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Jake Brigance #3
A Time for Mercy
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 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 .
Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE AFTER THE FIRM, coming soon!
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 .
Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE AFTER THE FIRM, coming soon!
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2020
18069 people are currently reading
34130 people want to read
About the author
John Grisham
474 books88.2k followersJohn Grisham is the author of more than fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include Framed, Camino Ghosts and The Exchange: After the Firm.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,119 reviews
September 22, 2021
Hell yeah! My wishes came true! Matthew McConaughey will reprise his role as Jake Brigance for HBO limited series! He’s back!🥳
I still remember the day I bought “a time to kill” because of high recommendation of bookstore salesman when I insisted I was something addictive and unputdownable! I was young, dumb high school wannabe, not so picky and tough reader! I was enjoying to be introduced to new authors. This was my first John Grisham book and a year later, I was also introduced the young and hot Texan Matthew delicious McConaughey with his blonde curls who was playing Jake Brigance, the heroic lawyer who has saved Carl Lee Hailey (for the love of Samuel L. Jackson) from spending his life behind the bars.
As soon as I learned this brilliant character returned back for a new adventure: another tragic, thought provoking, action packed criminal case, I screamed “yessss!” I already started to wish seeing older and wiser McConaughey to play this role again. I think I cannot imagine anyone on my mind when I read the character. His handsome face just imprinted on my mind!
I have to warn you: the book’s opening is shocking, jaw dropping and disturbing as hell! After this impactful start, the book captures your mind! You cannot put it down even though you try. The story is just hooking you! No matter what you do to go back to your normal life, your mind is already stuck with the events and what’s gonna happen to that 16 years old boy who committed a crime to save his mother and little sister’s lives!
The story starts, drunk and outrageous deputy sheriff Stuart Kofer’s arrival at his home he shares with his girlfriend and her two teenage children( one boy and a girl) As like usual, he gets out of control, attacking his girlfriend, brutally beats her. The children who listen them from upstairs, secretly coming down to check their mother when Stuart passes out in his room. But their mother is not breathing! Did Stuart kill beat her to death?
Drew gets panicked because his mother ilmight be dead and before passing out Stu already tried to attack his sister Kiera, too. He can wake up at any minute to finish what he started. So he HAS TO STOP HIM ASAP! They call the police but their arrival takes more time than they expected!
When they finally arrive at the crime scene: they found crying Kiera holding her mother into her arms, shocked Drew holding a gun into his hands, confessing that he shot Stu on the head!
Drew is taken to jail, getting charged for capital murder. If jury finds him guilty, his penalty is getting killed in the gas chamber.
As you may imagine Jake Brigance’s decision to take this impossible case makes him more unpopular person in the town of Clayton, Mississippi because he’s defending a cop killer. Stu is already popular policeman among his colleagues so people seemed like this is a betrayal to the memory of one of the bravest crime fighters.
The book is well written just like the other brilliant works of the author. Only thing bothered me is too long case preparation process. The trial process, twisty, shocking were the most exciting parts of the book but unfortunately they take place only last %15 of the novel!
I liked the meaningful, brilliant, satisfying conclusion and beginning of the book was mind blowing but in the middle I lost my interest a little bit and got lost in law jargons.
So I’m cutting only one point and welcoming Jake Brigance back with open hands by giving four justice for all stars! Crossing my fingers to see Mr. all right all right all right McConaughey on the big screen for the adaptation of this book!
I still remember the day I bought “a time to kill” because of high recommendation of bookstore salesman when I insisted I was something addictive and unputdownable! I was young, dumb high school wannabe, not so picky and tough reader! I was enjoying to be introduced to new authors. This was my first John Grisham book and a year later, I was also introduced the young and hot Texan Matthew delicious McConaughey with his blonde curls who was playing Jake Brigance, the heroic lawyer who has saved Carl Lee Hailey (for the love of Samuel L. Jackson) from spending his life behind the bars.
As soon as I learned this brilliant character returned back for a new adventure: another tragic, thought provoking, action packed criminal case, I screamed “yessss!” I already started to wish seeing older and wiser McConaughey to play this role again. I think I cannot imagine anyone on my mind when I read the character. His handsome face just imprinted on my mind!
I have to warn you: the book’s opening is shocking, jaw dropping and disturbing as hell! After this impactful start, the book captures your mind! You cannot put it down even though you try. The story is just hooking you! No matter what you do to go back to your normal life, your mind is already stuck with the events and what’s gonna happen to that 16 years old boy who committed a crime to save his mother and little sister’s lives!
The story starts, drunk and outrageous deputy sheriff Stuart Kofer’s arrival at his home he shares with his girlfriend and her two teenage children( one boy and a girl) As like usual, he gets out of control, attacking his girlfriend, brutally beats her. The children who listen them from upstairs, secretly coming down to check their mother when Stuart passes out in his room. But their mother is not breathing! Did Stuart kill beat her to death?
Drew gets panicked because his mother ilmight be dead and before passing out Stu already tried to attack his sister Kiera, too. He can wake up at any minute to finish what he started. So he HAS TO STOP HIM ASAP! They call the police but their arrival takes more time than they expected!
When they finally arrive at the crime scene: they found crying Kiera holding her mother into her arms, shocked Drew holding a gun into his hands, confessing that he shot Stu on the head!
Drew is taken to jail, getting charged for capital murder. If jury finds him guilty, his penalty is getting killed in the gas chamber.
As you may imagine Jake Brigance’s decision to take this impossible case makes him more unpopular person in the town of Clayton, Mississippi because he’s defending a cop killer. Stu is already popular policeman among his colleagues so people seemed like this is a betrayal to the memory of one of the bravest crime fighters.
The book is well written just like the other brilliant works of the author. Only thing bothered me is too long case preparation process. The trial process, twisty, shocking were the most exciting parts of the book but unfortunately they take place only last %15 of the novel!
I liked the meaningful, brilliant, satisfying conclusion and beginning of the book was mind blowing but in the middle I lost my interest a little bit and got lost in law jargons.
So I’m cutting only one point and welcoming Jake Brigance back with open hands by giving four justice for all stars! Crossing my fingers to see Mr. all right all right all right McConaughey on the big screen for the adaptation of this book!
October 15, 2020
Absolutely Sensational! A Time For Mercy is John Grisham at his best! It is an old school legal thriller, just like A Time to Kill and I could not get enough or get the story out of my mind. It took me back to when I first read a Grisham novel as a teenager and I couldn't be happier about it.
Jake Brigance returns, 5 years after he dramatically got Carl Lee off on a murder charge in A Time to Kill. Now I can only see Jake as Matthew McConaughey after the film... not that that is a bad thing. This time the case does not centre on race. He is appointed as as the attorney for Drew Gamble, a 16 year old boy who shot and killed his mothers boyfriend, who also happened to be a local deputy on the police force. He admits to the crime and then say no more. It seems like the impossible case to defend, but if anybody can Jake can.
Once again this case makes him unpopular in his town of Clayton, Mississippi. He is defending a cop killer. But this is nothing new for him. Jake has always been the lawyer with a big heart, who believes in doing the right thing. He has a big heart and he lives for his family and his work. He is not loaded, his practice is still struggling to stay afloat but he is determined to help this boy - no matter what the cost.
I loved this book, being back in the world of Jake Brigance and his team, fighting for the little guy. Grisham brings it all to life with the way he writes, and I can absolutely see this as a movie. A Time For Mercy can be read without reading the previous books and I guarantee that you will want more when you are finished. It is not a fast read, it is a book to take your time with and appreciate the master of the legal thriller.
Thank you so much to Hachette Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read.
Jake Brigance returns, 5 years after he dramatically got Carl Lee off on a murder charge in A Time to Kill. Now I can only see Jake as Matthew McConaughey after the film... not that that is a bad thing. This time the case does not centre on race. He is appointed as as the attorney for Drew Gamble, a 16 year old boy who shot and killed his mothers boyfriend, who also happened to be a local deputy on the police force. He admits to the crime and then say no more. It seems like the impossible case to defend, but if anybody can Jake can.
Once again this case makes him unpopular in his town of Clayton, Mississippi. He is defending a cop killer. But this is nothing new for him. Jake has always been the lawyer with a big heart, who believes in doing the right thing. He has a big heart and he lives for his family and his work. He is not loaded, his practice is still struggling to stay afloat but he is determined to help this boy - no matter what the cost.
I loved this book, being back in the world of Jake Brigance and his team, fighting for the little guy. Grisham brings it all to life with the way he writes, and I can absolutely see this as a movie. A Time For Mercy can be read without reading the previous books and I guarantee that you will want more when you are finished. It is not a fast read, it is a book to take your time with and appreciate the master of the legal thriller.
Thank you so much to Hachette Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read.
October 28, 2020
Jake Brigance is back and it’s about time!
