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

Grisham at his best (again)

This is a Grisham book you don't want to pass on. In the 90's I loved reading his early works- The Firm, A Time to Kill, and The Pelican Brief, but slowly his books seemed to lose their luster. They've always been enjoyable to read, but not like his early writings I fell in love with.

In Sycamore Row Grisham goes back to Clanton, Mississippi, the scene of A Time to Kill, and reconnects us with Jake Brigance, the struggling lawyer made famous by the Carl Lee Haley trial. His new case immediately takes on a David vs. Goliath feel which emotionally pulls the audience into the story like the best books do. The characters are very well developed, and as the story progresses it will be harder and harder to remove your headphones and rejoin the real world.

This book is John Grisham at his best. I will be recommending it to everyone I know. This is one of those rare times I wish audible could give me a six-star option.

Formulaic but entertaining.

Some say that when a writer has done something successfully, they should keep doing it. Grisham understands this concept, and he does it well. He does it well.

This reminded me very much of a recent Grisham novel with a similar premise (old man, about to die, leaves fortune to a little known (and somewhat suspect) individual while cutting out his family entirely.

In many ways this seems like a re-write of the same story...changing things here, moving things over there, different names, different places, etc...

Grisham is a talented writer, and knows what his audience wants to hear. It was, however, a little too much the same for me. I was tired by the time is was over (and glad it was done). Who cares about somebody else's millions?

There was much about the book that was commendable. Main character was likable. The thrust of the court case was understandable, and was set-up for logical arguments from both sides. Justice had a prevailing influence on the final scene of the book, and the audience (the reader) was given some leeway to decide how they feel about the events (though they are clearly being steered).

Bottom Line: If you like other Grisham novels you can expect more of the same.

Wonderful Grisham at his very best

I wish I could give it 10 stars back to the old style. I love how he includes all the other characters from Clanton even good old Willy Trainor.

I highly recomend well worth the credit!

Another GREAT Grisham Book !!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of Sycamore Row to be better than the print version?

Another great Book by Grisham, always waiting until the next one. This is a must listen, the story line is great. NUFF SAID !!!

What did you like best about this story?

Story Line

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

Beck's performance is as good as always

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Could not stop listening

Any additional comments?

Do it, you will love it !!

Okay but a bit frustrating.

I enjoyed the story, and thought that it had a nice resolution. On the other hand, it suffered from a remarkably annoying premise.

The whole story is contrived around the idea that this old, dying man changes his will at the eleventh hour, but rather than go to the huge law firm that constructed his last will, he writes it himself, and charges the protagonist with defending it.

This causes and expensive legal battle that is the heart of the story. Fine. But it all could have been negated if the old man had just gone directly to the protagonist and had it drafted more carefully. Also, if the old man had articulated the actual reasons behind writing the will, the legal battle wouldn't have been necessary at all.

Anyway, I feel like this plot would have been more at home in 1-hour television episode on some show about lawyers instead of taking up a full-length novel.

I did enjoy the ride, though, and it was nice to get lost in Grisham's words again after all these years.

Grisham is back in a big way!

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

I found it most enjoyable just because it was an excellent book that I did not want to stop listening to. I did not find it boring at all. It was very well written and the narrator did a great job.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sycamore Row?

Well in usual Grisham style it had an explosive surprise kind of wrap everything ending...which I loved.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved my Seth's brother Symion finally relives and tells what happened when they where boys and then everything falls together.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I would say both there where some funny moments and some moving parts that had me shedding a tear or two.

Any additional comments?

If you loved Grisham of old you are going to love this book. It basically is the same characters that where in a Time to Kill (Jake Brigance) but its 3 years later. I used to just eat up his books in the 90's and would stay up all night to finish, not so much for the past couple of years with his books. He really goes back to the writing style lots of people loved and made him one of the most well known authors. Give this a shot you will be glad you did.

A page turner

Sycamore Row is Grisham at his best. From page one to the last words of the book there were surprises and plot twists. Michael Beck is an out standing reader. I highly recommend it.

Great Grisham!

Finally! Grisham does what he does best. The return to the Red Dust of Mississippi with Jake and friends was a great treat. Harry Rex still the rascal. Watch it when the whole case blows in Jake's face with a suprise wittness. Now, how can he win this! Well, I will let you find out should you choose. Highly Recommend this one.

Best Grisham Yet!

What did you love best about Sycamore Row?

As in all of John Grisham's stories, the "Sense of Place". He nails the ambiance of rural Mississippi and the interaction of the characters to a T.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sycamore Row?

Loved the courtroom interaction.

What does Michael Beck bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The soft and lovely accents. He handles them beautifully.

Any additional comments?

John Grisham knows how to tell a story. The only other author I love as much is the late Bryce Courtenay.

Wonderful!!!

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

It's right at the top of my list.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed listening to this book. Love Jake and the setting of this book. This was a book that you wanted to keep listening to, so I cleaned, drove, and did lots of extra walking to finish it. Great book!!!