyone who is interested in a good fiction thriller.
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May 12, 2012 Ensiform rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Two rednecks abduct, torture and rape a ten year old black girl in a small Mississippi town. At their arraignment, the girl’s father blows them away with an M-16. He is taken into custody, and Jake Brigance, a young white solo practitioner who has some experience with defending poor blacks, comes to his defense. So begins a nightmare for Brigance and those around him, as the town is split in two, the Klan makes violent attempts on his life, the judicial system is stacked against him, and defeat...more

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May 10, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Time To Kill by John Grisham was an enthralling tale, it appealed to me because although the book as a whole, was written to sound very serious the way the humour was mixed into the story was perfect. The triumphs and defeats all the way through Jakes court case were explained very clearly, so much so that I felt as though I was Jake, sitting stiff in front of the judge testing my witnesses and building my case. The way the drama is presented is thrilling and at many points throughout my exper...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First off let me say that I enjoyed this book so much because it is based off of an real event. This book is about a lawyer who goes on trial to defend a Black man who murders two white "rednecks" who attack and rape of his daughter. Carl Lee (the father) is married with three sons and a daughter. He is the main source of income in his family working at a paper mill, and he is a Vietnam War Hero. The man he murdered Billy Ray Cobb and James Louis Willard are both well known drug abusers and are...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Saimah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'A Time To Kill' is John Grisham's take on racism and its legal repercussions in Mississippi. The story is about a black man Carl Lee Hailey who brutally shot down two young white men acquitted of raping his ten year old daughter. The existing laws of the county had been different for such a crime for whites and blacks, and that is when Jake Brigance, a young white lawyer, takes up the case of defending Carl Lee. Inspite of the continuous threats and losses Jake sticks to the case, having its ow...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Meita rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sempet dibuat males saat baca The Firm dan bingung waktu baca The Rain Maker ternyata tidak membuatku kapok untuk membaca buku John Grisham. Nyatanya,, A Time To Kill ini lebih seru dan lebih sederhana dari kedua buku yang sebelumnya kusebutkan.
Kisahnya tentang peradilan yang dialami oleh seorang kulit hitam, Carl Lee Hailey, setelah membunuh 2 orang kulit putih yang telah memperkosa anak gadisnya yang berusia 10 tahun yang membuat heboh kota Clanton. Tokoh utamanya sendiri adalah pengacara dari...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Phillip rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: advisory-11th

Racism is one of the main theme is the book and it causes many problems that I feel I have a lot of outside information to know about. Tonya, a black girl was brutally murdered by a guy name Pete Willard and Billy Cobb who didn't have a legitimate reason for their actions. Carl, who is the father of Tonya remembers a case similar like this a while ago, when 4 white men raped a african american girl and got away with their crime. Carl was a man who would never let something like this go away jus...more Racism is one of the main theme is the book and it causes many problems that I feel I have a lot of outside information to know about. Tonya, a black girl was brutally murdered by a guy name Pete Willard and Billy Cobb who didn't have a legitimate reason for their actions. Carl, who is the father of Tonya remembers a case similar like this a while ago, when 4 white men raped a african american girl and got away with their crime. Carl was a man who would never let something like this go away just like that believed that court wouldn't be the way to deal with this crime.
Instead Carl takes matter into his own hand. Finding a way to get to Billy and Pete, he takes a assault rifle and murdered both of these men for their crimes. He only murdered them because he didn't want to have the chance of having a crime this severe go away without any penalties especially if it involves his daughter. What I love about this book is the history that goes along with it. Black and White men were known to have tension in the past and it led to many crimes that can be related to this one in the book. Emmett Till, a African american was also brutally murdered because he whistled at a white woman. This was considered a insult because he was African american. What I really think about this book is what would happen if Tonya was a white girl. Would the father have killed these two men or did he believe that race really did play a role in the jury's verdict.
This book was a really long read and also a movie as well. I recommend this book if you really like reading about stuff that can be related to history. This book took me a long time to read and also includes a lot of vocabulary. I have put down this book a couple of times because there seems to be a lot of fluff to me since parts were boring to me. The time it took me to read this book was probably 3-4 months with dropping it down a couple of times. If you don't get bothered by long pages and some vocabulary, this would probably be a good book for you. I believe if you love history you would love this book.(less)

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May 14, 2011 Graham Armstrong rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

I have to admit I read this book a while back. I also saw the movie a while back. But while waiting at Boston Logan airport I saw the book on the shelf and knowing I wouldn't get much sleep I decided to buy the book in the hope that I could use my time during the 6 hour flight.

Hand on heart I am not a massive crime fan, but having read the Firm, I have been a fan of John Grisham, so please bear that in mind.

The backdrop of this book, the deep south, back when the Clan was in evident, and black...more

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Apr 28, 2011 M Pogoy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had read this book when I was still in my juniour years in high school. I cant remember exactly the exact date of the time i had finished reading it. So, I cant exactly give an exact review for this book for now. I had to review it again to be fair. :DD

Any way, it was among those books that had wrenched my heart. I will never forget how I'd cried then because of the mishap that the little black girl who was raped ( cant remember her name :(( ) had experienced. What happened to her in the book...more

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Mar 28, 2011 John added it · review of another edition

Christian Mario Tony by name

Current City: :Frisco City, Alabama :Hometown: Edinburgh, United Kingdom

About my self ........................
I always like to meet new people and try new things. I don't make quick judgments about others and expect the same in return. I am educated and professional. I am very stable in financially. I am a good hearted, honest, loyal, caring, considering, loving, intelligent, confident, responsible, dedicated, generous, compassionate, sweet, kind, romantic, passionate...more Christian Mario Tony by name