The year is 1990 and the place is Clanton, Mississippi.
It has been five years since Jake Brigance represented Carl Lee Haley. Now, Jake is asked to represent sixteen year old Drew Gamble, accused of murdering his mother’s boyfriend Stuart Kofer, a cop on the local police force who Drew and his sister claimed were abusing their mother.
This is a case that no one wants, for good reason and yet, after being appointed by the Court, Jake defends it to the best of his ability, regardless of the backlash or the consequences.
A brilliantly plotted, taut legal thriller that includes compelling characters and a myriad of prevalent issues all of which make for a truly thrilling read.
This courtroom thriller kept me on the edge of my seat throughout and completely delivered.
Published on Goodreads on 10.25.20.
The year is 1990 and the place is Clanton, Mississippi.
It has been five years since Jake Brigance represented Carl Lee Haley. Now, Jake is asked to represent sixteen year old Drew Gamble, accused of murdering his mother’s boyfriend Stuart Kofer, a cop on the local police force who Drew and his sister claimed were abusing their mother.
This is a case that no one wants, for good reason and yet, after being appointed by the Court, Jake defends it to the best of his ability, regardless of the backlash or the consequences.
A brilliantly plotted, taut legal thriller that includes compelling characters and a myriad of prevalent issues all of which make for a truly thrilling read.
This courtroom thriller kept me on the edge of my seat throughout and completely delivered.
Published on Goodreads on 10.25.20.
December 13, 2020
4.0 stars —- “A Time for Mercy” is the 3rd Jake Brigance novel from John Grisham. I wasn’t a big fan of the last Grisham book I read and was hoping that this one would be back up to his usual high standards. After not being able to read for a week due to COVID issues, I breezed through this very well written and interesting novel in just 5 days. “Mercy” tells the story of a 16 year old boy who is charged with capital murder after killing his mother’s abusive boyfriend, who just happens to be a cop. When Brigance is appointed to be the boy’s attorney for trial, the small town turns against Jake (much like they did in “A Time to Kill”)and Jake has to try to overcome long odds to get his client a fair trial. Grisham does a great job of creating compelling, believable characters that make the novel an interesting read from start to finish. Grisham also does a great job of interjecting humor and sarcasm throughout the book that at rimes is laugh out loud funny. The only weakness was Grisham’s courtroom scenes were lacking, especially when he made Brigance into super-lawyer and the prosecutor a bumbling idiot who was unable to ask a single intelligent question on cross-exam due to the traps and scripted answers Jake had prepared his witness with before trial. Also, the Judge’s rulings were legally wrong time and again which also aided Jake considerably. Other than these slight irritations, the book was good from start to finish and I would highly recommend.
December 23, 2020
Well, I'm stompin' outta 2020 and closing out the year with the Big Guy......a bit of John Grisham.
Grisham and I have danced a sort of mad tango when it came to the last handful of his offerings. Some satisfied less than others. Some not at all. In A Time for Mercy Grisham returns to his roots and into the echoes of his former courtroom scenes. He's even gifted us with the presence of Jake Brigance once again from the stellar novel A Time to Kill.
It's Clanton, Mississippi in 1990 and the sting of the wasp can still be felt. People grow as they've been planted. Jake Brigance, attorney-at-law, knows this only too well. He's still trying to keep his head above water and one step ahead of the fray. But Jake is like a magnet when it comes to trouble of all kinds. Judge Noose is pressuring him to handle a recent case that no other lawyer wants to touch. The judge promises Jake that he'll find someone else if Jake will just get through the preliminaries. That and the next lottery ticket will make you a millionaire.
This case is covered in burrs that will embed itself under the skin. No shakin' it loose. No walkin' away. A young sixteen year old boy has been charged with the murder of his mother's boyfriend. I won't go through the details of that fateful night. But let's just say that the devil resided in Clanton and rubbed elbows with one of his own kind. Young Drew Gamble will sit in a prison cell unable to process what was unleashed upon him, his mother, and his sister for the longest time within the walls of that house. Drew and his sister have been bumped through "the system" for most of their lives. And now "the system" just took on a far more impending realm of doom pivoting on the handle of the gas chamber in Mississippi.
A Time for Mercy takes on an almost panoramic storyline involving not only the case but Jake's private life as well. Grisham familiarizes us, once again, with the inner workings of Jake and his hardnosed determination when it comes to fighting the good fight. The story had some grit when it centered on the Gamble family and their backstories. It seemed to lose a bit of traction when it became weighed down by superfluous legal avenues prior to the trial. But either way, A Time for Mercy forces us to focus on the plight of so many out there.....voiceless and caught up in the high weeds of proposed justice.
Grisham, we need more of these kinds of stories. Stories that deal with the pursuit of getting a fair shake for those tossed out by life and bringing to the surface the very people who should safeguard it.
Grisham and I have danced a sort of mad tango when it came to the last handful of his offerings. Some satisfied less than others. Some not at all. In A Time for Mercy Grisham returns to his roots and into the echoes of his former courtroom scenes. He's even gifted us with the presence of Jake Brigance once again from the stellar novel A Time to Kill.
It's Clanton, Mississippi in 1990 and the sting of the wasp can still be felt. People grow as they've been planted. Jake Brigance, attorney-at-law, knows this only too well. He's still trying to keep his head above water and one step ahead of the fray. But Jake is like a magnet when it comes to trouble of all kinds. Judge Noose is pressuring him to handle a recent case that no other lawyer wants to touch. The judge promises Jake that he'll find someone else if Jake will just get through the preliminaries. That and the next lottery ticket will make you a millionaire.
This case is covered in burrs that will embed itself under the skin. No shakin' it loose. No walkin' away. A young sixteen year old boy has been charged with the murder of his mother's boyfriend. I won't go through the details of that fateful night. But let's just say that the devil resided in Clanton and rubbed elbows with one of his own kind. Young Drew Gamble will sit in a prison cell unable to process what was unleashed upon him, his mother, and his sister for the longest time within the walls of that house. Drew and his sister have been bumped through "the system" for most of their lives. And now "the system" just took on a far more impending realm of doom pivoting on the handle of the gas chamber in Mississippi.
A Time for Mercy takes on an almost panoramic storyline involving not only the case but Jake's private life as well. Grisham familiarizes us, once again, with the inner workings of Jake and his hardnosed determination when it comes to fighting the good fight. The story had some grit when it centered on the Gamble family and their backstories. It seemed to lose a bit of traction when it became weighed down by superfluous legal avenues prior to the trial. But either way, A Time for Mercy forces us to focus on the plight of so many out there.....voiceless and caught up in the high weeds of proposed justice.
Grisham, we need more of these kinds of stories. Stories that deal with the pursuit of getting a fair shake for those tossed out by life and bringing to the surface the very people who should safeguard it.
October 20, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
This book had a powerful beginning. There was immediate tension, dread, and suspense. John Grisham is a popular master of court drama and knows and explains the intricacies with expertise.
A deputy sheriff, Stuart Kofer, comes home one night in a drunken rage, as he has done before. He beats his girlfriend into unconsciousness while her two terrified children cower in their rooms upstairs. They know they will be next. Her son, Drew, is a sixteen-year-old. He is immature, undersized, and looks much younger. His fourteen-year-old sister, Kiera, taller and more mature physically than Drew, finds their mother, Josie, on the floor downstairs. Her face is battered, her jaw broken and she does not seem to be breathing. Thinking she is dead, they call the police.
Stu has already tried to attack Kiera and now falls on his bed in a drunken stupor. The boy takes the lawman's service pistol and shoots him in the head. They are in a panic because they believe Josie is dead but they no longer have to endure the man's brutal abuse. When the police arrive they find the girl on the floor wailing and cradling their mother's body. Drew is dazed and unresponsive and holding the gun. Kiera reports that Josie has been beaten to death by the drunken enraged Kofer and that Drew shot him. Drew is taken to jail and charged with capital murder. The penalty is death in the gas chamber. Josie is still alive but severely injured and taken to hospital.
Jake Brigance, of a 'Time to Kill' and 'Sycamore Row' fame, is now faced once more with a seemingly difficult case that is almost impossible to win. He is chosen by a powerful judge to conduct Drew's defense. He knows that this position will make him very unpopular in the town of Clayton, Mississippi where many favour the death penalty. To add to his problem we learn that Kofer was a well-liked police officer, popular with his colleagues and considered one of their finest policemen. He is reluctant to take the case but has little chance to refuse.
At this point, I felt the plot lost momentum. We get a lot of pretrial preparation and legal manoeuvering which was informative but I found tedious. I thought there was much filler and minutia added which did not propel the story. Jake is in debt and also involved in a civil suit against a railroad. This would solve his financial worries but the case is not going well. The jury selection for Drew's trial doesn't begin until more than 70% of the way into the story. Drew's trial begins near the 80% mark. Jake is recently out of hospital after having been beaten by Kofer's brothers.
