Dean Ehrenheim

Just finished this latest Grisham book and I was not disappointed. A Time for Mercy, is technically a sequel. That being said it can totally stand alone and certainly does. Yes the community, characters and culture are familiar, set in Ford County and the backwater town of Clanton, Mississippi, Jake Brigance is back with all the cast of family, friends and antagonists you have come to expect. Both mind and heart will be drawn into the charming setting and you will find yourself rooting for Jake as he defends the undefendable. In A Time to Kill, the key narrative crime was so violent and heart wrenching the reader was both appalled and angered. The loss of an innocent life drew the reader into a sympathetic outrage you just could not ignore. In A Time for Mercy, the capital crime is much less heinous, yet Grisham draws you in just as well as he did in A Time to Kill. It pulls the reader in from start to finish. Grisham tackles the politically charged issues of death penalty, abortion, and poverty. As a backdrop to homelessness, Grisham shows the value of small rural Christian churches and its people. His treatment of faith is refreshing. I knew nothing of the plot when I started the novel and don’t want to give anything away, but you will discover the ups and downs of a small town trial lawyer in a way that is totally satisfying. This was the most amazing Grisham book I have read. It’s great to see that Grisham still yarns a story in a way that compels the reader to feel and care. All in all, A Time for Mercy is a well thought out and entertaining read that will give the reader hours of emotion-fill and satisfying reading. Take the journey! Note: I listened to the audiobook version. Michael Beck is back to read this novel in a way only he can. His relaxed drawl transports you back to rural Mississippi in the 90’s. I could just about feel the setting sun on my face sitting on a porch sipping whiskey with Lucian Wilbanks. Enjoy.