The Reckoning

Most of Grisham’s Ford County stories contain elements of the Southern Gothic, with a focus on family, racism, corruption, culture, and history.

A Time to Kill by John Grisham (1989)

Jake Brigance must defend a father who has murdered the men who brutally raped his 10-year-old daughter.

The Summons by John Grisham (2002)

On his deathbed, Judge Atlee summons his two sons back to Clanton to discuss their inheritance. The older son, Ray, is a Virginia law professor. Forrest is his black sheep younger brother. They return too late. Their father has died, leaving behind a secret that only Ray knows.

The Chamber by John Grisham (1994)

Twenty-six-year-old Adam Hall risks his career for a death-row killer who just happens to be his grandfather.

The Last Juror by John Grisham (2004)

Willie Traynor, newly minted owner of Ford County’s only newspaper, dares to report on the brutal murder of a young mother. Ten years later, the men and women who served on the jury are dying one by one.

Sycamore Row by John Grisham (2013)

When wealthy Seth Hubbard hangs himself from a sycamore tree, he leaves a handwritten will that forces his adult children, his Black maid, and defense attorney Jake Brigance to question whether he was in his right mind. It all has to do with a piece of land called Sycamore Row.

A Time for Mercy by John Grisham (2020)

Jake Brigance is back as the court-appointed attorney for Drew Gamble, a 16-year-old boy accused of murder. Fighting time against public feeling, Brigance finds that there is more to the story. His determination to save Drew from the death penalty puts everything he cares about on the line.

Ford County by John Grisham (2009)

A collection of seven novellas set in Ford County.