My Top Five John Grisham Reviews

Do you know John Grisham? Are you a fan of his books? Do you love reading legal thrillers? Then you are in the right place. You definitely want to know some of these amazing books written by the author himself. Although I could not do all the reviews of his books, however, I can give you my five best John Grisham books.

# 5 – The Firm

The story revolves around Mitchell McDeere, a bright, young law student who got job offers from big law firms in Chicago and New York, yet he chose a small tax firm in Memphis called Bendini, Lambert and Locke. The firm offers him a huge amount of salary, a home for him and his wife, a car, and even paid his college loans. McDeere accepted the deal and starts working for the firm.

McDeere thinks that the firm is just perfect, but what he doesn’t know is that the firm holds a dark secret. The secret will eventually jeopardize McDeere’s life, including his wife.

I could not stop reading this book, even if I wanted to. Why? Because I felt that every second is wasted if I decided to stop on a page when things suddenly get interesting. I really love the development of the story, especially when government agencies got involved and suddenly, McDeere’s life is at stake. Most importantly, there are a couple of action scenes that you really don’t want to miss. So check this book out.

#4 Runaway Jury

The Runaway Jury did not disappoint me. I have to confess that I watched the movie first before reading the paperback, and I wished that I should have read the book first instead of doing the other way around. It’s alright though. What’s done is done. What matters is that I love the story because of its humor, the suspense, and the mystery that it gives. Also, this book has given me a whole new light about jury duty. I salute to all of them for being a good citizen.

As for those who are interested on what the story is all about, here is the original synopsis:

“Every jury has a leader, and the verdict belongs to him. In Biloxi, Mississippi, a landmark tobacco trial with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake begins routinely, then swerves mysteriously off course. The jury is behaving strangely, and at least one juroris convinced he’s being watched. Soon they have to be sequestered. Then a tip from an anonymous young woman suggests she is able to predict the jurors’ increasingly odd behavior. Is the jury somehow being manipulated, or even controlled? If so, by whom? And, more important,why?”

#3 The Chamber

The story is about Adam Hall, a lawyer who is defending his client and grandfather Sam Cayman, a former Klansman and a racist who is allegedly behind the bombing in the late 60’s. Hall only has days to appeal to the Supreme Court or else his grandfather ends up in the gas chamber.

I never thought that I would shed a tear after a Grisham book, but I did. I remember reading this book way back in college and I spent the whole night finishing the book. This book made me wonder about how the justice system works, and I suddenly abhor the death penalty. Really, it’s worth buying this book!

#2 The Street Lawyer

Why this book got the number two on my list? Well, this book tells about Michael, a hot-shot lawyer working for a giant firm, Drake & Sweeney in DC. He did not give a care for homeless people and shelters and was too busy with working and earning money until a homeless man got into their firm, held most of them hostages, and killed some of them. But Michael survived, and was troubled by the incident. He started investigating, found a secret, and landed himself in the streets. He became an advocate for the homeless, a street lawyer.

Although there have been negative reviews about The Street Lawyer, but I think Grisham did justice on the book. We don’t really know what the hardships street lawyers go through and how they live day by day. I think that a lot of people will find lessons in this book and take their time to care for people who can barely eat three meals a day and are shivering in the cold while sleeping at night.

#1 The Rainmaker

This was the third book that I read from Grisham in college, and I instantly fell in love with the character. This book made me want to become a lawyer (but sad to say, I'm not)! The protagonist, Rudy Baylor, just got out of law school, can barely get a decent job, when he suddenly finds himself battling a large insurance company who screwed up his client, Dot and Buddy Black for not paying insurance for their dying son who has leukemia.

What makes this story amazing is that the dialogues (and squabbles between laywers) are humorous, the scenes unpredictable, and the characters unforgettable. Aside from Baylor, I also love Tyrone Kipler, the judge. You’ll soon find out why he’s likeable once you read the book.

These books also deserve honorable mentions from my list and are must reads as well:

The Brethren

A Time To Kill

The Client