When we discuss the world of fiction, there are certain names that keep recurring because of the immense contribution they have made to literature. Among these names is the name of John Grisham, whose works are shining examples of how legal thrillers should be written.
Having been in the business for over three decades, Grisham has produced one hit novel after another. This is why it comes as a surprise to no one that he is one of only three authors whose books have gone on to sell two million copies on the first printing.
Another unique thing about Grisham is that he hasn’t just stuck to fiction but has also written non-fiction books. In addition to creating book series that have won the hearts of readers worldwide, he has also crafted standalone novels that stand strong all by themselves.
The outstanding popularity of his novels has led many of them to be adapted into movies and TV shows over the years as well.
If you are someone who has yet to pick up a John Grisham novel and are wondering where to start from, we will be providing you with a list of the John Grisham books in order of their release in this article.
With so many books to discuss about, let’s get straight to it.
Table of Contents
The List of John Grisham’s Books
| Sr. No. | Title | Publication Date | Print Length | Publisher | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jake Brigance Series | 1993 November 1 | 496 Pages | Doubleday | |
| 2 | Mitch McDeere Series | 1991 February 1 | 432 Pages | Doubleday | |
| 3 | Theodore Boone Series | 2010 August 24 | 278 Pages | Thorndike Press | |
| 4 | Rogue Lawyer Series | 2016 July 26 | 352 Pages | Vintage | |
| 5 | The Whistler Series | 2016 September 27 | 37 Pages | Doubleday | |
| 6 | Camino Island Series | 2018 March 6 | 336 Pages | Anchor | |
| 7 | Standalone Novels Written by John Grisham | 1992 February 15 | 384 Pages | Doubleday | |
| 8 | Non-fiction books by John Grisham | 2002 July 1 | Simon & Schuster Audio | ||
| 9 | Short Stories Written by John Grisham | 2010 May 27 | 352 Pages | Arrow |
John Grisham has developed various sorts of books so far in his career. These include book series, standalones, short stories, and non-fiction books. Let’s now take a look at the numerous literary creations we have had from this prolific author.
Order of the Series Written by John Grisham
We will firstly be discussing the book series written by John Grisham till date. They are as follows:
Jake Brigance Series
With A Time to Kill, Grisham initiated the Jake Brigance series back in 1989. The series focuses on Jake Brigance, who is a young defense attorney, when we meet him for the first time in the series.
The first book narrates the story of a 10-year-old kid who faces horrors no child should ever have to come across, and it’s all because of two men who neither have any remorse nor do they fear the law.
In the fictional town of Clanton, Mississippi, a wave of shock goes through when the residents – who are mostly white – hear about what took place. However, an even bigger shock is in store for them when the girl’s black father decides to deal with the matter on his own.
Jake Brigance enters the scene to bring justice to his client, and as the novel progresses further, he realizes that he might have to save his own life in the process as well.
The publication order of the Jake Brigance series:
- A Time to Kill (1989)
- Sycamore Row (2013)
- A Time for Mercy (2020)
- Homecoming (2022)
Mitch McDeere Series
Through just two books, Grisham gives us a gripping series in the form of the Mitch McDeere series. With these novels, we see the evolution of a character who goes from being a young and brilliant mind to one who has to face evils that are much bigger than he has ever imagined.
Mitch McDeere completes his law degree from Harvard with flying colors, as a result of which he gets the chance to take his pick from a wide array of the most brilliant law firms in the USA. The one he ends up choosing, however, may not have been his smartest decision.
Although the pay and financial benefits seem immensely attractive, there is a weird feeling he gets from this particular firm. His nightmares come true when an FBI investigation reveals that the firm has connections with the mafia.
Mitch gets caught up in a web of lies and deceit, and he must do everything in his power to escape.
The publication order of the Mitch McDeere series:
Theodore Boone Series
With the Theodore Boone series, Grisham takes a slight departure from his usual adult fiction route and tries his hands at young adult fiction, and we must say he does an extremely commendable job.
Through the course of seven novels, he keeps the readers hooked and guessing till the end of the series. The protagonist of the series is Theodore Boone, a 13-year-old kid in the tiny city of Strattenburg who dreams of becoming a lawyer someday.
The city is known to have plenty of lawyers, and Theodore believes he will be one of them in the future. He knows every single policeman and judge who is a part of the system.
However, turns out that Theodore might have to face the court much sooner than expected, and the reason isn’t a positive one.
He finds himself at the center of a murder trial, and he is the only one who knows the truth. It’s now in Theo’s hands to speak up or let a murderer walk free. Although the road looks bleak, Theo knows just what he must do as a cheerleader of justice.
The publication order of the Theodore Boone series:
- Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer / Young Lawyer (2010)
- The Abduction (2010)
- The Accused (2012)
- The Activist (2013)
- The Fugitive (2015)
- The Scandal (2016)
- The Accomplice (2019)
Rogue Lawyer Series
Grisham’s Rogue Lawyer series comprises of a main book, with the second book being a novella and a prequel that is related to the incidents that take place prior to the first novel.
In the first book of the series, Grisham introduces us to Sebastian Rudd, a street lawyer who is quite different from the others in his profession.
He works from a customized bulletproof van which serves as his office, and the office is equipped with all the essential items, such as a fridge, leather chairs, and Wi-Fi.
Rudd neither works with partners nor with a firm, but he does have a single employee who is his armed driver, confidant, law clerk, and bodyguard. The lawyer is known to defend people who are otherwise ignored by those in the same field, such as crime lords and shady kids.
