Slow burn.........

I devoured Grisham's 2021 novel, The Judge's List, unfortunately, this one dragged too long (464 pages) and I eventually lost interest.

Its about two rival families in Biloxi and the corruption that invade their coast. It is a good set-up with palpable tension between the families.

Strip clubs, gambling, shady deals, greed, and a jumping timeline. I struggled with the large cast and couldn't get interested in any particular character. Which makes me as a reader "not care" and that made this one a miss for me.

Check out the other reviews because many were fans!

Can Grisham do anything wrong?

This was intricate, yet easy to follow.

Enjoyably salacious and juicy.

I didn't want to put it down and now I need more Grisham in my life!

A story about paths taken, and properly choosing role models. John Grisham has written another #1 novel. The drama, twists and turns drag you in, so you gladly lose sleep reading until the last page. You cheer on the good guys, and grit your teeth over the actions of the bad guys. The author is a master at character development and providing the reader insight allowing us to form our own opinions. You might even want to study law after reading. Ha! Great book. Run out and buy it when it’s available.

Though I am a Grisham fan, I felt this was not up to his standards. I usually enjoy his novels, but I was disappointed.in this. The style is so different from my favorites. I found this book dull and not engaging, so I was disappointed. Seemed like a book in search of a plot.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Doubleday books,and the author, John Grisham, for granting me a copy of this awesome book in return for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved the story of these two men/boys Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco can not understand vso many negative reviews. I thought the book was the perfect length.

I enjoyed the court room drama, the politics, murder, suspense and the Mississippi setting. Just perfect.

Am hoping this one is made into a movie

Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco grow up as teammates on an all star Little League team. Their paths diverge as they grow up. Hugh’s dad Lance promotes gambling and prostitution in his nightclubs along the Biloxi coastline. Keith’s dad becomes a prosecutor who seeks to clean up the crime in Biloxi. Both Hugh and Keith follow in their fathers’ footsteps. I enjoy John Grisham books. This one took me a bit to get into because there were many characters and lots of backstories. Grisham did a great job of detailing how crime and graft worked int he Deep South in the 1960s. I’m glad I persevered because overall this became an enjoyable read for me. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A superb legal thriller by the master of legal thrillers. I read this book in one sitting as I loved if so much. One which I highly recommend to fans of legal fiction.

Another big winner from this popular author. His established readers will love this, and it is a great introduction to his work for readers who are looking for something new to try. The book features two immigrant families who come to Biloxi, Mississippi after World War II. The families are close at first, particularly the two sons, but as they grow and things change, they find their lives and the lives of their families growing in opposite directions. One goes to a life of crime and vice as part of the infamous "Dixie Mafia" in Biloxi, and one becomes a lawyer and eventually a states attorney. Lots of twists and turns to keep readers interested. I look forward to recommending this title.

John Grisham’s The Boys from Biloxi is the story of two families- the Malcos and the Rudys –both descended from Croatian immigrants who settled in Mississippi in the fishing community of Biloxi. Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco grew up together in the same community as friends and star performers in Little league baseball but gradually drifted apart as they reached the end of their school years – each of them following in their respective father’s footsteps. Hugh joins his father Lance in their family business profiting from the vice in Biloxi- illegal gambling, prostitution, the drug trade, and owner of several nightclubs along “the strip”. Keith, on the other hand, pursues a legal career inspired by his father Jesse Rudy, an upstanding citizen and honest lawyer who makes it his life’s mission to take down all illegal establishments and the mob bosses who control them. The battle between Jesse and Lance continues with Keith and Hugh - a story of good vs evil, with its share of shady characters who commit crimes and the upstanding lawyers who want to see justice served.

Grisham weaves an intricately plotted novel with its share of mob bosses, corruption, turf wars, courtroom drama and the pursuit of justice. The larger part of the story is set in the 1960s and 70s. This is a lengthy novel (450+ pages) and the pace is on the slower side gaining momentum only after the 25% mark. There is a lot that happens and several people are introduced in the course of the story. However, it should be noted that there are no major “twists” in the story. We know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. We get to know what happens, how it happens, and who does what as it happens. But yes the sequence of events- the pursuit, arrests and subsequent legal battles - makes for an exciting read. Part of the narrative reads like non-fiction (which wasn't a problem for me) – more telling than actually taking the reader through the events. The courtroom scenes and legal aspects are well-written and informative – Grisham does not disappoint!

With its fantastic writing, superbly developed setting, backstories and characterizations and multigenerational plotline, The Boys from Biloxi is an engaging read that I enjoyed.

Many thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due to be released on October 18, 2022.

I have been a fan of this author for a very long time. I lived here for many years. Until Katrina. I recognize quite a few players in this one, John! I’m delighted to have had a sneak peek at this excellent look at the past.