The trial is sensational with some shocking surprises and demonstrates the legal brilliance of Jake and his team. However, we are left without a final resolution and closure.
This book had a powerful beginning. There was immediate tension, dread, and suspense. John Grisham is a popular master of court drama and knows and explains the intricacies with expertise.
A deputy sheriff, Stuart Kofer, comes home one night in a drunken rage, as he has done before. He beats his girlfriend into unconsciousness while her two terrified children cower in their rooms upstairs. They know they will be next. Her son, Drew, is a sixteen-year-old. He is immature, undersized, and looks much younger. His fourteen-year-old sister, Kiera, taller and more mature physically than Drew, finds their mother, Josie, on the floor downstairs. Her face is battered, her jaw broken and she does not seem to be breathing. Thinking she is dead, they call the police.
Stu has already tried to attack Kiera and now falls on his bed in a drunken stupor. The boy takes the lawman's service pistol and shoots him in the head. They are in a panic because they believe Josie is dead but they no longer have to endure the man's brutal abuse. When the police arrive they find the girl on the floor wailing and cradling their mother's body. Drew is dazed and unresponsive and holding the gun. Kiera reports that Josie has been beaten to death by the drunken enraged Kofer and that Drew shot him. Drew is taken to jail and charged with capital murder. The penalty is death in the gas chamber. Josie is still alive but severely injured and taken to hospital.
Jake Brigance, of a 'Time to Kill' and 'Sycamore Row' fame, is now faced once more with a seemingly difficult case that is almost impossible to win. He is chosen by a powerful judge to conduct Drew's defense. He knows that this position will make him very unpopular in the town of Clayton, Mississippi where many favour the death penalty. To add to his problem we learn that Kofer was a well-liked police officer, popular with his colleagues and considered one of their finest policemen. He is reluctant to take the case but has little chance to refuse.
At this point, I felt the plot lost momentum. We get a lot of pretrial preparation and legal manoeuvering which was informative but I found tedious. I thought there was much filler and minutia added which did not propel the story. Jake is in debt and also involved in a civil suit against a railroad. This would solve his financial worries but the case is not going well. The jury selection for Drew's trial doesn't begin until more than 70% of the way into the story. Drew's trial begins near the 80% mark. Jake is recently out of hospital after having been beaten by Kofer's brothers.
The trial is sensational with some shocking surprises and demonstrates the legal brilliance of Jake and his team. However, we are left without a final resolution and closure.
November 14, 2020
Too much courtroom and bitter jurists for my likes. A child is raped. The story drifts unsatisfactorily. 4 of 10 stars
March 9, 2022
In this 3rd book in the Jake Brigance series, the attorney represents a juvenile accused of murder. The book works fine as a standalone.
*****
It's 1990, and attorney Jake Brigance is notorious in his hometown of Clanton, Mississippi for getting an acquittal for Carl Lee Hailey, a black man who killed the two white men that raped his daughter. (This story is told in Grisham's 1989 novel A Time to Kill). In the five years since the Hailey verdict Jake's law firm has been doing pretty well with journeyman work like divorces, wills, personal injury, etc.
Now Jake's firm has a huge wrongful death suit on its calendar. Taylor Smallwood, his wife Sarah, and two of their three children were killed when their car collided with a train at a dangerous crossing. A witness said the red crossing lights were not working and the train's engineer swears they were. The Smallwood relatives are suing the railroad, and Jake is representing the family in what might be a seven figure verdict or settlement.
Thus Jake is dismayed when Judge Omar Noose......
..... 'asks' him to represent an indigent 16-year-old boy named Drew Gamble, who's accused of capital murder.
Drew, his 14-year-old sister Kiera, and their mother Josie had been living with a Clanton police officer named Stuart Kofer. Stuart was a good cop and a respected member of the community when he was sober.
But Stuart liked to drink, and when Stuart was soused he would brawl in bars and beat up his girlfriend Josie. Stuart would even hit Drew and Keira on occasion, and they were scared to death of him.
Unfortunately, Stuart's fellow cops covered up his bad behavior and didn't take Josie's 911 calls seriously - which allowed the abusive situation to continue. One night Stuart knocked Josie out and Drew was certain his mother was dead.
So when Stuart fell asleep Drew took the cop's gun and shot him in the head. Shooting a police officer is a death penalty offense in Mississippi, and Drew is facing the gas chamber despite the fact that he's only sixteen.
Jake doesn't want Drew Gamble's case, but since Judge Noose is Jake's mentor - as well as being the judge for the Smallwood wrongful death lawsuit - Jake has no choice.
Representing Drew makes Jake VERY unpopular in Clanton, especially with Stuart Kofer's family and friends, who are grief-stricken and furious. Moreover, Mississippi will pay Jake only $1,000 for representing an indigent, even in a death penalty case.
Since a guilty plea by Drew Gamble would mean an automatic death sentence, Jake has to go to trial. Jake is assisted by his friends and associates: lawyer Harry Rex Vonner;
disbarred attorney Lucien Willbanks;
and paralegal Portia Lang - who's about to start law school and will be the first black female attorney in Clanton.
Everyone knows Jake will have trouble with the Gamble case because Clanton residents are very conservative and think a cop killer should die, no matter the circumstances.
The situation puts a lot of pressure on the Brigance family, especially Jake and his schoolteacher wife Carla, who are stared at in church, getting threatening phone calls, and going broke because of the Gamble case.
Still, the Constitution says 'innocent until proven guilty' and 'fair trial'....and Jake knows his responsibility.
As the story unfolds we follow both the Smallwood wrongful death case and the Drew Gamble murder trial. For the Gamble trial, we watch jury selection; see Jake cross-examine prosecution witnesses; and observe Jake put on a defense. As usual, Jake has some tricks up his sleeve and it's informative to see him put on a case.
Additional characters from A Time to Kill put in an appearance, including law professor Ray Atlee and Sheriiff Ozzie Walls, the first and only black sheriff in Mississippi.
Even now, Ozzie can't dine in certain Clanton restaurants, which - though they've taken down the 'whites only' signs - don't welcome black customers.
The story develops slowly and the book is long, but it kept my interest throughout. I'd recommend the book to fans of John Grisham and courtroom dramas.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
October 15, 2020
I was really feeling fortunate to have an opportunity to read best-selling author John Grisham’s latest legal thriller, thanks to Netgalley.com. Unfortunately the book did not live up to my expectations for a number of reasons.
The third and final volume starring defense lawyer Jake Brigance starts off powerfully as we are plunged into the death of a blind-drunk abusive police officer by one of his terrified victims. The setting is the same sleepy, insular stereotyped Mississippi community we have experienced before, peopled with ignorant bigots, a few colorful characters with good hearts and our hero Jake. Unfortunately as soon as Jake shows up in the story the drama is dialed back. As usual, Jake wants no part in taking on the defense of the accused, the traumatized adolescent son of a woman who was the victim of frequent domestic violence at the hands of the now dead cop, Stu Kofer. Jake is still suffering money problems and hasn’t overcome the horrors he faced from local enemies as a result of his previous big court victory. The prospect of having to defend the killer of a police officer with a stellar reputation understandably brings back all of Jake’s anxiety and fears, but his mentor, the judge in the case, applies pressure and Jake reluctantly takes the case.
Grisham now goes into formula mode. Every chapter is padded with paragraphs about such minutia as Jake’s healthy breakfast choices and descriptions of daily routines that add pages but not value to the story. The worst example though is his course in Courtroom 101. Since this is the third in a legal series it seems fair to assume most of his readers will know the basics of courtroom procedure. The addition of all this superfluous explanation slows down the story and condescends to Grisham’s readers.
The best part of any legal thriller is, of course, the questioning of the witnesses and seeing the strategy of the lawyers unfold. Perry Mason used to do this every week when he delighted his viewers with a surprise that confounded Hamilton Burger and won the day. Well, there was a surprise in this story too, but the reader learns it early on, and the only question is when Jake is going to spring it on the prosecution. And if you are looking for a powerful ending that ties up all the loose ends and sends Jake happily into the sunset, I’m afraid you are going to be disappointed.
Frankly I think Grisham was tired of Jake. The writer must have had a three book deal to tell Jake’s story, but really he didn’t seem worth the effort. There was no passion in the man, little humor and not even much personal struggle, except for the constant worry about paying his bills. I’ve got a suggestion if he ever feels tempted to write about Jake again. Relocate him from this caricature of a sleepy southern town and let him be a real lawyer.
