50 Must-Read 50 Beta
← The Must-Read 50
Cover of A Time for Mercy by John GrishamA Time for Mercy
Modern · Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

A Time for Mercy

by John Grisham
2020 · 708 pages · Fiction
70.1Must-Read
Score Modern
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 18 hours to read · about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Jake Brigance, the small-town Mississippi lawyer of A Time to Kill and Sycamore Row, is back in his toughest case ever, one that puts him at odds with his own town.

Why it's worth reading

It spent 4 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Many readers consider it one of John Grisham's best.

You'll love it if you liked

Cover of Sycamore Row by John GrishamSycamore Row
Sycamore RowJohn Grisham
Cover of The Guardians by John GrishamThe Guardians
The GuardiansJohn Grisham
Cover of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeTo Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee

Good to know

It's the third Jake Brigance novel; it stands alone, but reading A Time to Kill first helps.

By the numbers

70.1Must-Read Score
  • Readers55 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller56 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
#1 New York Times bestseller (4 weeks at #1)24 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2020

Reads as

Gripping

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

More by John Grisham

Cover of The Pelican Brief by John GrishamThe Pelican Brief
The Pelican BriefJohn Grisham
Cover of The Widow by John GrishamThe Widow
The WidowJohn Grisham
Cover of The Client by John GrishamThe Client
The ClientJohn Grisham
Cover of The Rainmaker by John GrishamThe Rainmaker
The RainmakerJohn Grisham

If you like this, read next

Cover of Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden KeefeSay Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern IrelandPatrick Radden Keefe
Cover of Verity by Colleen HooverVerity
VerityColleen Hoover
Cover of Gone Girl by Gillian FlynnGone Girl
Gone GirlGillian Flynn
Cover of The Martian by Andy WeirThe Martian
The MartianAndy Weir
Cover of 2666 by Roberto Bolaño2666
2666Roberto Bolaño
Cover of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn MuirGideon the Ninth
Gideon the NinthTamsyn Muir

Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2020sTop 25 · 555 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is A Time for Mercy worth reading?

Yes. It spent 4 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It ranks #1,286 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.1 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is A Time for Mercy about?

Jake Brigance, the small-town Mississippi lawyer of A Time to Kill and Sycamore Row, is back in his toughest case ever, one that puts him at odds with his own town.

How long does it take to read A Time for Mercy?

About 18 hours (708 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after A Time for Mercy?

If you liked it, try Sycamore Row by John Grisham, The Guardians by John Grisham or To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.