Author guide

John Grisham Books in Order

John Grisham is an American author and former lawyer whose work focuses on legal suspense, crime, justice, and the American South. His bibliography includes adult novels, the Theodore Boone young-adult series, the Jake Brigance, Mitch McDeere, Sebastian Rudd, Lacy Stoltz, and Camino Island series, short-fiction collections, separately published short works, and nonfiction.

legal thrillercrime fictionsuspenseyoung adultliterary fictionnonfiction

Catalog record updated August 25, 2026.

John Grisham's Newest Book

The Widow

novel · First published 2025

Simon Latch is a lawyer in rural Virginia, making just enough to pay his bills while his marriage slowly falls apart. Then into his office walks Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow in need of a new will. Apparently, her husband left her a small fortune, and no one knows about it. Once he hooks the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar. But soon her story begins to crack. When she is hospitalized after a car accident, Simon realizes that nothing is as it seems, and he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn’t commit: murder. Simon knows he’s innocent. But he also knows the circumstantial evidence is against him, and he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. To save himself, he must find the real killer….

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

A Time to Kill

The first published novel and the beginning of the Jake Brigance books.

The Firm

The breakthrough legal thriller and beginning of the Mitch McDeere series.

Rogue Lawyer

A self-contained adult thriller and the main entry point to the Sebastian Rudd stories.

Camino Island

The beginning of the Camino Island series.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

The beginning of the Theodore Boone young-adult series.

The Innocent Man

A standalone nonfiction account of a wrongful-conviction case.

Read in order

Books by series

series · ongoing

Jake Brigance

Legal fiction featuring Mississippi lawyer Jake Brigance.

Series guide →

1
A Time to Kill
Book 1 · novel · 1989

The life of a ten-year-old girl is shattered by two drunken and remorseless young men. The mostly white town of Clanton in Ford County, Mississippi, reacts with shock and horror at the inhuman crime. Until her black father acquires an…
2
Sycamore Row
Book 2 · novel · 2013

Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten, will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his black maid, and Jake into a…
3
A Time for Mercy
Book 3 · novel · 2020

***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*** Jake Brigance, lawyer hero of A Time to Kill and Sycamore Row, is back, in his toughest case ever. 'A new Grisham legal thriller is always an event, but this one is exceptional as the author is returning…

series · ongoing

The Firm

The Mitch McDeere legal-thriller series begun with The Firm.

Series guide →

1
The Firm
Book 1 · novel · 1991

For a young lawyer on the make, it was an offer Mitch McDeere couldn’t a position at a law firm where the bucks, billable hours, and benefits are over the top. It’s a dream job for an up-and-comer—if he can overlook the uneasy feeling he…
2
The Exchange
Book 2 · novel · 2023

#1 New York Times bestselling author John Grisham delivers high-flying international suspense in a stunning new legal thriller that marks the return of Mitch McDeere, the brilliant hero of The Firm. What became of Mitch and Abby McDeere…

series · ongoing

Sebastian Rudd

Stories featuring unconventional defense lawyer Sebastian Rudd and his partner.

Series guide →

1
Rogue Lawyer
Book 1 · novel · 2015

On the right side of the law? Sort of? Sebastian Rudd is not your typical street lawyer. His office is a customized bulletproof van, complete with Wi-Fi, a bar, a small fridge, and fine leather chairs. He has no firm, no partners, and…
2
Partners
Book 0.5 · short-story · 2016 Optional

AN ORIGINAL E-SHORT • This standalone prequel to the #1 bestseller Rogue Lawyer tells the story of how Sebastian Rudd finally found someone he could trust to be his driver, bodyguard, law clerk, and partner. Sebastian Rudd, rogue lawyer,…

series · ongoing

The Whistler

The Lacy Stoltz legal-thriller series.

