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 listeners know and cherish. 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. 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 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.

Jake Brigance is back! The hero of A Time to Kill, one of the most popular novels of our time, returns in a courtroom drama that The New York Times says is 'riveting' and 'suspenseful.'Ĭlanton, Mississippi.

The dialogue is sharp and pointed, layered with genuine emotions that make the characters pop off the pages of this morally complex story. As usual, he presents as smooth a read as you’ll ever experience. While there are lulls during some of the legal procedural bits, Grisham’s mastery of the courtroom thriller is never in question.

With public sentiment and fellow police officers standing behind Stu and his family, Jake’s efforts to keep Drew from being tried as an adult and facing possible execution put him at odds with the community. But deep down, he realizes he’s the best chance the Gamble family has. Jake only wants to handle preliminary matters for the Gamble case until a permanent public defender can be appointed. Drew, his younger sister and their mother lived in constant fear of beatings by Stu, who often returned home in a drunken stupor. Drew contends that he shot Stu in self-defense after believing Stu had killed his mother. There’s no question that Drew pulled the trigger, but Jake faces an ethical challenge over whether the shooting was justified.

Jake Brigance-the hero of Grisham’s 1989 debut, A Time to Kill-is court-appointed to represent 16-year-old Drew Gamble in the shooting death of his mother’s boyfriend, deputy sheriff Stu Kofer. With nationwide calls for police reform and defunding, literary giant John Grisham’s novel A Time for Mercy is undoubtedly timely, as it explores the ways that violence committed by or against law enforcement officials can complicate the pursuit of justice.

John grisham books a time for mercy