John Grisham Books

Running away, escaping. That's what this book is about. Contrary to his regular way of writing, this book starts at the end: the main character, Patrick Flanigan, his being caught after four years in hiding.

A lawyer, Flanigan had planned everything: he faked his death, had facial surgery. He left with around 90 millions and fled for Brazil. Of course, the money wasn't his, and after four years, his old "socios" catch up with him... Now troubles begin.

I can not tell you the end, but one thing for sure: Grisham brings a new twist to this story that is a refreshment from his classic work. In this book Grisham reminds me more of Ludlum than of Grisham: No emotion. Action. Mystery. Twists and turns.

A really good book: I stayed up all night to finish it. And the translation in Spanish is not bad, either.

One of Grisham's best...couldn't put this one down ... every page was better than the last ..full of class and suspense!
This one got me hooked on Grisham!

"The Firm" still remains John Grisham's best novel, but "The Rainmaker" is far and away his funniest. I have never read a book that better managed to hit my funny bone straight on without tipping over the edge into farce (i.e., John Irving at his best). This time around Grisham's would be hero is Rudy Baylor, in his final semester of law school and required by one of his professors to provide free legal advice at a Senior Citizens home. There he meets Miss Birdie, an old lady who apparently has millions of dollars salted away and who definitely needs a new will, and Dot Black, who's son Donny Ray is dying of leukemia while their insurance company refuses to pay for medical treatment. In the legal world a "rainmaker" is someone who brings in big clients (i.e., big money) to a law firm. When Rudy's future job suddenly disappears in the wake of a surprise merger, these cases might be his ticket to a promising legal career.

The villains are lawyers from a giant firm and a heartless insurance company, which is certainly stacking the deck but part of the fun as Grisham pours it on. As with "The Pelican Brief" there is a bit of misdirection at the beginning in terms of getting a read on the main character. Rudy is broke and has some shady friends in the legal profession, but the bottom line is he is a good guy and he will do the right thing. Even if it means playing David against Goliath in a stacked courtroom where the presiding judge is best buds with the great Leo F. Drummond of the giant law firm Trent & Brent, representing the Great Benefits Insurance Company. But then Rudy gets a break. The presiding judge suddenly drops dead and his replacement, Judge Kipler, is a plaintiff's dream. Rudy also has the truth on his side, but believe me, having the presiding judge on your side and having a key piece of damming evidence fall into your lap and finding the missing witness that has disappeared are all more important in the end.

The joy of this book is watching little Rudy beat the big bad guys. Every single lawyer's trick used by Drummond fails with Judge Kipler. Every dirty trick by the insurance company is exposed by Rudy, who comes up with some little twists of his own. Sure, all the rabbits getting pulled out of the hat is a bit excessive, but that is what makes this such a fun read. At the heart of this book is the quest for justice, but that does not mean we can not enjoy a little payback along the way. The romantic subplot between Rudy and Kelly comes across as something of a diversion from the main story, but at the end it gives the hero someone with whom he can ride off into the sunset. "The Rainmaker" is one of those books where you pick it up from time to time to read the good parts. If you saw the movie and enjoyed Rudy sticking it to the bad guys, then you should enjoy much more of the same in this novel.

Reviewed by Narayan Radhakrishnan for RebeccasReads (3/08)

John Grisham-- the name spells magic-- and no one can deny the fact that it was Grisham who took the law outside the courtroom in his novel, and gave the legal thriller genre a place, a niche, of it own, in the mystery genre map.

Unlike many who fell to the charm of Grisham after reading "The Firm," I fell for the magic only after reading "A Time to Kill" about a Black-American on trial, before an all-white jury, for the murder of two white kids who had raped his 12-year-old daughter. Never since "To Kill a Mockingbird" had I read such a haunting and bleak portrayal of the law and justice in a novel. I was hooked and from there on each February I religiously bought and read each and every legal thriller- right up to "The Appeal." Today I am the proud owner of all Grisham works including sixteen legal thrillers, one non-fiction legal thriller, "The Innocent Man," four non-legal novels and copies of the manuscript of two Grisham original screenplays--"Mickey" and "The Gingerbread Man."

