By

John Grisham

John Grisham has the reputation of being the master of the legal thriller. He was born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas. His father was a construction worker and his mother was a homemaker. As a child he dreamed of being a professional baseball player. He attended Mississippi State University and graduated from law school in 1981. He practiced law for nearly ten years in Southaven, Mississippi. He specialized in criminal defense and personal injury cases. In 1983, he was elected to the state House of Representatives and served until 1990.

One day at the courthouse, he overheard the testimony of a twelve year old rape victim. This inspired him to start a novel. It took him three years to write it, in between his job as a lawyer. He finally finished A time to Kill in 1987. The day after he finished his first book he began...