Series guide →

2
Witness to a Trial
Book 0.5 · short-story · 2016 Optional

In one small-town courthouse, the stakes are unbearably high for nearly everyone present: A judge presiding over his first murder trial. A defense attorney in over his head. A prosecutor out for blood and glory. The accused, who is…
1
The Whistler
Book 1 · novel · 2016

Lacy Stoltz is an investigator for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct. She is a lawyer, not a cop, and it is her job to respond to complaints dealing with judicial misconduct. After nine years with the Board, she knows that most…
3
The Judge's List
Book 2 · novel · 2021

***THE SUNDAY TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH*** 'Besides the usual Grisham virtues of an arresting idea, polished plotting and vivid social snapshots, what's impressive here is his willingness to take on fresh challenges' THE SUNDAY TIMES…

series · ongoing

Camino Island

Mystery novels set around Camino Island and its literary community.

Series guide →

1
Camino Island
Book 1 · novel · 2017

A gang of thieves stage a daring heist from a secure vault deep below Princeton University’s Firestone Library. Their loot is priceless, but Princeton has insured it for twenty-five million dollars. Bruce Cable owns a popular bookstore in…
2
Camino Winds
Book 2 · novel · 2020

#1 NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • “The perfect crime scene ... in the type of wild but smart caper that Grisham’s readers love.”—Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing The master of the legal thriller sweeps you away to…
3
Camino Ghosts
Book 3 · novel · 2024

John Grisham, #1 bestselling author and master of the legal thriller, takes us back to paradise. Bookstore owner Bruce Cable is reunited once again with Mercer Mann for another thrilling mystery packed with sun, sand, and mayhem. Filled…

series · ongoing

Theodore Boone

Young-adult legal novels featuring teenage legal enthusiast Theodore Boone.

Series guide →

1
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
Book 1 · young-adult-novel · 2010

"First published in the United States of American by Dutton Children's Books ... 2010"--Title page verso.
2
Theodore Boone: The Abduction
Book 2 · young-adult-novel · 2011

A book about a young man, Theodore Boone, 8th grade son of 2 attorneys, whose passion is the law. His friend disappeared from her bedroom in middle of the night and no one knows anything about it! Who is going to solve the mystery? Theo,…
3
Theodore Boone: The Accused
Book 3 · young-adult-novel · 2012
4
Theodore Boone: The Activist
Book 4 · young-adult-novel · 2013
5
Theodore Boone: The Fugitive
Book 5 · young-adult-novel · 2015
6
Theodore Boone: The Scandal
Book 6 · young-adult-novel · 2016

Thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone knows every judge, police officer, and court clerk in Strattenburg. He has even helped bring a fugitive to justice. But even a future star lawyer like Theo has to deal with statewide standardized testing.…
7
Theodore Boone: The Accomplice
Book 7 · young-adult-novel · 2019

Theodore Boone is back on the case in an all-new adventure! Bestselling author John Grisham delivers a page-turning legal thriller for a new generation of readers. Theo has been worried about his good friend Woody Lambert. Woody is…

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Sort works

Novels (33)

The Pelican Brief
novel · 1992

In suburban Georgetown a killer's Reeboks whisper on the front floor of a posh home... In a seedy D.C. porno house a patron is swiftly garroted to death... The next day America learns that two of its Supreme Court justices have been…
The Client
novel · 1993

In a weedy clearing on the outskirts of Memphis, two boys watch a shiny Lincoln pull up to the curb...Eleven-year-old Mark Sway and his younger brother were sharing a forbidden cigarette when a chance encounter with a suicidal lawyer left…
The Chamber
novel · 1994

In the corridors of Chicago's top law firm: Twenty -six-year-old Adam Hall stands on the brink of a brilliant legal career. Now he is risking it all for a death-row killer and an impossible case. Maximum Security Unit, Mississippi State…
The Rainmaker
novel · 1995

