Sycamore Row

By: John Grisham

Narrated by: Michael Beck

Length: 20 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Thriller/Suspense, 2014

John Grisham takes you back to where it all began...

John Grisham's A Time to Kill is one of the most popular novels of our time. Now we return to that famous courthouse in Clanton as Jake Brigance once again finds himself embroiled in a fiercely controversial trial - a trial that will expose old racial tensions and force Ford County to confront its tortured history.

Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten, will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his Black maid, and Jake into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County's most notorious citizens, just three years earlier.

The second will raises far more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what does it all have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row?

In Sycamore Row, John Grisham returns to the setting and the compelling characters that first established him as America's favorite storyteller. Here, in his most assured and thrilling novel yet, is a powerful testament to the fact that Grisham remains the master of the legal thriller, nearly 25 years after the publication of A Time to Kill.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2013 Belfry Holdings, Inc (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

Praise for the novels of John Grisham

"John Grisham is about as good a storyteller as we've got in the United States these days." —The New York Times Book Review

"John Grisham is exceptionally good at what he does—indeed, right now in this country, nobody does it better." —Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post

"Grisham is a marvelous storyteller who works readers the way a good trial lawyer works a jury." — Philadelphia Inquirer

"John Grisham owns the legal thriller." —The Denver Post

"John Grisham is not just popular, he is one of the most popular novelists of our time. He is a craftsman and he writes good stories, engaging characters, and clever plots." — Seattle Times

"A legal literary legend." — USA Today

well done!

I am very pleased with this as I listened on and off throughout the day. You will enjoy this follow up to A Time to Kill.

Captivating!

A very interesting and entertaining story. I enjoy the book as well as the narration.

<br />Sycamore Row

Michael Beck did a wonderful job narrating one of Grisham's best books. His many voices added so much to this book. I think this is why I enjoyed lessening to this book.

Great Twist near the end

What did you love best about Sycamore Row?

It being a kind of sequel to A time to Kill.

What other book might you compare Sycamore Row to and why?

Jake B. from Time to Kill is the main character.

Which scene was your favorite?

The last courtroom scene.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes but i couldn't due to the length.

Any additional comments?

I like all of John Grissom.

Interesting read

What made the experience of listening to Sycamore Row the most enjoyable?

Sycamore Row was a long winding novel but held my interest throughout. I really didn't want it to end even though it was a long story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I had had the time I woudl have listened to it all at once.

Not as good as the first

I really liked it the went on about the drinkers to much which slowed the story and almost became annoying

The narrator was perfect

Good listening

I like the story, unexpected ending. Would like to hear more stories from the same author.

Best Grisham book EVER!

Excellently written. Excellent performance. Outstanding story.

It was a joy to see Jake Birganz in action once again, along with Lucien and other familiar characters.

John Grisham is a master storyteller!

What did you love best about Sycamore Row?

This is a wonderfully powerful book that grabs you at the beginning and holds onto you until the end.

Have you listened to any of Michael Beck’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Michael Beck was great - he certainly has the southern twang down pat.

Any additional comments?

I encourage any and all Grisham fans to listen to this one!

Overall good, but a few things annoyed me

Where does Sycamore Row rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's about in the middle - not the worst, not the best.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I found it annoying that he set part of the story in Juneau, AK, then threw in some incongruity - referring to 'one of Juneau's hospitals," when there is only one small hospital, then describing the hospital as a a maze, when it's a pretty straightforward square. Then, the strangest thing - saying there was no humidity there? It just seemed very odd to use a real setting, and then be so inaccurate in the use of it.

Any additional comments?

This was my second Grisham story. In listening to this one, I realize it's very clear it's written by a man, the way he refers to women's appearance based on their beauty and sex appeal so much more than men. I realized he's just probably not the author for me at this time in my life.