Best of John Grisham: His Top 10 Novels

I am a huge fan of John's Grisham's work. He was the best-selling author of the 1990s, and is well known for his legal thrillers. Grisham has written over twenty novels, including a piece of non-fiction. I have read most of his novels; here are my top ten personal favorite novels written by Grisham.

#1 Novel: The Partner - By far, the first Grisham novel I ever read is still my favorite. It all begins when they find him living in Ponta Pora, Brazil. Danilo Silva always knew they would find him, so he was prepared. What he wasn't prepared for, however, was the physical torture that lay ahead.

#2 Novel: The Firm - Another of Grisham's best works, this novel is about a young lawyer named Mitch McDeere. He is miraculously offered a very high-paying job with a firm right out of law school. Soon, Mitch realizes the job is too good to be true.

#3 Novel: The Rainmaker - This is the story of a young lawyer who takes on a large insurance company, which repeatedly denied the legitimate claims of a poor Southern couple, causing their son to die. The Rainmaker is Grisham's one and only attempt at writing in the first person, which turned out well.

#4 Novel: The Pelican Brief - Law student, Darby Shaw, starts her investigation into two murders and starts a file with her theory of why the Supreme Court justices were murdered. When her file makes its way to the White House, and things start to go wrong, she starts to suspect her theory was not far from the truth.

#5 Novel: The Associate - Similar to The Firm , this novel is built on suspense, making it difficult to put the book down after each chapter. It is about a law student named Kyle McAvoy, who is also a basketball coach for inner city kids. The story begins to twist and turn when Kyle is immersed in secrets and deception.

#6 Novel: The Appeal - This is a shocking story about a jury that returns a verdict against a chemical company, which has been accused of dumping toxic waste in the small town's water supply. The company appeals to the Supreme Court, whose nine justices will either have to approve or repeal it.

#7 Novel: The Runaway Jury - A landmark trial has millions of dollars at stake, and the jurors are behaving strangely. Are they being manipulated?

#8 Novel: The Confession - Travis Boyette watches and laughs as Donte Drumm, a local football star, is convicted of a crime he committed. Nine years later, Travis suffers an inoperable brain tumor and decides to confess to his crime. Will they believe him?

#9 Novel: A Time to Kill - When a ten-year-old girl's life is shattered by two drunk men, her father decides to take justice into his own hands. In this courtroom drama, Grisham tells a tale of racial violence.

#10 Novel: A Painted House - Inspired by Grisham's own Arkansas childhood, this story is about a young boy named Luke Chandler whose family is struggling financially. The plot is hard to follow in the beginning, but gradually pulls the reader in. It is perhaps one of his most successful stories outside the legal thriller genre.