Every John Grisham book in publication order — 56 in total, spanning 1989–2025.
John Grisham didn't just write legal thrillers — he more or less invented the modern version and then spent three decades perfecting it. A Mississippi lawyer and state legislator, he wrote his first novel, A Time to Kill, in the early mornings before work; it sold modestly, but his second, The Firm (1991), became a runaway phenomenon and turned him into a household name. What followed is one of the most remarkable runs in publishing: dozens of consecutive #1 bestsellers, hundreds of millions of copies sold, and a book (sometimes two) nearly every year. And while the courtroom is his home turf, his range is wider than people expect — sports novels (Bleachers, Sooley), a Christmas comedy (Skipping Christmas), the Theodore Boone books for young readers, and hard-hitting nonfiction about wrongful convictions, a cause close to his heart. If you like a propulsive story with a moral spine, he almost never misses.
Few novelists have fed Hollywood like Grisham — his books launched a whole era of glossy 1990s legal thrillers, and the adaptations keep coming. If you know him from the screen first, the novels are richer and twistier every time.
1993The FirmFilm — Tom Cruise; later a 2012 TV series.
1993The Pelican BriefFilm — Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.
1994The ClientFilm — Susan Sarandon; also a mid-90s TV series.
1996A Time to KillFilm — Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock.
1997The RainmakerFilm — Matt Damon; directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
2003Runaway JuryFilm — Gene Hackman, John Cusack, Dustin Hoffman.
2018The Innocent ManDocuseries — Netflix; from his nonfiction book.
Plus The Chamber, The Gingerbread Man, Christmas with the Kranks (from Skipping Christmas), and a fresh wave of streaming adaptations of his classics.
Frequently asked
What order should I read John Grisham books in?
Most of his novels are standalones you can read in any order. The exceptions are his series: read the Jake Brigance books in order (A Time to Kill, Sycamore Row, A Time for Mercy), the Camino Island books in order, the Theodore Boone books (for younger readers) in order, and the Lacy Stoltz/Whistler books together.
What is the best John Grisham book to start with?
The Firm (1991) is the classic entry point and the one that made his name. A Time to Kill (1989) is a great alternative if you want to start with his very first novel and meet Jake Brigance.
What is the newest John Grisham book?
His recent titles include The Boys from Biloxi (2022), The Exchange: After The Firm (2023) — a sequel to The Firm — Camino Ghosts (2024), and The Widow (2025), along with the nonfiction Framed (2024).
Which John Grisham books have been made into movies?
Many — including The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Chamber, and Runaway Jury, plus the Netflix docuseries The Innocent Man. He is one of the most-adapted novelists of the modern era.
A Time to Kill
Sycamore Row
A Time for Mercy
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
The Abduction
The Accused
The Activist
The Fugitive
The Scandal
The Accomplice
The Whistler
Camino Island
Camino Winds
Rogue Lawyer
The Firm
The Pelican Brief
The Client
The Chamber
The Rainmaker
The Runaway Jury
The Partner
The Street Lawyer
The Testament
The Brethren
A Painted House
Skipping Christmas
The Summons
The King of Torts
Bleachers
The Last Juror
The Broker
Playing for Pizza
The Appeal
The Associate
The Confession
The Litigators
Calico Joe
The Racketeer
Gray Mountain
The Rooster Bar
The Reckoning
The Guardians
Ford County A Short Story Collection
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
Delta Blues