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John Grisham's Recommended Thriller Reading List
The prolific and beloved author John Grisham, known for his courtroom thrillers, is back this month with a new pageturner, A Time for Mercy, featuring the return of lawyer Jake Brigance, the protagonistÌýwho first appeared in Grisham smash hit novelÌýA Time to Kill.Ìý
As something of an expert to keeping readers glued to the pages, we asked Grisham to share the books that kept him reading long into the night.Ìý
As something of an expert to keeping readers glued to the pages, we asked Grisham to share the books that kept him reading long into the night.Ìý
So I wrote, as I usually do from January to July, and the writing kept me away from the news.Ìý It’s a lonely business anyway. There’s no one else in the room when I work, and I’ve grown accustomed to the isolation.
When I write I try to avoid reading fiction. I Ìýread only good books by good writers, and invariably I’ll catch myself imitating them when I write.
With time, though, I found that the worlds created by other writers were wonderful diversions from the mess we’re in. So, I returned to my old favorites.
Here are a few of them:
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David Robicheaux is one of the most interesting detectives in contemporary fiction.ÌýHere, he’s back for the 23rd time and he takes on two Cajun crime families that try unsuccessfully to share territory. The two families have more internal problems than most.ÌýOne has even sunk so low as to traffic humans.ÌýOnly James Lee Burke has the voice to examine ancient curses and superstitions in the complex world of Cajun Country.
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In this wild and roaring novel, James brings together an unforgettable collection of characters from the housing projects of south Brooklyn.ÌýWhen the anti-hero, a man called Sportcoat, shoots and kills the neighborhood’s favorite drug dealer, street life spins out of control.
Ìý
Sandy Stern, the fabulous criminal defense we first met in Presumed Innocent, is now 85 years old and on the brink of retirement.ÌýHe takes his last case, the defense of an old friend accused of insider trading, fraud, and murder.ÌýScott is still the master of the legal thriller, and his courtroom scenes Ìýhave no equals.
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A murder in Paris is a guaranteed hook.ÌýThe hero, Armand Gamache, is in Paris with his family awaiting the birth of his grandchild when his godfather is hit in a deliberate attempt to kill.ÌýGamache is drawn into the crime and must solve it.Ìý The nightmare engulfs his entire family and before long he’s not sure who to trust.ÌýWith the City of Light as the backdrop every page is a delight.
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This is a true story that was published several years ago, but I thoroughly enjoyed it for the third time.ÌýBryan left Harvard Law School, turned down the big money, and instead went to Alabama and founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit dedicated to defending the poor and wrongfully convicted.ÌýThis is a fascinating account of his early years and his grit and determination to fight injustice.
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This is a collection of ten stories, one of them a novella. Two, Baptism and Neighbors, were published previously to great acclaim. In the novella, Ron brings back his most famous character, Serena, from his fine novel of the same name published in 2008.
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John Rebus, the hero in many of Ian’s books, is getting old and even crankier.ÌýHe’s trying to give up booze and cigarettes, but he can’t stay out of trouble.ÌýThe partner of his daughter, Samantha, goes missing, and of course Rebus is soon up to his ears in solving the crime.
Have a great thriller recommendation? Share it with your fellow readers in the comments below.
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Check out more recent articles:
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Erika Du Vall
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Oct 19, 2020 10:22PM
Its gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood
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Article is titled "John Grisham's Recommended Thriller Reading List", but there's no way Just Mercy could be considered a thriller by anyone. Just FYI.
John wrote: "Article is titled "John Grisham's Recommended Thriller Reading List", but there's no way Just Mercy could be considered a thriller by anyone. Just FYI."It is alright, Grisham is not good at identifying genres. He calls his own work legal thriller, I re-read Grisham recently for the first time since I was a teenager and figured based on how his characters behave they should be called fantasy. And he is very good at it, it is a brand new take on fantasy, every new character you meet is more stupid than the one who came before him or her.
John wrote: "Article is titled "John Grisham's Recommended Thriller Reading List", but there's no way Just Mercy could be considered a thriller by anyone. Just FYI."I would agree. I think they should have taken "thriller" off of the list title. It's a great list, though.
Okay, you may not think Just Mercy is a thriller but Bryan Stevenson is a superhero in my book. His story brings thrill to the human spirit and the power of one man to make a difference.
Tony wrote: "Okay, you may not think Just Mercy is a thriller but Bryan Stevenson is a superhero in my book."You are so right. I found the whole damn book thrilling.