Though Grisham, the author, has become a household name--(I am reminded of an episode from the TV serial "3rd Rock from the Sun" where aliens John Lithgow and Company are trying hard to adjust to the American culture. They read in a newspaper that an average American reads John Grisham, eats pizza, etc., and the particular episode ends with Lithgow and Company all reading a Grisham bestseller and eating pizza)-- the man, Grisham still remains an enigma. It is difficult to get an insight into the man who keeps to himself, away from the glare of publicity as much as he can. It is here that "Revisiting John Grisham: A Critical Companion" comes to the rescue. Nope, it is not a biography, but a hard, critical look at all the fiction works written by Grisham and a follow-up to the author's earlier work "John Grisham: A Critical Companion" (1997). The author has really studied the man Grisham before embarking upon this project and the same is reflected in the book. The painstaking job the author has done in editing, researching and collecting material is to be appreciated and this book is a must resource guide to the fans of John Grisham. This is both a critical companion and a biography (in a limited sense)

Mary Beth Pringle has done a grand job; and my only peeve is that the author doesn't delve on the original screenplays written by Grisham. But again that is understandable, for the same are not available as books. However, the story of Grisham as an original screenplay writer in Hollywood is interesting, which I believe would have amused the Grisham fan; hence the `peeve.'

"Revisiting John Grisham: A Critical Companion" has inspired me to do a bit of revisiting myself and I plan to reread my favorite Grisham works.

I havent had a chance to hear The Summons yet, but The Brethren was a very nice listen. It is so much nicer to have a book-on-cd to listen to during a long trip than just normal music. Music gets old, a good grisham novel pulls you in. If you have a shorter trip (or if you arent very patient) you might want to check out abbridged versions of his books.

"The Testament" is, I think, John Grisham's finest work. Not because it is one of his better 'the lawyers will do anything for the money' books, and not because it is an excellent morality tale about what greed does to people, but because it is a remarkable story of self-discovery, and finding humanity in yourself when maybe you had thought it was just too late.
Before discussing the book, a critical point. As we all know, every audio book is almost pre-determined by the reader chosen to narrate. Great books can become boring. Bad books can become enjoyable depending on who is doing the 'telling.' This unabridged version of the book is read by simply the greatest reader of our generation - Frank Muller. You will absolutely treasure his voice and his incredible characterizations. He could draw you into a reading of your grocery list.
The story in a nutshell - Nate O'Riley, an alcoholic, unhappy, down on his luck trial attorney, is about to lose his license and be "asked" to leave his firm. He is picked, mostly as a convenience to the firm, by the senior partner, to travel to the isolated reaches of northern Brazil ("the Pantanal")to locate Rachel, the illegitimate daughter of Troy Phelan, the firm's client, in order to administer his $11 billion estate after his death. The father hated his own six children and his ex-wives so much that he not only wanted to leave them with nothing, but also hoped to leave them destitute for the rest of their hateful and unhappy lives. After some near misses, Nate and his guides (who are colorful characters themselves) finally locate Rachel in the remote reaches of the jungle. The battle between the vultures (and their lawyers) and Nate, (unbeknownst to Rachel) as her attorney, thus begins. The only problem with Troy's plan - she has committed her life to God and has absolutely no interest in the money (we're talking #11 billion here with a 'b')
The story unfolds at a nice pace. Muller draws the listener in and the discs will fly in and out of your player as Nate travels to Brazil, encounters the locals, boats up the river and finally meets and is captivated by Rachel, who helps him understand that maybe there is a bit more at stake in all of this than the money.
The return to the states and the inevitable court fight may be Grisham's best writing. He balances humorous touches (greedy, nasty siblings don't seem to have a great deal of trust amongst themselves) with the "attack dog" mentality and dishonesty of the family lawyers to provide a tense, often funny roller coaster ride to the finish. The ending arrives all too quickly and will leave you - not sad, but certainly reflective about the characters and how they might reflect a bit of all of us more than we might admit be willing to admit.
It's what great storytellers do, and John Grisham, (and Frank Muller), with "the Testament," shows that he is one of our greatest storytellers.

Troy Phelan was a billionaire who did not care for a single member of his family. After his death his will left his estate to a woman named Rachel, a missionary in Brazil. However, in order to notify Rachel of her inheritance her court appointed attorney, Nate, must travel to Brazil. This is not a simple plane trip for Rachel is in the deep jungles of Brazil. Thus, Nate must travel by plane, boat, & foot to find Rachel in Brazil and have her sign the documents accepting her fortune. Legal suspense is mixed with adventure in revealing the startling secret of The Testament - altering lives forever.

El senior Grisham,es para mi uno de los esritores mas brillantes que existen.Es una lastima que no tengamos todos sus libros es espanol. gracias.

I have read every JG novel to date, and this one is still my favorite.

A must read. I saw the movie but the details in the book are real life.