John Grisham
A TIME FOR MERCY (Jake Brigance #3)
464 pages
Doubleday / October 2020
Crime / Legal / Thriller
Grisham returns to Ford County in Mississippi for the third (novel length) time! Attorney Jake Brigance is back. (While you do not need to read the first two in the "series"- I do highly recommend both: A Time to Kill [Grisham's first novel], and Sycamore Row. Both cases from these books are referenced throughout A Time for Mercy, but explained enough so readers who have not read them will not feel lost).
This time things are going good for Jake and Harry Rex. They have a case about to go to trial, and the money they plan to make (knowing it will settle) will be the largest settlement sum ever paid in Ford County. Case is pretty open and shut. A truck was struck by a train when the flashing lights were not properly working. Kids died. Injuries sustained . . .
But then things get turned upside down. Drew, a sixteen year old boy, shoots and kills a police officer. Jake wants nothing to do with the case. Killing a cop is bad news in Mississippi. Judge Noose, hearing the case, assigns Jake as the "public" defender. It couldn't be worse timing.
Jake has a reputation in Ford County: Getting people out of trouble who most people think should have served time. And this case was sure to garner unwanted attention. The citizens were crying for the death penalty. The gas chamber. No one could understand how or why Jake would be defending a cop killer.
The twist, the officer was a violent drunk. He beat his girlfriend, and her kids. As the case moves forward, other dark secrets are unearthed. The secrets can either hurt or help Jake's case. To make matters worse, a secret from Jake's own past creeps up and threatens the possible multi-million dollar pay out on his other case.
With everything on the line, zero money to try cases, and the town against him, Jake must do his best to not only win the case, but deliver justice in a courtroom drama to rival all of his other works.
Loved seeing Jake and the family again! Hope there will be more cases in Ford County in the future.
Another fantastic novel by one of the best legal thriller writers!
Phillip Tomasso
Author of YOU CHOOSE
I just finished reading A Time For Mercy last night....just didn't want it to end. I have read all of John Grisham's books and he never fails to deliver a wonderful story. Keep writing John and I will keep purchasing! Thank you
ReplyDeleteI agree. It was so so so character driven. I loved every page! Thank you for leaving a comment!
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