The third and final volume starring defense lawyer Jake Brigance starts off powerfully as we are plunged into the death of a blind-drunk abusive police officer by one of his terrified victims. The setting is the same sleepy, insular stereotyped Mississippi community we have experienced before, peopled with ignorant bigots, a few colorful characters with good hearts and our hero Jake. Unfortunately as soon as Jake shows up in the story the drama is dialed back. As usual, Jake wants no part in taking on the defense of the accused, the traumatized adolescent son of a woman who was the victim of frequent domestic violence at the hands of the now dead cop, Stu Kofer. Jake is still suffering money problems and hasn’t overcome the horrors he faced from local enemies as a result of his previous big court victory. The prospect of having to defend the killer of a police officer with a stellar reputation understandably brings back all of Jake’s anxiety and fears, but his mentor, the judge in the case, applies pressure and Jake reluctantly takes the case.
Grisham now goes into formula mode. Every chapter is padded with paragraphs about such minutia as Jake’s healthy breakfast choices and descriptions of daily routines that add pages but not value to the story. The worst example though is his course in Courtroom 101. Since this is the third in a legal series it seems fair to assume most of his readers will know the basics of courtroom procedure. The addition of all this superfluous explanation slows down the story and condescends to Grisham’s readers.
The best part of any legal thriller is, of course, the questioning of the witnesses and seeing the strategy of the lawyers unfold. Perry Mason used to do this every week when he delighted his viewers with a surprise that confounded Hamilton Burger and won the day. Well, there was a surprise in this story too, but the reader learns it early on, and the only question is when Jake is going to spring it on the prosecution. And if you are looking for a powerful ending that ties up all the loose ends and sends Jake happily into the sunset, I’m afraid you are going to be disappointed.
Frankly I think Grisham was tired of Jake. The writer must have had a three book deal to tell Jake’s story, but really he didn’t seem worth the effort. There was no passion in the man, little humor and not even much personal struggle, except for the constant worry about paying his bills. I’ve got a suggestion if he ever feels tempted to write about Jake again. Relocate him from this caricature of a sleepy southern town and let him be a real lawyer.
November 26, 2020
The opening of this book grabs the reader and does not let go. It is Grisham at his finest. The story is about domestic violence and all its ramifications. In many ways the story is a heartbreaker. The plot is interesting and the characters are colorful. There is enough racial tension and legal drama to keep the reader on edge. The story follows the real-world disagreements about domestic violence and what happens when the children victims fight back. I think the book could have been a bit shorter. If you enjoy a legal thriller, you will want to read this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nineteen hours and fifty-nine minutes. Michael Beck does a good job narrating the book. Beck has narrated many of the Grisham books.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nineteen hours and fifty-nine minutes. Michael Beck does a good job narrating the book. Beck has narrated many of the Grisham books.
December 31, 2020
For those who read and enjoyed Grisham’s A Time to Kill, this will be a wonderful legal thriller that returns to that small Mississippi community that still talks about the lawyer who was able to orchestrate the biggest surprise ever. Grisham presents a fairly cut and dry case, but one that is full of twists, as a teenage boy is put on trial for murder, with capital punishment awaiting him. Intriguing and entertaining throughout, Grisham shows that he still has a penchant for wonderful legal thrillers when he puts his mind to it. Recommended to those who love this sort of small-town legal style.
Drew Gamble could not handle the constant feeling of fear that pervaded his house. His mother had decided to live with a well-respected sheriff’s deputy in town, but that man turned sour and highly abusive when he returned home. Fists would fly, fuelled by alcohol, and bodies would be strewn around the house, begging for mercy. During one particular beating, Drew’s mother was left in a pile, presumably dead. Drew had reached his limit and decided to end the terror, knowing that he had no one left. Taking a gun, Drew shot his mother’s boyfriend, killing him. What he did not know was that his mother did not die, thereby negating his pleas of murder in self-defence.
Jake Brigance is still working in Clayton, Mississippi, 5 years after the town’s most sensational murder case that saw a Black man acquitted of murder. After he is cajoled to help with the Gamble case, Brigance agrees to help things through the early stages only. This case does not centre on race, which is known to divide the county quite significantly. Drew Gamble is sixteen, but his physical and mental capacity of a much younger child. His murder of an esteemed police officer will surely cause grief, which is only exacerbated when the prosecution pushes for the death penalty in a bold act on their part.
Jake begins building a defence, even as Drew has admitted to the crime. He tries to find enough loopholes to show the jury that this was not a boy acting in malice, but out of fear for his life. However, Brigance must also fight the urge to send this boy to death for his actions, but that will require experts and a passion that exceeds the usual courtroom antics for which he has become known. Brigance is not rich by any means, with a practice hanging by a string. However, he has a family to support him and those in the office with their own gems to offer. Determined to find a way to free Drew Gamble of this nightmare, Brigance might have a trump card to spook the prosecution and turn the case on its head. However, he will have to pace himself and keep his surprise witness far from the eyes of the people of Clanton.
I loved returning to Clanton, Mississippi and to the streets where Jake Brigance has made a name for himself. I found myself able to picture it as I read, wondering how it would be presented on the silver screen. The case gets to the core of something controversial and forces the reader to take sides, where the evidence is stacked all to one side, but compassion stands resolutely on the other side.
Jake Brigance is a masterful protagonist in this novel, choosing to reach out and stirring up emotion throughout the novel. The reader can see that he is passionate about his work, but is solely outmatched when it come to the law. With an office of blooming and well-past faced legal minds, Brigance will have to rely on their intuition to help him. There is some wonderful character development in this piece, showing the rawness and weaknesses of his personality, which only adds to the depth he shows. With strong ties to his family, Brigance is also loving and shows this throughout, wanting to make sure his family is not put in danger once again.
The strong collection of secondary characters surely help shape the novel. It is they who inject the needed emotion into the piece, pushing the reader to draw on a variety of insights to formulate their opinions about the case. From the shy and naive Drew to the passionate prosecutor who is out for blood to serve his own needs, the story see-saws between these character types to present a story that will have the reader wondering which side they might choose.
While A Time for Mercy kept me riveted because of the focus on race, this was an equally powerful piece, though it looks to self-defence and execution of a minor as its threads of legal disputes. Grisham has been able to craft a powerful story that reads like no legal thriller I have found for a long time. With the story is strong and the characters add a flavour to the piece that only Grisham could bring. I found the issues, both legal and personal, to be on point and just to my liking. Grisham pulls no punches in this page-turner, exciting the reader with a mix of chapter lengths as the story gains momentum throughout. A strong story and well-paced plot kept me reading in hopes of finishing with a sense of vindication. What Grisham offered did that, while offering some twists and turns throughout, all of which left me wanting more. I can only hope there is another Jake Brigance book on Grisham’s radar, as there’s nothing like small town Mississippi to bring out the legal dualities America (and the world) faces.
Kudos, Mr. Grisham, for another legal winner. I cannot say enough about this piece, full of grit and David vs. Goliath moments. This is the John Grisham I grew up reading!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Drew Gamble could not handle the constant feeling of fear that pervaded his house. His mother had decided to live with a well-respected sheriff’s deputy in town, but that man turned sour and highly abusive when he returned home. Fists would fly, fuelled by alcohol, and bodies would be strewn around the house, begging for mercy. During one particular beating, Drew’s mother was left in a pile, presumably dead. Drew had reached his limit and decided to end the terror, knowing that he had no one left. Taking a gun, Drew shot his mother’s boyfriend, killing him. What he did not know was that his mother did not die, thereby negating his pleas of murder in self-defence.
Jake Brigance is still working in Clayton, Mississippi, 5 years after the town’s most sensational murder case that saw a Black man acquitted of murder. After he is cajoled to help with the Gamble case, Brigance agrees to help things through the early stages only. This case does not centre on race, which is known to divide the county quite significantly. Drew Gamble is sixteen, but his physical and mental capacity of a much younger child. His murder of an esteemed police officer will surely cause grief, which is only exacerbated when the prosecution pushes for the death penalty in a bold act on their part.
Jake begins building a defence, even as Drew has admitted to the crime. He tries to find enough loopholes to show the jury that this was not a boy acting in malice, but out of fear for his life. However, Brigance must also fight the urge to send this boy to death for his actions, but that will require experts and a passion that exceeds the usual courtroom antics for which he has become known. Brigance is not rich by any means, with a practice hanging by a string. However, he has a family to support him and those in the office with their own gems to offer. Determined to find a way to free Drew Gamble of this nightmare, Brigance might have a trump card to spook the prosecution and turn the case on its head. However, he will have to pace himself and keep his surprise witness far from the eyes of the people of Clanton.
I loved returning to Clanton, Mississippi and to the streets where Jake Brigance has made a name for himself. I found myself able to picture it as I read, wondering how it would be presented on the silver screen. The case gets to the core of something controversial and forces the reader to take sides, where the evidence is stacked all to one side, but compassion stands resolutely on the other side.