It's summer in Memphis. The sweat is sticking to Rudy Baylor's shirt and creditors are nipping at his heels. Once he had aspirations of breezing through law school and punching his ticket to the good life. Now he doesn't have a job or a…
The Runaway Jury
novel · 1996

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…
The Partner
novel · 1997

John Grisham's bestselling backlist repackaged with fantastic new coversThey found him in a small town in Brazil, near the border with Paraguay. He had a new name, Danilo Silva, and his appearance had been changed by plastic surgery. The…
The Street Lawyer
novel · 1998

Michael Brock is billing the hours, making the money, rushing relentlessly to the top of Drake & Sweeney, a giant D.C. law firm. One step away from partnership, Michael has it all. Then, in an instant, it all comes undone. A homeless man…
The Testament
novel · 1999

In a plush Virginia office, a rich, angry old man is furiously rewriting his will. With his death just hours away, Troy Phelan wants to send a message to his children, his ex-wives, and his minions, a message that will touch off a vicious…
The Brethren
novel · 2000

They call themselves the Brethren: three disgraced former judges doing time in a Florida federal prison. One was sent up for tax evasion. Another, for skimming bingo profits. The third for a career-ending drunken joyride. Meeting daily in…
A Painted House
novel · 2001

Using his own childhood for inspiration (and leaving the lawyers behind), bestselling author John Grisham sets A Painted House in 1950s rural Arkansas. During harvest time, together with hired Mexicans and hill people, seven-year-old Luke…
Skipping Christmas
novel · 2001

Luther and Nora Krank decide that, just this once, they'll skip Christmas altogether. Theirs will be the only house on the street without a rooftop Frosty the snowman; they won't be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren't…
The Summons
novel · 2002

John Grisham's bestselling backlist repackaged with fantastic new coversRay Atlee is a professor of law at the university of Virginia who is forty-three and newly single. He has a father, a very sick old man who lives alone in the…
The King of Torts
novel · 2003

Clay Carter, a public defender, reluctantly takes the case of a young man charged with a random street killing, he assumes it is just another of the many senseless murders that hit D.C. every week. As he digs into the background of his…
Bleachers
novel · 2003

High school All-American Neely Crenshaw was probably the best quarterback ever to play for the legendary Messina Spartans. Fifteen years have gone by since those glory days, and Neely has come home to Messina to bury Coach Eddie Rake, the…
The Last Juror
novel · 2004

In 1970, one of Mississippi s more colorful weekly newspapers, The Ford County Times, went bankrupt. To the surprise and dismay of many, ownership was assumed by a 23-year-old college dropout, named Willie Traynor. The future of the paper…
The Broker
novel · 2005

In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one…
The Innocent Man
nonfiction · 2006

In the town of Ada, Oklahoma, Ron Williamson was going to be the next Mickey Mantle. But on his way to the Big Leagues, Ron stumbled, his dreams broken by drinking, drugs, and women. Then, on a winter night in 1982, not far from Ron’s…
Playing for Pizza
novel · 2007

A former American football star joins the Parma Panthers to play football in a small town in Italy.
The Appeal
novel · 2008

Carl Trudeau is very unhappy that the Mississippi court system has ruled against his chemical company. His company was accused of dumping toxic waste into the water supply of a small town thus causing a large outbreak of cancer in the…
The Associate
novel · 2009

The latest legal thriller from international number one bestselling author John GrishamIt's a deadly game of blackmail. And they're making him play. Kyle McAvoy is one of the outstanding legal students of his generation: he's good…
The Confession
novel · 2010

An innocent man is about to be executed. Only a guilty man can save him. In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, Travis Boyette abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would…
The Litigators
novel · 2011

Law firm partners Oscar Finley and Wally Figg see a chance for huge financial gain when they learn of a pending class action lawsuit against the makers of Krayoxx, a popular cholesterol-reducing drug suspected of causing heart attacks.
Calico Joe
novel · 2012