Current City: :Frisco City, Alabama :Hometown: Edinburgh, United Kingdom

About my self ........................
I always like to meet new people and try new things. I don't make quick judgments about others and expect the same in return. I am educated and professional. I am very stable in financially. I am a good hearted, honest, loyal, caring, considering, loving, intelligent, confident, responsible, dedicated, generous, compassionate, sweet, kind, romantic, passionate, faithful, and truthworthy person. I am secure with who I am and where I'm at in my life. I am close to family and I am very open about who I am with my family and some friends. I would enjoy spending time with someone who is somewhat outgoing but still enjoys being at home. As for myself, I am very comfortable to be who I am. I never give up on things. I have been very fortunate in many ways and figure things out along the way. My work ethic is very strong. Anyone can count on what I say. Every experience in life is a chance to grow and become a better person no matter how difficult the situatio

"True friends are never forgotten, they live within our hearts and souls.... forever , and always , dancing on our stage of memories."
A beautiful way to let your friend know how much you value your friendship.

The glory of friendship is not the outstreched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship, it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he/she discovers that someone else believes in him/her and is willing to trust him/ her with friendship.

"May there always be work for your hands to do, may your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine on your windowpane, may a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you, may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you." "Happiness is time spent with a friend and looking foward to sharing time with the
- Irish Blessing................................... I' really wan't to be your friend Sweety!

u can countant me right now okkk? christianmariotony13033@yahoo.com(less)

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About John Grisham

"Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel.

Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of...more "Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel.

Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of being a professional baseball player. Realizing he didn't have the right stuff for a pro career, he shifted gears and majored in accounting at Mississippi State University. After graduating from law school at Ole Miss in 1981, he went on to practice law for nearly a decade in Southaven, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation. In 1983, he was elected to the state House of Representatives and served until 1990.

One day at the DeSoto County courthouse, Grisham overheard the harrowing testimony of a twelve-year-old rape victim and was inspired to start a novel exploring what would have happened if the girl's father had murdered her assailants. Getting up at 5 a.m. every day to get in several hours of writing time before heading off to work, Grisham spent three years on A Time to Kill and finished it in 1987. Initially rejected by many publishers, it was eventually bought by Wynwood Press, who gave it a modest 5,000 copy printing and published it in June 1988.

That might have put an end to Grisham's hobby. However, he had already begun his next book, and it would quickly turn that hobby into a new full-time career—and spark one of publishing's greatest success stories. The day after Grisham completed A Time to Kill, he began work on another novel, the story of a hotshot young attorney lured to an apparently perfect law firm that was not what it appeared. When he sold the film rights to The Firm to Paramount Pictures for $600,000, Grisham suddenly became a hot property among publishers, and book rights were bought by Doubleday. Spending 47 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, The Firm became the bestselling novel of 1991.

The successes of The Pelican Brief, which hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and The Client, which debuted at number one, confirmed Grisham's reputation as the master of the legal thriller. Grisham's success even renewed interest in A Time to Kill, which was republished in hardcover by Doubleday and then in paperback by Dell. This time around, it was a bestseller.

Since first publishing A Time to Kill in 1988, Grisham has written one novel a year (his other books are The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, The Partner, The Street Lawyer, The Testament, The Brethren, A Painted House, Skipping Christmas, The Summons, The King of Torts, Bleachers, The Last Juror, and The Broker) and all of them have become international bestsellers. There are currently over 225 million John Grisham books in print worldwide, which have been translated into 29 languages. Nine of his novels have been turned into films (The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Chamber, A Painted House, The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas), as was an original screenplay, The Gingerbread Man. The Innocent Man (October 2006) marks his first foray into non-fiction.

Grisham lives with his wife Renee and their two children Ty and Shea. The family splits their time between their Victorian home on a farm in Mississippi and a plantation near Charlottesville, VA.

Grisham took time off from writing for several months in 1996 to return, after a five-year hiatus, to the courtroom. He was honoring a commitment made before he had retired from the law to become a full-time writer: representing the family of a railroad brakeman killed when he was pinned between two cars. Preparing his case with the same passion and dedication as his books' protagonists, Grisham successfully argued his clients' case, earning them a jur(less)

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Trivia About A Time to Kill

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Quotes from A Time to Kill

“With murder, the victim is gone, and not forced to deal with what happened to her. The family must deal with it, but not the victim. But rape is much worse. The victim has a lifetime of coping, trying to understand, of asking questions, and the worst part, of knowing the rapist is still alive and may someday escape or be released. Every hour of every day, the victim thinks of the rape and asks herself a thousand questions. She relives it, step by step, minute by minute, and it hurts just as bad.
Perhaps the most horrible crime of all is the violent rape of a child. A woman who is raped has a pretty good idea why it happened. Some animal was filled with hatred, anger and violence. But a child? A ten-year-old child? Suppose you're a parent. Imagine yourself trying to explain to your child why she was raped. Imagine yourself trying to explain why she cannot bear children.” — 6 people liked it

“My dad's filthy rich, and even though we're Irish Catholic I'm an only child. I've got more money than you do so I'll work for free. No charge. A free law clerk for three weeks. I'll do all the research, typing, answering the phone. I'll even carry your briefcase and make the coffee.
I was afraid you'd want to be a a law partner.
No I'm a woman, and I'm in the South. I know my place.” — 3 people liked it

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