The Pelican Brief

By John Grisham,

Book cover of The Pelican Brief

Book description

_______________________________________
Two Supreme Court Justices are dead, their murders unsolved.
But one woman might have found the answer - if she can live to tell it.

Darby Shaw is a brilliant New Orleans legal student with a sharp political mind. For her own amusement, she draws up a legal brief…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

2 authors picked The Pelican Brief as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I devoured all of Grisham’s books as they came out. The legal thrillers make studying the law extremely fascinating. The Pelican Brief is still one of my favorites because of my own love of New Orleans, the environment, and how I saw myself as a passionate environmentalist at one time. The Pelican Brief shows us how intertwined law, land use, the environment, and murder can be. We see how a young woman with a curious mind can see patterns that others have not and the lengths she has to go to to find justice.

In many ways, this was the thriller that started it all for me.

Perhaps technically a legal thriller, the political dimension shines through in the shadowy forces tailing the fearless and unlikely heroine of legal student Darby Shaw as she uncovers a huge political scandal involving the US Supreme Court.

Its conspiracies may seem tame by modern standards, but for a fledgling writer trying to figure out what kind of stories he wanted to tell, this was thrilling and addictive stuff.

Grisham’s easy style appears effortless, but there’s true craft behind each chase, each plot twist, and each conversation. This…

Empire in the Sand

By Shane Joseph,

Book cover of Empire in the Sand

Shane Joseph Author Of Empire in the Sand

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a writer for more than twenty years and have favored pursuing “truth in fiction” rather than “money in formula.” I also spent over thirty years in the corporate world and was exposed to many situations reminiscent of those described in my fiction and in these recommended books. While I support enterprise, “enlightened capitalism” is preferable to the bare-knuckle type we have today, and which seems to resurface whenever regulation weakens. I also find writing novels closer to my lived experience connects me intimately with readers who are looking for socio-political, realist literature.

Shane's book list on exposing corporate, political, and personal corruption

What is my book about?

Avery Mann, a retired pharmaceuticals executive, is in crisis.

His wife dies of cancer, his son’s marriage is on the rocks, his grandson is having a meltdown, and his good friend is a victim of the robocalls scandal that invades the Canadian federal election. Throw in a reckless fling with a former colleague, a fire that destroys his retirement property, and a rumour emerging that the drug he helped bring to market years ago may have been responsible for the death of his wife, and Avery’s life goes into freefall.

Does an octogenarian beekeeper living on Vancouver Island hold the key to Avery’s recovery, a man holding secrets that put lives in jeopardy? Avery races across the country to find out, with crooked bosses, politicians, and assassins on his tail. Joseph spins a cautionary tale of corporate and political greed that is endemic to our times.

Empire in the Sand

By Shane Joseph,

What is this book about?

Avery Mann, a retired pharmaceuticals executive, is in crisis. His wife dies of cancer, his son’s marriage is on the rocks, his grandson is having a meltdown, and his good friend is a victim of the robocalls scandal that invades the Canadian federal election.

Throw in a reckless fling with a former colleague, a fire that destroys his retirement property, and a rumour emerging that the drug he helped bring to market years ago may have been responsible for the death of his wife, and Avery’s life goes into freefall.

Does an octogenarian bee keeper living on Vancouver Island hold…


Want books like The Pelican Brief?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Pelican Brief.

Browse books like The Pelican Brief

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in law, New Orleans, and the FBI?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about law, New Orleans, and the FBI.

Law Explore 163 books about law
New Orleans Explore 130 books about New Orleans
The FBI Explore 114 books about the FBI