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Jake Brigance Reading Order.

Authorby John Grisham
3 Entries
Quick Answer

Start with A Time to Kill (1989).

A series of legal thrillers centered on small-town Mississippi lawyer Jake Brigance, who often takes on difficult social justice cases.

Where to start

Start with A Time to Kill (1989).

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Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Reading Order3 Titles

Why Publication Order?We recommend reading in Publication Order (default). This follows the author's release schedule, ensuring you experience plot twists, character growth, and world-building exactly as intended without spoilers.
Best Start Here
1

A Time to Kill

Pub: 1989

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham’s first novel is a searing courtroom drama that probes the savage depths of racial violence and introduced the world to fearless lawyer Jake Brigance. “John Grisham may well be the best American storyteller writing today.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer The life of a ten-year-old black girl is shattered by two drunken and remorseless white men. The mostly white town of Clanton in Ford County, Mississippi, reacts with shock and horror at the inhuman crime—until the girl’s father acquires an assault rifle and takes justice into his own hands. For ten days, as burning crosses and the crack of sniper fire spread through the streets of Clanton, the nation sits spellbound as defense attorney Jake Brigance struggles to save his client’s life—and then his own. Look for all of John Grisham’s gripping Jake Brigance novels: A Time to Kill Sycamore Row A Time for Mercy

2

Sycamore Row

Pub: 2013

Plot details hidden until you finish "A Time to Kill".

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham returns to the iconic setting of his first novel, A Time to Kill, as Jake Brigance finds himself embroiled in a controversial trial that exposes a tortured history of racial tension. “Welcome back, Jake. . . . [Brigance] is one of the most fully developed and engaging characters in all of Grisham’s novels.”—USA Today Seth Hubbard is a wealthy white 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 defense attorney Jake Brigance into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County’s most notorious citizens, just three years earlier. The second will raises many more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what does it all have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row? Look for all of John Grisham’s gripping Jake Brigance novels: A Time to Kill Sycamore Row A Time for Mercy

3

A Time for Mercy

Pub: 2020

Plot details hidden until you finish "Sycamore Row".

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Jake Brigance is back! The hero of A Time to Kill, one of the most popular novels of our time, returns in a “riveting” (The New York Times) courtroom drama from “the best thriller writer alive” (Ken Follett). There is a time to kill and a time for justice. Now comes A Time for Mercy. Clanton, Mississippi. 1990. 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. 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’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. Bursting with all the courthouse scheming, small-town intrigue, and stunning plot twists that have become the hallmarks of the master of the legal thriller, A Time for Mercy is a richly rewarding novel that is both timely and timeless, full of wit, drama, and—most of all—heart. Look for all of John Grisham’s gripping Jake Brigance novels: A Time to Kill Sycamore Row A Time for Mercy

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Frequently Asked Questions

What order should I read Jake Brigance in?

Start with A Time to Kill (1989).

How many books are in Jake Brigance?

3 main books, published 1989–2020.

Can I read Jake Brigance out of order?

It's best not to. The books build on each other, so reading out of order spoils earlier twists.

Has Jake Brigance been adapted for TV or film?

A Time to Kill was adapted as a film in 1996.