He is of the opinion that everyone deserves a fair chance, and he is willing to give them that very chance, even if it means applying slightly crooked ways to bring about justice.
The publication order of the Rogue Lawyer series:
The Whistler Series
The Whistler series comprises of two books and one novella. In this world, the focus is on lawyers and how not all of them are fair or corruption-free.
Grisham, through this series, reminds his readers that while we all expect judges to be the picture of justice, there are some who taint that image as well.
He carries these books forward through the central character named Lacy Stoltz, who works for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct as an investigator. She is a lawyer who deals with cases related to judicial misconduct.
One fine day, she comes across a case that isn’t related to incompetence and is instead related to corruption. Greg Myers, a lawyer who was disbarred and is now back with a new identity, claims to know a lawyer from Florida who is more twisted and corrupt than any judge who has ever lived.
While Lacy wants to reveal the truth, she also knows that there is plenty of risk involved. The scary part is that this case could just up endangering her life.
The publication order of the The Whistler series:
Camino Island Series
In the thrilling Camino Island series, Grisham takes us on a ride that involves writers, booksellers, stolen books, and so much more. The two primary characters in this series are Bruce Cable and Mercer Mann.
Bruce Cable is the owner of a famous bookstore located in Florida’s Camino Island. However, his main source of income comes from dealing with rare books. He is known to visit the black market occasionally to get his hands on stolen books and manuscripts, which is a secret very few people know.
Mercer Mann is a young woman and writer who has recently lost her job as a teacher and is currently suffering from writer’s block. So, when a mysterious woman approaches her to do a shady job in exchange for a large sum, Mann isn’t sure what to do.
The job involves going undercover and getting into Cable’s literary group to learn all his deep, dark secrets. The series traces the equation, which then begins between Cable and Mann.
The publication order of the Camino Island series:
Standalone Novels Written by John Grisham
Grisham has written close to 30 standalone novels till date, and they have all been loved by readers universally. Of all the standalones that have been produced by his pen, The Pelican Brief is undoubtedly one of the most popular novels ever.
The novel opens by informing the readers that two Supreme Court justices in the United States have been brutally murdered. On the other hand, we get to know of a young law student named Darby Shaw, who is preparing a legal brief.
However, what she thinks of as just a guess turns out to be an important piece in a political puzzle. Soon enough, she is found to be a witness to a murder that was actually intended for Darby.
She realizes that the only person who can help her solve this puzzle is a talented reporter. While a cover-up gets designed somewhere in the city, there is someone who comes across Darby’s brief. Will she be able to stop them from attempting to destroy all the crucial pieces of evidence?
If this sounds interesting enough to you, we’re sure you will find all of Grisham’s standalone books immensely gripping.
The publication order of the standalone novels:
- The 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)
- Bleachers (2003)
- The Last Juror (2004)
- The Broker (2005)
- Playing for Pizza (2007)
- The Appeal (2008)
- The Associate (2009)
- The Confession (2010)
- The Litigators (2011)
- Calico Joe (2012)
- The Racketeer (2012)
- Gray Mountain (2014)
- The Rooster Bar (2017)
- The Reckoning (2018)
- The Guardians (2019)
- Sooley (2021)
- The Boys from Biloxi (2022)
Non-fiction books by John Grisham
Grisham’s name has been a part of a couple of non-fiction titles, with the most popular one being The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town. Released in 2006, it’s a true crime book that presents a picture of how justice works in a small town.
One of the stories speaks about Ron Williamson who was a part of the huge league draft of 1971. He left his hometown to chase his major legal dreams. However, he came back home six years later with a string of bad habits to accompany him, including drugs and alcohol.
He lost all his jobs, began to live with his mother, and slept for 20 hours every day. In 1982, a case came to light which involved a young waitress being raped and murdered. Ron Williamson and his friend became suspects due to reasons that weren’t named.
The book shows the way justice and the legal system work in America and how the truth may not be as it always seems.
The publication order of the non-fiction books:
- The Wavedancer Benefit: A Tribute to Frank Muller (2002)
- The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town (2006)
Short Stories Written by John Grisham
Since Grisham clearly loves to dominate all kinds of books, he also has a collection of short stories, to no one’s surprise.
The collection is known as Ford County and contains seven short stories, namely Fetching Raymond, Fish Files, Blood Drive, Quiet Haven, Michael’s Room, Casino, and Funny Boy.
Through these stories, Grisham takes his readers down memory lane through the setting of Ford County, Mississippi, which is where his very first novel was set.
One of the stories features a woman named Inez Graney, who goes on a road trip with her two older sons named Butch and Leon to visit Raymond, the youngest son. Raymond has been awaiting execution for 11 years, and this could be the last chance for them to visit him.
In another intriguing story, we are told about Mack Stafford, who is a divorce lawyer who is addicted to alcohol. One day, he gets the chance to settle some old cases in exchange for a large sum of money. The story follows the decisions taken by Mack.
The collection also features the setting of a retirement home. Although it seems like a boring and dull place, the arrival of a new person changes the scenario. However, the reality of this new person may be darker than anyone could have possibly imagined.
The publication order of the short stories:
Conclusion
When it comes to a writer like John Grisham, who has written more books than one can count, it can indeed be slightly overwhelming to keep track of all the novels and book series he has produced.
While it may not seem like a difficult task for some of the ardent John Grisham fans, it can feel daunting to the newbies who are just beginning to explore this author’s books.
We hope this article and the list we have curated proves to be helpful so that you can come back to it whenever you decide to pick up his books next.