This story, based on the Cubs and Mets 1973 season follows the divergent paths of Joe Castle, a rookie hitter for the Chicago Cubs and Warren Tracey, a hard-throwing Mets pitcher.
The Racketeer
novel · 2012

In the history of the United States, only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five. His body is found in his remote lakeside cabin. There is no sign of forced entry or struggle. Just…
Gray Mountain
novel · 2014

The year is 2008 and Samantha Kofer’s career at a huge Wall Street law firm is on the fast track—until the recession hits and she gets downsized, furloughed, escorted out of the building. Samantha, though, is one of the “lucky”…
The Rooster Bar
novel · 2017

They dreamed of changing the world. Instead they're facing a mountain of debt and no hope of a future. Mark, Todd and Zola are starting to realise it's not even worth graduating from law school. They're better off hanging out at The…
The Reckoning
novel · 2018

Pete Banning was Clanton's favorite son, a returning war hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church. Then one cool October morning in 1946. he rose early, drove…
The Guardians
novel · 2019

In the small north Florida town of Seabrook, a young lawyer named Keith Russo was shot dead at his desk as he worked late one night. The killer left no clues behind. There were no witnesses, no real suspects, no one with a motive, but the…
Sooley
novel · 2021

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • John Grisham takes you to a different kind of court in his first basketball novel. Samuel “Sooley” Sooleymon is a raw, young talent with big hoop dreams—and even bigger challenges off the court. “Hard to…
Sparring Partners
novella-collection · 2022

Three thrilling stories of the law from the master of the legal thriller. Homecoming takes us back to Ford County, the fictional setting of many of John Grisham's unforgettable stories. Jake Brigance is back, but he's not in the…
The Boys from Biloxi
novel · 2022

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From “a legal literary legend” (USA Today) comes a gripping thriller of two childhood friends who find themselves on opposite sides of the law as adults, with all of John Grisham’s trademark twists and…
Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions
nonfiction · 2024

John Grisham is known worldwide for his bestselling novels, but it’s his real-life passion for justice that led to his work with Jim McCloskey of Centurion Ministries, the first organization dedicated to exonerating innocent people who…
The Widow
novel · 2025

Simon Latch is a lawyer in rural Virginia, making just enough to pay his bills while his marriage slowly falls apart. Then into his office walks Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow in need of a new will. Apparently, her husband left her a…

Short fiction (2)

Ford County: Stories
short-story-collection · 2009
The Tumor
short-story · 2015

Frequently asked questions about John Grisham

Who is John Grisham and where was he born?

John Grisham is an American novelist and former lawyer known for popular legal thrillers. He was born in 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Sources: loc.gov (opens in a new tab)jgrisham.com (opens in a new tab)

What did John Grisham do before becoming a full-time author?

He practiced criminal-defense and personal-injury law in Mississippi and served as a Democratic member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990. He earned degrees from Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi.

Sources: library.msstate.edu (opens in a new tab)lva.virginia.gov (opens in a new tab)

What inspired John Grisham to write legal thrillers?

While practicing law, Grisham witnessed a trial he described as “gut-wrenching,” which sparked the story that became his first novel. His courtroom experience and concerns about the justice system became recurring influences in his fiction.

Sources: library.msstate.edu (opens in a new tab)jgrisham.com (opens in a new tab)

Which awards has John Grisham received?

Among his honors are the 2009 Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction and the 2009 Library of Virginia Lifetime Achievement Award. His official biography also notes that he won the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction twice.

Sources: loc.gov (opens in a new tab)lva.virginia.gov (opens in a new tab)jgrisham.com (opens in a new tab)

What is John Grisham’s legacy as an author?

Grisham is closely associated with bringing legal thrillers to a broad international readership; the Library of Congress calls him America’s most popular writer of legal thrillers. His legacy also includes advocacy for people wrongfully convicted through his work with the Innocence Project and Centurion Ministries.

Sources: loc.gov (opens in a new tab)jgrisham.com (opens in a new tab)