List of John Grisham Books

A list of John Grisham books is a powerhouse of bestselling legal thrillers. Grisham worked as a criminal lawyer and served in the Mississippi House of Representatives before discovering his talent for writing. This gave him the experience to pen intricate, intense and realistic tales.

List of John Grisham Books
Grisham has written an average of one book per year in his career as a novelist. Nine of his novels have been turned into major movies. His work includes:

• A Time to Kill (1989)
• The Firm (1991)
• Pelican Brief (1992)
• The Client (1993)
• The Chamber (1994)
• The Rainmaker (1995)
• The Runaway Jury (1996)
• The Partner (1997)
• The Street Lawyer (1998)
• The Testament (1999)
• The Brethren (2000)
• A Painted House (2001)
• Skipping Christmas (2001)
• The Summons (2002)
• The King of Torts (2003) 
• The Bleachers (2003)
• The Last Juror (2004)
• The Broker (2005)
• Playing for Pizza (2007)
• The Appeal (2008)

The Firm
The Firm was Grisham's second novel and his first success. The manuscript started a bidding war in Hollywood before it was even published. It became a hit movie and the novel spent 47 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers list.

The story in The Firm revolves around a Harvard law graduate, Mitchell McDeere, who lands a dream job with a Memphis law firm. As McDeere and his wife indulge in their new upscale lifestyle, things start to turn ominous. Two of the firm's lawyers are found dead and the FBI comes to him for insider information.

The Rainmaker
The Rainmaker is one of the many Grisham novels with a small-time lawyer as the hero. While taking law classes, Rudy Baylor is required to do community work. He meets a couple in a retirement home who have a son dying of leukemia. Though their insurance should have covered a life-saving procedure, the company refused the claim, dooming their son to death. The novice Baylor takes on the major company and their powerful law firm to seek justice for the couple and their son.

The Partner
The Partner is one of the many Grisham novels to star a young lawyer. The story picks up after the young lawyer has stolen $90 million from his firm and faked his own death. After living in Brazil for years, the lawyer is found, tortured and eventually brought back to America. However, the lawyer uses a dark secret and legal manipulation to fight the charges against him and procure part of the fortune.

The Brethren
Grisham strays from his typical under-dog hero in The Brethren, focusing instead on three unlikely anti-heroes. The novel twists together two plots in a suspenseful and disturbing thriller. The first plot deals with three former judges serving time for white collar crimes who hatch a blackmail scheme. The second plot deals with a ruthless head of the CIA using a puppet candidate to help bring extreme power back to his agency. The collision of these two plots creates a powerful story.

The Appeal
The Appeal is a classic Grisham tale filled with legal and political intrigue. The story begins after a small legal firm wins a major suit against a large chemical company. Desperate to change the verdict that could lead to further lawsuits, the chemical company decides they need to oust a state Supreme Court justice and replace her with their own candidate. The ensuing tale of corruption and intimidation creates a very realistic scenario.