Jake Brigance is a masterful protagonist in this novel, choosing to reach out and stirring up emotion throughout the novel. The reader can see that he is passionate about his work, but is solely outmatched when it come to the law. With an office of blooming and well-past faced legal minds, Brigance will have to rely on their intuition to help him. There is some wonderful character development in this piece, showing the rawness and weaknesses of his personality, which only adds to the depth he shows. With strong ties to his family, Brigance is also loving and shows this throughout, wanting to make sure his family is not put in danger once again.
The strong collection of secondary characters surely help shape the novel. It is they who inject the needed emotion into the piece, pushing the reader to draw on a variety of insights to formulate their opinions about the case. From the shy and naive Drew to the passionate prosecutor who is out for blood to serve his own needs, the story see-saws between these character types to present a story that will have the reader wondering which side they might choose.
While A Time for Mercy kept me riveted because of the focus on race, this was an equally powerful piece, though it looks to self-defence and execution of a minor as its threads of legal disputes. Grisham has been able to craft a powerful story that reads like no legal thriller I have found for a long time. With the story is strong and the characters add a flavour to the piece that only Grisham could bring. I found the issues, both legal and personal, to be on point and just to my liking. Grisham pulls no punches in this page-turner, exciting the reader with a mix of chapter lengths as the story gains momentum throughout. A strong story and well-paced plot kept me reading in hopes of finishing with a sense of vindication. What Grisham offered did that, while offering some twists and turns throughout, all of which left me wanting more. I can only hope there is another Jake Brigance book on Grisham’s radar, as there’s nothing like small town Mississippi to bring out the legal dualities America (and the world) faces.
Kudos, Mr. Grisham, for another legal winner. I cannot say enough about this piece, full of grit and David vs. Goliath moments. This is the John Grisham I grew up reading!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
September 26, 2022
Early 90s, a small town in the American South. The boy with his mother and sister live with her boyfriend and more than anything in the world they want to get out of this place from this person. One terrible night, he beats his mother to death, and when he falls asleep drunk, Drew shoots him. For you and me, a victim of domestic violence and necessary self-defense, for the townspeople - the murder of a nice guy sleeping peacefully in his bed by an alien. In the eyes of the law, unfortunately, too. Jake Brigance, whom we managed to fall in love with in "Time to Kill" and "Time to Forgive", will have to defend Drew Gamble.
The lawyer faces a difficult task to establish a "Time of Mercy" in a place and circumstances that do not want to be merciful to either the killer or his defender.
Оправданное убийство
- А что имеет значение?
– Бесстрашие, готовность браться за непопулярные дела, бескомпромиссная борьба за маленьких людей, которых больше некому защитить.
Начало 90-х, маленький городок на американском Юге. Мальчик с мамой и сестрой живут у ее бойфренда и больше всего на свете хотят убраться из этого места от этого человека.
Вообще-то Дрю уже 16, но назвать его парнем или даже тинейджером, язык не поворачивается такой он мелкий и хлипкий, даже прыщи еще не появились. Четырнадцатилетняя Кира обогнала брата в росте, хотя она, наоборот, не по годам развитая девочка, уже и грудь растет. Им плохо здесь всем троим, потому что Стюарт, презирает мать и ненавидит детей, а напившись, цепляется к ним, обзывает и бьет. Пьян бывает часто, и ничего с этим не сделаешь, он работает в полиции, этот дом принадлежит ему, они в Клэнтоне никто. Ушли бы, да некуда.
И вот, одной ужасной ночью тот избивает маму до смерти, а когда засыпает пьяным, Дрю стреляет в него. Для нас с вами жертва домашнего насилия и необходимая самооборона, для горожан - убийство пришлым чужаком мирно спавшего в своей постели славного парня. В глазах закона, к несчастью, тоже. Защищать Дрю Гэмбла придется Джейку Брайгенсу, которого мы успели полюбить во "Времени убивать" и "Времени прощать".
Перед адвокатом непростая задача утвердить "Время милосердия" в месте и обстоятельствах, которые не хотят быть милосердными ни к убийце, ни к его защитнику. Американский Юг невысоко ставит Евангельские принципы, вехозаетное "Око за око" здесь понимают лучше. Брайгенс, семье которого защита Карла Ли Хейли стоила спаленного ку-клукс-клановцами дома, совсем, не рвется вести новое дело, которое рассорит его с горожанами, а в финансовом выражении принесет скромную тысячу долларов - столько штат платит за защиту неимущих клиентов в случае особо тяжких преступлений. Судья навязывает ему это дело силой и хитростью, кнутом и пряником.
Плохо работать Джейк не умеет, а нам, читателям и слушателям, потому что на Литресе книга одновременно появилась в электронном и аудиоформатах, предстоит погрузиться в ставшую уже привычной по другим книгам Джона Гришэма рутину американского судопроизводства. Мастер адвокатского детектива, он детально воспроизводит этапы подготовительной работы и собственно процесса с судом присяжных.
Скрупулезная подготовка, сбор доказательств, которые сумеют произвести на жюри нужное впечатление, поиск и найм экспертов, досудебюное выяснение подробностей о присяжных, свидетелях и экспертах противника, репетиции процесса со всеми участниками, хронометраж выступлений. Гришэм умеет сделать все это захватывающе интересным, умница Джейк в очередной раз предстанет Рыцарем-в-сверкающих-доспехах, а чтение Игоря Князева, как всегда. превосходно.
Адвокатские детективы Гришэма дарят надежду, что в несправедливые времена в неправедном мире есть кто-то, кто борется за правду. Такими земля держится и может быть в очередной раз устоит.
The lawyer faces a difficult task to establish a "Time of Mercy" in a place and circumstances that do not want to be merciful to either the killer or his defender.
Оправданное убийство
- А что имеет значение?
– Бесстрашие, готовность браться за непопулярные дела, бескомпромиссная борьба за маленьких людей, которых больше некому защитить.
Начало 90-х, маленький городок на американском Юге. Мальчик с мамой и сестрой живут у ее бойфренда и больше всего на свете хотят убраться из этого места от этого человека.
Вообще-то Дрю уже 16, но назвать его парнем или даже тинейджером, язык не поворачивается такой он мелкий и хлипкий, даже прыщи еще не появились. Четырнадцатилетняя Кира обогнала брата в росте, хотя она, наоборот, не по годам развитая девочка, уже и грудь растет. Им плохо здесь всем троим, потому что Стюарт, презирает мать и ненавидит детей, а напившись, цепляется к ним, обзывает и бьет. Пьян бывает часто, и ничего с этим не сделаешь, он работает в полиции, этот дом принадлежит ему, они в Клэнтоне никто. Ушли бы, да некуда.
И вот, одной ужасной ночью тот избивает маму до смерти, а когда засыпает пьяным, Дрю стреляет в него. Для нас с вами жертва домашнего насилия и необходимая самооборона, для горожан - убийство пришлым чужаком мирно спавшего в своей постели славного парня. В глазах закона, к несчастью, тоже. Защищать Дрю Гэмбла придется Джейку Брайгенсу, которого мы успели полюбить во "Времени убивать" и "Времени прощать".
Перед адвокатом непростая задача утвердить "Время милосердия" в месте и обстоятельствах, которые не хотят быть милосердными ни к убийце, ни к его защитнику. Американский Юг невысоко ставит Евангельские принципы, вехозаетное "Око за око" здесь понимают лучше. Брайгенс, семье которого защита Карла Ли Хейли стоила спаленного ку-клукс-клановцами дома, совсем, не рвется вести новое дело, которое рассорит его с горожанами, а в финансовом выражении принесет скромную тысячу долларов - столько штат платит за защиту неимущих клиентов в случае особо тяжких преступлений. Судья навязывает ему это дело силой и хитростью, кнутом и пряником.
Плохо работать Джейк не умеет, а нам, читателям и слушателям, потому что на Литресе книга одновременно появилась в электронном и аудиоформатах, предстоит погрузиться в ставшую уже привычной по другим книгам Джона Гришэма рутину американского судопроизводства. Мастер адвокатского детектива, он детально воспроизводит этапы подготовительной работы и собственно процесса с судом присяжных.
Скрупулезная подготовка, сбор доказательств, которые сумеют произвести на жюри нужное впечатление, поиск и найм экспертов, досудебюное выяснение подробностей о присяжных, свидетелях и экспертах противника, репетиции процесса со всеми участниками, хронометраж выступлений. Гришэм умеет сделать все это захватывающе интересным, умница Джейк в очередной раз предстанет Рыцарем-в-сверкающих-доспехах, а чтение Игоря Князева, как всегда. превосходно.
Адвокатские детективы Гришэма дарят надежду, что в несправедливые времена в неправедном мире есть кто-то, кто борется за правду. Такими земля держится и может быть в очередной раз устоит.
