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In a small town in Mississippi, a young black girl is brutally raped and tortured by two drunken rednecks. After her father, Carl lee Hailey, takes justice into his own hands and kills the two assailants, he turns to young attorney Jake Brigance, to be his defender. At first buoyed by the publicity connected to the case, Jake gradually realized the seriousness of the situation—the KKK is threatening everyone involved with the case, beatings and shootings have taken place and racial tension is rising. With all of these complications, Jake views the case through the eyes of a father—what would he do if this terrible thing had happened to his daughter? Though the odds are against him, Jake defends Carl Lee to the best of his ability. John Grisham has painted a vivid portrait of a southern town divided by race and violence. His characters are believable and story is fast paced. This is Grisham’s first novel—self-published in 1989 and not popular until after the publication of his bestseller The Firm. He has said that this is the favorite of his works. A Time to Kill is a gripping story and a superb legal thriller, well-written and one you won’t want to put down!