This is the third Jake Brigance novel, who was the star of John Grisham’s first big novel, a Time to Kill, and also the much more recent and excellent Sycamore Row. Here Grisham is in his native habitat, talking about the law in Mississippi, where he was plied that very trade. This novel is frankly more interesting and better than some of the other recent offerings by Grisham, not least because the author brings to bear his deep understanding of the nature of the culture and society of the deep South, and how legal matters like capital punishment tend to play in such places. This novel is longer than some of Grisham’s offerings (464) and it maintains one’s interest throughout, and no you can probably not guess the precise nature of the surprise ending. Here is the summary on Amazon…..
“Clanton, Mississippi. 1990. Jake Brigance finds himself embroiled in a deeply divisive trial when the court appoints him attorney for Drew Gamble, a timid sixteen-year-old boy accused of murdering a local deputy. Many in Clanton want a swift trial and the death penalty, but Brigance digs in and discovers that there is more to the story than meets the eye. Jake’s fierce commitment to saving Drew from the gas chamber puts his career, his financial security, and the safety of his family on the line.
In what may be the most personal and accomplished legal thriller of John Grisham’s storied career, we deepen our acquaintance with the iconic Southern town of Clanton and the vivid cast of characters that so many readers know and cherish. The result is a richly rewarding novel that is both timely and timeless, full of wit, drama, and—most of all—heart.
Bursting with all the courthouse scheming, small-town intrigue, and stunning plot twists that have become the hallmarks of the master of the legal thriller, A Time for Mercy is John Grisham’s most powerful courtroom drama yet.
There is a time to kill and a time for justice. Now comes A Time for Mercy.”
This novel raises in helpful ways the whole issue of whether there is such a thing as justifiable homicide, even of a police officer, and if so under what circumstances. Does the fact that one has been abused or even raped by the victim somehow change the calculus and when murder should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law? What if one is a teenager and has seen both his mother and his sister so abused? Inquiring minds want to know. Put another away…. when should forgiveness come into play when the law is all about issues of justice but your whole life is about injustice and worse? I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and commend it to all my readers.
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