November 27, 2022
What a weirdly unsatisfying book (not to mention deeply problematic - more on that at the bottom of this rant).
I've read plenty of JG over the years, and have come to expect a level of clunky exposition, even clunkier dialogue, and mostly-wooden characters.
But the counterbalance to those shortfalls is an old-fashioned potboiler, with a great central character, one or two interesting collaborators, and a web of intrigue that you know will be untangled by the penultimate chapter...you just can't quite see how.
This book was a big letdown on all those fronts!
First, it's not remotely clear who Jake Brigance is anymore - he does at least a dozen things throughout the book that are craaaazy unethical, to the point where you wonder if this is going to be a low-key Breaking Bad situation (which would be cool!), but then not a single one of those things gets addressed in any meaningful way.
And while some old faces float in and out to say some wise words, the only new, interesting character - a Scotswoman who runs a children's criminal defense non-profit - mostly just sits around and marvels at Jake's supposed (but entirely unapparent) brilliance. Aside from the deceased abusive cop, JG doesn't seem to have the stomach to make anyone a "bad guy" (the prosecutor's a nice dude, the cops are respectful, even the thuggish family of the deceased are just acting out of anguish), so there's no real tension as the trial date nears.
Meanwhile the B and C plots - a secondary big-dollar civil trial, and a profoundly unethical and gross adoption scheme by Jake and Carla - just sort of meander along, distracting from the heart of the story, and then are resolved, with no tension or conflict, in the final pages.
But most frustrating was the centerpiece trial finale which was, simply, a dud. The big drama of the trial is explained in detail a quarter of the way through the book, then discussed ad nauseum (as in "gee whiz, when X happens, that's really gonna create some big drama at trial!"), then it plays out exactly as the characters imagined.
There's a lengthy section about jury selection, but virtually none of the "dream jurors" get picked, which makes the arrival of sudden jury drama in the final pages all the more disorienting.
All told, I did pick up steam in terms of grinding through this thing when the trial began, but it was the most dissatisfying trial sequence I can recall among the dozens of JG books I've read over the years...
I'm a firm believer in assessing books on their own terms - JG is not a literary giant, he just writes good old fashioned thrillers. But even on those terms, this book was a hot mess!
***Finally, I wanted to make sure to unpack this book from a "good read" perspective first, before getting into the messed up politics, because even setting aside the latter, it is decidedly NOT a good read.
But there is a subplot - a 14 y/o girl is raped, impregnated by the rapist, and then (along with her indigent, desperate mother) is urged to/coerced into/forced into having the baby in order to (a) benefit her brother's trial, and (b) allow the main character to adopt the baby - that is fucked up and not even a little okay.
I could see a scenario where all those things actually come to pass, where the sticky politics of Mississippi circa 1990 lead the characters to do the things they do - but since JG seems no longer able to write with any level of nuance or human insight, it lands like some Handmaids Tale horseshit.***
I've read plenty of JG over the years, and have come to expect a level of clunky exposition, even clunkier dialogue, and mostly-wooden characters.
But the counterbalance to those shortfalls is an old-fashioned potboiler, with a great central character, one or two interesting collaborators, and a web of intrigue that you know will be untangled by the penultimate chapter...you just can't quite see how.
This book was a big letdown on all those fronts!
First, it's not remotely clear who Jake Brigance is anymore - he does at least a dozen things throughout the book that are craaaazy unethical, to the point where you wonder if this is going to be a low-key Breaking Bad situation (which would be cool!), but then not a single one of those things gets addressed in any meaningful way.
And while some old faces float in and out to say some wise words, the only new, interesting character - a Scotswoman who runs a children's criminal defense non-profit - mostly just sits around and marvels at Jake's supposed (but entirely unapparent) brilliance. Aside from the deceased abusive cop, JG doesn't seem to have the stomach to make anyone a "bad guy" (the prosecutor's a nice dude, the cops are respectful, even the thuggish family of the deceased are just acting out of anguish), so there's no real tension as the trial date nears.
Meanwhile the B and C plots - a secondary big-dollar civil trial, and a profoundly unethical and gross adoption scheme by Jake and Carla - just sort of meander along, distracting from the heart of the story, and then are resolved, with no tension or conflict, in the final pages.
But most frustrating was the centerpiece trial finale which was, simply, a dud. The big drama of the trial is explained in detail a quarter of the way through the book, then discussed ad nauseum (as in "gee whiz, when X happens, that's really gonna create some big drama at trial!"), then it plays out exactly as the characters imagined.
There's a lengthy section about jury selection, but virtually none of the "dream jurors" get picked, which makes the arrival of sudden jury drama in the final pages all the more disorienting.
All told, I did pick up steam in terms of grinding through this thing when the trial began, but it was the most dissatisfying trial sequence I can recall among the dozens of JG books I've read over the years...
I'm a firm believer in assessing books on their own terms - JG is not a literary giant, he just writes good old fashioned thrillers. But even on those terms, this book was a hot mess!
***Finally, I wanted to make sure to unpack this book from a "good read" perspective first, before getting into the messed up politics, because even setting aside the latter, it is decidedly NOT a good read.
But there is a subplot - a 14 y/o girl is raped, impregnated by the rapist, and then (along with her indigent, desperate mother) is urged to/coerced into/forced into having the baby in order to (a) benefit her brother's trial, and (b) allow the main character to adopt the baby - that is fucked up and not even a little okay.
I could see a scenario where all those things actually come to pass, where the sticky politics of Mississippi circa 1990 lead the characters to do the things they do - but since JG seems no longer able to write with any level of nuance or human insight, it lands like some Handmaids Tale horseshit.***
October 22, 2020
Author Note: “Indeed, I’ve written so much about Ford County that I can’t remember all of it. The point of all this is to apologize for any mistakes. I’m just too lazy to go back and read the earlier books.” — John Grisham
Just as I thought ... and despite the flaws, I continued because it held my attention. So Jake Brigance is back and a compelling read. The majority of the book was great but the end seemed in a bit of a rush on a couple things. All in all I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next Grisham! If you are a fan ... grab it ... read it!
Just as I thought ... and despite the flaws, I continued because it held my attention. So Jake Brigance is back and a compelling read. The majority of the book was great but the end seemed in a bit of a rush on a couple things. All in all I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next Grisham! If you are a fan ... grab it ... read it!
November 8, 2020
Too much courtroom for my likes and this story drifts. 5 of 10 stars
December 7, 2020
What a terrific read!
The last book I read by Grisham was Gray Mountain, back in 2014, so it’s been quite some time. I have others published after that one but I was not excited to read them as I was with this one, especially because “A Time To Kill” is one of my top 5 by this author, and as I loved “Sycamore Row”, I could not wait to put my hands on this one.
I was not disappointed.
I enjoyed every minute.
Grisham is a great storyteller.
I do recommend this book.
The last book I read by Grisham was Gray Mountain, back in 2014, so it’s been quite some time. I have others published after that one but I was not excited to read them as I was with this one, especially because “A Time To Kill” is one of my top 5 by this author, and as I loved “Sycamore Row”, I could not wait to put my hands on this one.
I was not disappointed.
I enjoyed every minute.
Grisham is a great storyteller.
I do recommend this book.
December 28, 2020
Another Great Grisham
3 1/2 Stars.
I am very much a Grisham fan. I usually rate 5 stars all the way because of the nonstop action. However, this story starts out with a incredibly bloody beginning in Mississippi and starts a long slow decent to an unsatisfying ending.
The plotline is repeated try to many times. It is my guess would that at least 100 pages of repetition could have been trimmed awe would not have missed anything.
In the end, it was a good story but not great.
I will let the reader make a choice on the recommendation.
3 1/2 Stars.
I am very much a Grisham fan. I usually rate 5 stars all the way because of the nonstop action. However, this story starts out with a incredibly bloody beginning in Mississippi and starts a long slow decent to an unsatisfying ending.
The plotline is repeated try to many times. It is my guess would that at least 100 pages of repetition could have been trimmed awe would not have missed anything.
In the end, it was a good story but not great.
I will let the reader make a choice on the recommendation.
November 27, 2023
Back to another Grisham. This features Jack Brigance who apparently was the lawyer in Grishams first novel.
I enjoyed the character of Brigance and those around him. He defends a young boy who killed the thuggish policeman living with his mother and sister. A statute change meant that in two States you can be convicted of the murder in first degree of a policeman even if they are not on duty.
Jack covers another civil case as well. He is ‘persuaded’ by a Judge to represent the boy. Bringing the hatred of the town on him as well as a savage beating.
The story is fast paced and I found it difficult to put down. Now I have finished I move onto the latest Jack Reacher that I have been saving.
