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

Redemption Restoration Relinquishing

This was a well crafted story. I was ready for it to go on for another book; part two. But the author gracefully bowed out and ended the story, justly.

Great book, very entertaining

Ok, I admit it- I love John Grisham almost all of the time. There may have been one book about a bunch of aging jocks that I found tedious and never finished, but he is a good story teller and I am addicted to courtroom drama. This one does not disappoint. The characters are fun, the actor narrator Michael Beck is outstanding- very nuanced and believable vocal work, and I had a thoroughly good time listening to it. The whole major plot twist rests on an old white man's angst which is a little suspect given the focus of the angst (no spoilers here) but I was enchanted none the less. What I love is Grisham and Beck's ability to capture the small town Southern culture in a particular period, and the recognizable characters that inhabit this world.

I recommend it!

Classic Grisham, vibrant characters

I liked this story very much; listened to it twice. Great storyline and character development and Southern culture. I wish the narrator had been able to do a better job keeping the story alive, though. I don't know about his accent, as I am not from the South but do love to hear that southern drawl.

Consistently good book

Just as they have always done, this Grisham book grabs your attention from the start and it stays. Because I am from Juneau Alaska, I found the descriptions of Juneau brought a smile, but I understand that authors make the locations fit the story. I am happy to know that Grisham came to Juneau and he must have liked it or he would not have put it in his story.

All around great experience

It's not just a book, it's an experience. Beautifully written and told in way that draws you in and doesn't let you go. Wonderfully narrated. So many characters and accents that I'm so impressed they were able to keep them straight. I highly recommend the audible. Has a great twist to the end.

Such a moving book.

This is a story that takes up after A Time to Kill. The narrator of this audio book was excellent, in my opinion. Easy to follow and listen to. I was moved by this book.

Great story.

This audio book held my attention from the beginning to the very end. Mr. Beck did an superb job with telling an excellent story.

Is this really Fiction??? Seems so real!

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

I would recommend this book because it keeps you captivated.

What did you like best about this story?

The fact that you feel like you are a part of the story.

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

Actually, he did great on all of them. Amazing how he just made it flow. Playing the little girl was so adorable.

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

When the young boys died and the father went to the young lawyers office to say he didn't have any animosity towards the family. It made me cry...I wish more people were like him.

typical Grisham

great entertainment and a great summer read. I always look forward to his books

Was a great book to listen too.

I was captivated through all chapters of this book. I would enjoy hearing more of future outcomes of the people involved in this story..
Thank you Mr. Grisham and the curators and production staff for outstanding job well done.