A Time to Kill & The King of Torts

By: John Grisham

Narrated by: Michael Beck

Length: 28 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Two from the master of the legal thriller:

A Time to Kill:
The life of a 10-year-old black girl is shattered by two drunken and remorseless young men. The mostly white town reacts with shock and horror at the inhuman crime, until her father acquires an assault rifle and takes justice into his own outraged hands.

For 10 days, with burning crosses and the crack of sniper fire spreading through the streets of Clanton, Mississippi, the nation sits spellbound as young defense attorney Jack Brigance struggles to save his client's life...and then his own.

The King of Torts:
When Clay Carter of the public defender's office reluctantly takes the case of a young man charged with a random street killing, he assumes it is just another of the many senseless murders that hit D.C. every week. But as he digs into the background of his client, Clay stumbles on a conspiracy too horrible to believe. He suddenly finds himself in the middle of a complex case against one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, looking at the kind of enormous settlement that would totally change his life - that would make him, almost overnight, the legal profession's newest king of torts.

©1992 John Grisham; 1992 Random House, Inc.
The King of Torts 2003 Belfry Holdings, Inc. (P)2003 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Lively voices tell gripping plot

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Recommended for the reading by Michael Beck, who applies a seemingly endless variety of voices to characters in these intentionally-shocking tales of cold-blooded acts and even more frigidly sanguine lawyers. Grisham has a keen eye for what people do; and chooses not to often describe how they feel or what they themselves believe motivates them. "Irrelevant!" his storytelling seems to shout. If you can't parse it out from actions, you're not ready for Grisham. Most of us are ready.

What did you like best about this story?

Shocking events told in a style that's matter-of-fact, making them somehow more shocking.

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

I don't have as many "voices" in my head as Beck has in this throat. Great fun.

John Grisham's greatest work plus another great!

If you could sum up A Time to Kill & The King of Torts in three words, what would they be?

Essential legal thrillers.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. The plots of the stories unfolded in such a way that you just had to keep going, impatiently waiting for what would come next. The way Grisham writes his characters makes you genuinely care what happens to them.

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

Michael Beck is an amazing narrator. Beck sounds less like he is reading, and more like he is telling you a story. He seems to have an unlimited number of character voices, which really adds to the experience.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were moments in both books that moved me, but it wouldn't make sense to share them here, in a review, as that would lessen their impact for anyone that reads this and then listens to the books afterwards.

Any additional comments?

A Time to Kill is John Grisham's finest work, and one of the best novels of our time. I would very highly recommend it to anyone in audio format or in text form. It is an essential read.The King of Torts is another great compelling legal thriller from Grisham which I also highly recommend.You can get either of these titles individually in print or audio, but you can't beat this deal of getting them both in one place at the same time for one price.

The Best ... And the Not So Much

A Time to Kill is REAL Grisham. It's a good story that makes one think about his position on important issues ... and then re-think it. I don't always arrive at the same conclusions the author leads his readers to, but I do appreciate the exercise. Michael Beck did a masterful job of bringing this tale to life.
The King of Torts is such a letdown that it's hard to believe Grisham actually wrote it. Please tell me he didn't! The dialogue is blah, blah, blah. The characters are just blah. The only redeeming quality is Beck's narration.

Two great books!

The narrator does an excellent job, I wish all of Grisham's books were narrated by him, his characters are very clear and unique which makes it easy to follow. A Time to Kill is of course one of Grisham's best. The King of Torts was also well narrated, however the story isn't quit as good as A Time to Kill but still not a bad book. It was well worth the money and I found them both enjoyable and entertaining.

The Undisputed King of Legal Stories

Would you consider the audio edition of A Time to Kill & The King of Torts to be better than the print version?

Yes and No. Yes, because it allows me to hear it anywhere - anytime and I love the talented voice of Michael Beck. No, because books allow my vivid imagination to roam. :)

Who was your favorite character and why?

A Time to King: Jake, Carl-Lee, Ozzie and the Judge (hahah!) - they all held my interest from start to finish; King of Torts: J. Clay Carter was the King of Torts. I like his character because he was young, inexperienced but learned fast among the big boys.

Which character – as performed by Michael Beck – was your favorite?

Time to Kill: Same as above, I loved the Judge. Beck really work all of the characters. Must have been a mammouth task. Torts: Max Pace... lol!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Time to Kill: Of course! The raping and brutalizing of a 10 year old. Ugh!
The King of Torts: A powerful ending...though he lost much, he gained more.

Any additional comments?

Way before Audio Books: I've racked up about 15 books. Love me some John Grisham. Can somebody add me to his guest or visitor's list. I desire to meet him - shake his hand for helping so many of us to understand more about the legal world. What a writer!!!

One of the all time great legal thrillers!!!

I bought this to hear A Time To Kill, and opted for this version (paired with The King of Torts) because of the reader. I may or may not read The King of Torts. Regarding the reader, I made the right decision. The reading of this by Michael Beck is as good as any reading I can recall. Beck does voices so well that I cannot believe there was not a cast of actors narrating in for various characters. As to the story, this is Grisham's very best, by far. I had read A Time to Kill many years ago, and loved it. It's a great legal thriller that I could not put down! Issues of racism and justice are part of a compelling plot along with Grisham's best characters. The audio book is as great as the written version.

this double book is terrible.

it started at chapter 3 of a time to kill and the king of torts ended 3 or 4 chapters before the end

Excellent storey line and voice over

Would you consider the audio edition of A Time to Kill & The King of Torts to be better than the print version?

YES

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

YES, however, it had a few slow parts that did not have to exist.

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

Excitement, one of the best Voice over

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Verdict

Any additional comments?

no

Great books

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'm a Grisham fan and have read all his books. Listening to them makes for a pleasant commute. Anyway, anyone that enjoys legal novels will enjoy these.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Time to Kill & The King of Torts?

No one single moment jumps to mind. I enjoy the novels in their entirety.

What about Michael Beck’s performance did you like?

Very good narrator. Enjoyed his tempo and the way he creates the voices of the characters. Makes keeping track of whos saying what.

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

Dont have enough time in a day to do so.

Chapters are out of order

The first few chapters of a time to kill are after the middle of King of torts, consequently making it difficult to listen to both books.