I enjoyed the character of Brigance and those around him. He defends a young boy who killed the thuggish policeman living with his mother and sister. A statute change meant that in two States you can be convicted of the murder in first degree of a policeman even if they are not on duty.
Jack covers another civil case as well. He is ‘persuaded’ by a Judge to represent the boy. Bringing the hatred of the town on him as well as a savage beating.
The story is fast paced and I found it difficult to put down. Now I have finished I move onto the latest Jack Reacher that I have been saving.
October 28, 2020
I always enjoy Grisham legal thrillers and Jake Brigance third book doesn't disappoint. Another exciting and complex plot where a local cop was killed by a sixteen year old boy in Clanton, Mississippi. The audio was superb and really brought these great characters to life. I understand that Brigance has to make a living and can't always defend the poor, but the secondary case (railroad) really took the momentum away from the main story. I wish it wasn't there.
June 30, 2022
I have some ambivalence towards this book. But first I will say it is true to a John Grisham's legal story with suspense. Maybe not so thrilling. And his courtroom drama is top notch and in that respect a "legal thriller". Unfortunately you have to wait until the last 100 pages to get there. Which brings me to my complaints. Basically this is a carbon copy of "A time to Kill" which in itself may not be so bad. But when read in the same calendar year it is like reading the same book twice (only the crime and criminal have changed).
Grisham however, thank goodness, has omitted all the racial parlance he gratuitously used in "A Time to Kill". He even added a token person of color into his close circle without mentioning any slang POC, words. Though it seems a tad obvious their allegorical presence.
3 stars
Grisham however, thank goodness, has omitted all the racial parlance he gratuitously used in "A Time to Kill". He even added a token person of color into his close circle without mentioning any slang POC, words. Though it seems a tad obvious their allegorical presence.
3 stars
December 11, 2020
The long wait between instalments is absolutely worthwhile!
Jake Brigance returns, representing 16-year-old Drew Gamble, accused of murdering his mother's boyfriend Stuart Kofer, a local police officer, who was not on duty but in small-town Clanton, Mississippi, 1990, this does not matter and Drew finds himself facing the gas chamber.
Drew and his sister claim they and their mother are being abused by Kofer. Brigance finds himself embroiled in a deeply divisive trial as Drew's court-appointed attorney, but there is backlash, controversy and significant consequences to his representation of the boy (personal, financial and social).
Grisham is a master storyteller. The slow-burning plot is filled with legal drama, damaged characters and a cornucopia of issues, making for a fantastic read. The courtroom scenes kept me turning pages late into the night.
Definitely written with another book in mind and I can see this one being made into a movie!
Jake Brigance returns, representing 16-year-old Drew Gamble, accused of murdering his mother's boyfriend Stuart Kofer, a local police officer, who was not on duty but in small-town Clanton, Mississippi, 1990, this does not matter and Drew finds himself facing the gas chamber.
Drew and his sister claim they and their mother are being abused by Kofer. Brigance finds himself embroiled in a deeply divisive trial as Drew's court-appointed attorney, but there is backlash, controversy and significant consequences to his representation of the boy (personal, financial and social).
Grisham is a master storyteller. The slow-burning plot is filled with legal drama, damaged characters and a cornucopia of issues, making for a fantastic read. The courtroom scenes kept me turning pages late into the night.
Definitely written with another book in mind and I can see this one being made into a movie!
November 19, 2020
I have read every book that John Grisham has written and this is one of his best in years. Hopefully, he will bring back Jake Brigance in another novel soon.
October 16, 2020
Well, what can I say about this. I was expecting a fast paced legal thriller and lots of tense courtroom scenes kind of along the lines of Michael Connelly's Mickey Haller series which was fantastic but this was....not that, not even close.
It started out quite ok and I was waiting to see Jake Brigance in action but there was hardly any part whereJake brigance was actually being a lawyer. What i got was this:
1. Jake unwilling to take on the case in the first place
2. Lots of other situations were given in too much detail that had nothing to do with the Gamble case and trial which was supposed to be the main case for this novel: for instance the Smallwood case, Jake's day to day life, his eating habits etc. This really took away from the pacing of the novel in my opinion.
I was actually interested to see how he would build a case to free Drew Gamble and thats not what I got AT ALL. Frankly, this book is a minute short of 20 hours and IMO is about 10 hours too long. 9 hours in and Jake had yet to contribute anything solid towards the case and I found that too incredibly boring. DNF
It started out quite ok and I was waiting to see Jake Brigance in action but there was hardly any part whereJake brigance was actually being a lawyer. What i got was this:
1. Jake unwilling to take on the case in the first place
2. Lots of other situations were given in too much detail that had nothing to do with the Gamble case and trial which was supposed to be the main case for this novel: for instance the Smallwood case, Jake's day to day life, his eating habits etc. This really took away from the pacing of the novel in my opinion.
I was actually interested to see how he would build a case to free Drew Gamble and thats not what I got AT ALL. Frankly, this book is a minute short of 20 hours and IMO is about 10 hours too long. 9 hours in and Jake had yet to contribute anything solid towards the case and I found that too incredibly boring. DNF
November 27, 2020
Typical Grisham
A fan of the first Jake Brigance book, A Time to Kill, I had high hopes. Instead of something unique, Grisham chose to mimic the story switching out the black adult, Carl Lee for a 16 year old boy and the child with a sexy but useless mother. Paced well, it's hard not to be engaged with the characters in spite of the similar plot. It's not Grisham's best but for fans of Jake Brigance might be worth reading.
A fan of the first Jake Brigance book, A Time to Kill, I had high hopes. Instead of something unique, Grisham chose to mimic the story switching out the black adult, Carl Lee for a 16 year old boy and the child with a sexy but useless mother. Paced well, it's hard not to be engaged with the characters in spite of the similar plot. It's not Grisham's best but for fans of Jake Brigance might be worth reading.
May 14, 2022
A Time For Mercy by John Grisham
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“A Time For Mercy” is the 3rd book with the lawyer Jake Brigance. I really enjoyed going back to Clanton,Mississippi and following Jake Brigance as he represents sixteen year old Drew Gamble. Once again John Grisham has written am incredible story taking us through the courtroom antics and the people that involved in the murder and trial.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“A Time For Mercy” is the 3rd book with the lawyer Jake Brigance. I really enjoyed going back to Clanton,Mississippi and following Jake Brigance as he represents sixteen year old Drew Gamble. Once again John Grisham has written am incredible story taking us through the courtroom antics and the people that involved in the murder and trial.
October 30, 2021
This is the third book in the Jake Brigance series by John Grisham and it seems like the author has his mojo back. I really enjoyed the two previous books in this series but have been a little disappointed by some of the authors latest offerings so it was good to have normal service resumed.
Jake Brigance is back in a murder trial that nobody wants, defending Drew Gamble who is accused of murdering a local deputy. The case is stirring the local citizens of Clanton, Mississippi, leaving them looking for justice and the death penalty following the murder of their local deputy. .
Although it is with reluctance that Jake accepts this case he is a lawyer who seeks truth and justice at all costs, never sidestepping decisions that may put him and his family in danger. Many in Clanton want a swift trial and the death penalty, but Brigance sees it another way. Once he learns the details of the case, he realises he has to do everything he can to save sixteen year old Drew.
I always enjoy court room drama and there was plenty in this novel to keep me happy. Excellent characters and good plot written by a master storyteller. John Grisham specialises in legal thrillers and this is well worth reading.
Jake Brigance is back in a murder trial that nobody wants, defending Drew Gamble who is accused of murdering a local deputy. The case is stirring the local citizens of Clanton, Mississippi, leaving them looking for justice and the death penalty following the murder of their local deputy. .
Although it is with reluctance that Jake accepts this case he is a lawyer who seeks truth and justice at all costs, never sidestepping decisions that may put him and his family in danger. Many in Clanton want a swift trial and the death penalty, but Brigance sees it another way. Once he learns the details of the case, he realises he has to do everything he can to save sixteen year old Drew.
I always enjoy court room drama and there was plenty in this novel to keep me happy. Excellent characters and good plot written by a master storyteller. John Grisham specialises in legal thrillers and this is well worth reading.
November 6, 2020
Oh, come on GoodReads readers, this is NOT a five star book! This 450+ page book is bloated with needless stuff that has nothing to do with the main events. It starts out literally with a bang and then there is just so much filler. The actual trial portion is only 100 pages. And the ending is both unrealistic and unresolved. It feels like Grisham just got tired and ran out of ideas on how to end it.
October 5, 2024
“… the mad glow in his eyes told her this was their last fight. This was the moment he would finally kill her.”
In the eyes of his fellow officers and fellow townspeople, Stuart Kofer is a long-term model police officer and the finest sheriff’s deputy that Clanton, Mississippi, has ever seen. Late night and after his work hours tells a dramatically different story. Kofer is a sloppy, violent drunk who routinely beats his wife and step son, Josie and Drew Gamble, senseless, topping off his alter ego’s malicious conduct by assaulting and raping his fourteen year old step-daughter. After a night of particularly heavy drinking and a resulting vicious beating, Drew picks up Kofer’s service weapon and puts a bullet through Kofer’s left temple as he lay passed out on his bed in an alcoholic stupor. The resulting charge of first degree murder takes 16 year old Drew Gamble out of the juvenile court system and places him into the docket as an adult facing a capital trial and the prospect of execution by the state.
A TIME FOR MERCY is most decidedly NOT a suspense thriller. From first page to last, it is a legal procedural that describes in heartbreaking (and, if I may say so, rather lengthy) detail the minutiae of the capital trial of a young man who readers will almost certainly believe is innocent as a matter of self-defense. Southern USA small town politics; mental illness; domestic violence and sexual assault; alcoholism and drug abuse; poverty; the difficulties of a small legal practice financing an extended defense for a case forced upon him by the state judicial system; police corruption; and the blue wall of silence make A TIME FOR MERCY an interesting, if somewhat less than compelling or page-turning novel.
Admittedly a long way from John Grisham’s best work but an entertaining novel nevertheless that fans will enjoy.
Paul Weiss
In the eyes of his fellow officers and fellow townspeople, Stuart Kofer is a long-term model police officer and the finest sheriff’s deputy that Clanton, Mississippi, has ever seen. Late night and after his work hours tells a dramatically different story. Kofer is a sloppy, violent drunk who routinely beats his wife and step son, Josie and Drew Gamble, senseless, topping off his alter ego’s malicious conduct by assaulting and raping his fourteen year old step-daughter. After a night of particularly heavy drinking and a resulting vicious beating, Drew picks up Kofer’s service weapon and puts a bullet through Kofer’s left temple as he lay passed out on his bed in an alcoholic stupor. The resulting charge of first degree murder takes 16 year old Drew Gamble out of the juvenile court system and places him into the docket as an adult facing a capital trial and the prospect of execution by the state.
A TIME FOR MERCY is most decidedly NOT a suspense thriller. From first page to last, it is a legal procedural that describes in heartbreaking (and, if I may say so, rather lengthy) detail the minutiae of the capital trial of a young man who readers will almost certainly believe is innocent as a matter of self-defense. Southern USA small town politics; mental illness; domestic violence and sexual assault; alcoholism and drug abuse; poverty; the difficulties of a small legal practice financing an extended defense for a case forced upon him by the state judicial system; police corruption; and the blue wall of silence make A TIME FOR MERCY an interesting, if somewhat less than compelling or page-turning novel.
Admittedly a long way from John Grisham’s best work but an entertaining novel nevertheless that fans will enjoy.
Paul Weiss
April 15, 2024
I haven’t read a John Grisham novel in over a decade. I don’t have anything against the guy. In fact, at one point, I read a bunch of his novels, starting with “The Firm”. It was okay. I really liked “The Client” and “The Runaway Jury”, but I didn’t really like “The Chamber”. I thought “A Painted House” was great. I thoroughly enjoyed his nonfiction work “The Innocent Man”. My favorite novel of his, though, was “A Time to Kill”.
It should be noted that every one of these books (with the exception of “The Innocent Man”) was made into a movie. Some were actually decent. Of course, I saw them all, usually after reading the book. I distinctly remember liking the film adaptation of “A Time to Kill”, starring Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, and Sandra Bullock. Was it better than the book? I honestly can’t recall, it’s been so long since I read it. (The book was published in 1989.)
Here’s the point, assuming I have one: I haven’t read a Grisham novel in a very long time. I kind of stopped reading Grisham, for no good reason, really. I just found other things to read.
So, recently I picked up “A Time For Mercy”, published in 2020. It is a sequel, of sorts, to “A Time to Kill”. The main character, attorney Jake Brigance, reluctantly takes on a case involving the shooting of a police officer. He doesn’t want the case, and no good defense attorney would, for one main reason: In Mississippi, in 1990 (when the novel takes place) shooting a cop is virtually an automatic death sentence. The state had some of the most stringent laws regarding violence toward police. (We won’t talk about how NOT stringent the laws were regarding violence BY the police. That’s an entirely different subject…)
The shooter was a 16-year-old living in the police officer’s house. The boy named Drew Gamble admitted to shooting the officer. Practically catatonic when the first responders arrive, Drew willingly goes to jail, but there is clearly something not right about the boy. His mother and sister (who also live in the house) share a heart-rending, disgusting story of a highly abusive—-verbally and physically—-man who, despite being a highly decorated police officer and well-liked in the community, was a mean and vicious drunk. Beatings were regular occurrences.
Jake doesn’t want the case because he has good standing within the community. He’s actually friends with most, if not all, the local police officers. All of that will more than likely change when the people of Ford County find out he is defending the cop-killer. Unfortunately, he also knows that he may be the only attorney in the state who could provide the best defense for this kid.
“A Time For Mercy” is courtroom drama at its absolute best, mainly because the drama doesn’t confine itself to just the courtroom. Grisham’s knowledge and experience about what goes into a court case in Mississippi in the early-1990s makes for an incredibly believable novel, populated with very real people. All of the characters—-even the ones you aren’t supposed to like—-are sympathetic.
It’s hard not to compare Grisham’s defense attorney with another well-known DA, Michael Connelly’s “Lincoln Lawyer”, Mickey Haller. They couldn’t be more different in terms of personality and likability (Jake is a strong family man with good Christian values. Mickey sucks at adulting in almost every way, except in the courtroom.), but both are excellent lawyers. (Also interesting bit of trivia: both characters have been played by Matthew McConaghey in films.)
I think it’s about time I start reading more Grisham.
It should be noted that every one of these books (with the exception of “The Innocent Man”) was made into a movie. Some were actually decent. Of course, I saw them all, usually after reading the book. I distinctly remember liking the film adaptation of “A Time to Kill”, starring Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, and Sandra Bullock. Was it better than the book? I honestly can’t recall, it’s been so long since I read it. (The book was published in 1989.)
Here’s the point, assuming I have one: I haven’t read a Grisham novel in a very long time. I kind of stopped reading Grisham, for no good reason, really. I just found other things to read.
So, recently I picked up “A Time For Mercy”, published in 2020. It is a sequel, of sorts, to “A Time to Kill”. The main character, attorney Jake Brigance, reluctantly takes on a case involving the shooting of a police officer. He doesn’t want the case, and no good defense attorney would, for one main reason: In Mississippi, in 1990 (when the novel takes place) shooting a cop is virtually an automatic death sentence. The state had some of the most stringent laws regarding violence toward police. (We won’t talk about how NOT stringent the laws were regarding violence BY the police. That’s an entirely different subject…)
The shooter was a 16-year-old living in the police officer’s house. The boy named Drew Gamble admitted to shooting the officer. Practically catatonic when the first responders arrive, Drew willingly goes to jail, but there is clearly something not right about the boy. His mother and sister (who also live in the house) share a heart-rending, disgusting story of a highly abusive—-verbally and physically—-man who, despite being a highly decorated police officer and well-liked in the community, was a mean and vicious drunk. Beatings were regular occurrences.
Jake doesn’t want the case because he has good standing within the community. He’s actually friends with most, if not all, the local police officers. All of that will more than likely change when the people of Ford County find out he is defending the cop-killer. Unfortunately, he also knows that he may be the only attorney in the state who could provide the best defense for this kid.
“A Time For Mercy” is courtroom drama at its absolute best, mainly because the drama doesn’t confine itself to just the courtroom. Grisham’s knowledge and experience about what goes into a court case in Mississippi in the early-1990s makes for an incredibly believable novel, populated with very real people. All of the characters—-even the ones you aren’t supposed to like—-are sympathetic.
It’s hard not to compare Grisham’s defense attorney with another well-known DA, Michael Connelly’s “Lincoln Lawyer”, Mickey Haller. They couldn’t be more different in terms of personality and likability (Jake is a strong family man with good Christian values. Mickey sucks at adulting in almost every way, except in the courtroom.), but both are excellent lawyers. (Also interesting bit of trivia: both characters have been played by Matthew McConaghey in films.)
I think it’s about time I start reading more Grisham.
March 22, 2021
The third of the Jack Brigance series, ‘A Time for Mercy’ is another John Grisham gem. It captures the flavour of the original Jack Brigance story although this case is about the murder of a white policeman by a teenager. It’s the client no lawyer wants and Jack is forced to help against his better judgement. This causes ill-will for him and his family. Then money becomes a huge problem for Jack as his litigation damages trial huge payout is also placed in jeopardy. A riveting five-star read with an unexpected ending and a must read for Grisham fans.
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