Grisham is in a unique position to write this story. He knew all the players. Most people hear Biloxi and think of Kessler Air Force Base or the CBs. Those things came first. And as always, crime soon followed. While the seafood industry brought so many people to work on the coast, it also brought people looking to take advantage. It was always known which people had connections and which did not. I won’t mention names.

Back in the day, the Dixie Mafia ran the coast. But it was pretty organized for a loose organization. While many boasted of being members, the real members stayed quiet.

In this tale, two friends grow up to be on different sides of the law. One is determined to clean up the crime and make his name. The other is just as determined to continue being “The Boss”. How will they end up? Well, you will have to read it but I can tell you it is a saga. The characters are brilliant and the story rings true.

I loved the characters in this book! It’s a great read!

NetGalley/ Doubleday 10/18/2022

“The Boys from Biloxi” is John Grisham’s latest effort, about Hugh and Keith, boyhood friends, whose lives are shaped by the landscape and culture of Biloxi, Mississippi.

What makes this book a standpoint is how Biloxi and its criminal past becomes one of the novel’s central characters. The novel, in fact, opens with background information about Biloxi (who knew it was popular with bootleggers and the mob alike?). We then meet Hugh and Keith through their fathers-- Keith's father (Jesse) is a lawyer, Hugh's (Lance) is a casino owner. The different paths they take affect their sons and the choices Hugh and Keith make. Their journeys lead them back to one another as adults with a clear line drawn in the sand between good and evil.

This book is not going to change the world but it’s an enjoyable read. Be prepared to be introduced to a lot of characters, which overwhelmed me at the first part of the book. It isn’t until later that the book realty finds its place.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and Net Galley for the privilege of reviewing this book.

Another fantastic legal drama by John Grisham! The Boys from Biloxi traces two families from the coastal Biloxi area through the 1960's and 70's and the two very different paths they take in life. While one family works to bring themselves through college and careers in law, the other family flaunts the law by building an empire of shady businesses that feed the coast's appetite for its vices. Grisham uses the story to explore the dynamics of the father/son relationship and presents it as a cautionary tale: a son will follow in his father's footsteps, Readers will enjoy the references to the small Mississippi coastal towns and experience the rowdiness and debauchery that has been tolerated along the Gulf Coast for generations in this nostalgic story full of courtroom drama, mob violence, and Gulf Coast seafood.

The Boys from Biloxi is John Grisham's latest. First the good news--Grisham does a nice job of giving you a sense of the time and place of the story's setting. He knows the South, the culture and the history. The less good news is I just didn't find this story compelling. It's very readable but I didn't find myself rushing back to it like I expect with a Grisham novel. For readers interested in a less plot driven, more atmospheric book they will enjoy it. I was looking for a compelling plot so I was a bit disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of The Boys from Biloxi in exchange for an honest review.

Malco and Rudy are on opposite sides of the law. Malco and his father have been in the lucrative businesses of gambling, prostitution, and alcohol for years. Rudy is the son of a famous prosecutor who tried to take them down. Once friends and members of the same athletic teams in their youth, their lives take a different turn as the heritage of their fathers takes over. It will be a challenge for the young district attorney to attempt what did his father in. It is crooked all over Biloxi as the Dixie Mafia's unofficial power reigns. John Grisham tells a good story in this tale from the underbelly of Mississippi. It is a timeless story of good vs. evil. Who will win? The book has an intricate plot and quite a few characters. It is a little different from some Grisham but a well-told story. Thanks to #The Boys from Biloxi#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

John Grisham never disappoints & his new legal thriller will leave readers rooting for the good guys and cheering when the bad guys are locked away for good!! Thanks Netgalley for the advanced copy!

4.5/5⭐️

I was an avid Grisham reader when he first burst on the scene, and I’ll admit part of that was probably because he had a home in Oxford (20 minutes from my childhood home). I loved his early writing, but somehow fell behind after The Runaway Jury. So I was happy to have the chance to read this arc for his latest coming in Oct.

This one centers around two very different families living along the MS Coast (1960s-1980s), the Rudys and the Malcos. The patriarchs, Jesse and Lance, go in very different directions in life. Jesse Rudy works hard, gets a law degree and enters politics to make a difference. Lance Malco turns to the easy money of vice and becomes a wealthy mob boss. No spoilers but obviously a battle of good vs. evil ensues. Their sons, Keith and Hugh respectively, who were star baseball players growing up and good friends, follow in their fathers’ footsteps.

This one has some triumphs and tears, some vengeance and greed, some covert maneuvers and some bittersweet moments. It has a lot to say about the pull of family and the turns friendships can make in life.

I enjoyed this book. It did have a slow start for me, but I became more entrenched once I got past the initial backstories. I found myself wondering about some legally questionable moves (but then again, I’m no lawyer), and I found the ending a bit anticlimactic.

But overall, I found myself happy to be back in Grisham’s world. And yes, I will definitely backtrack to those stories I’ve missed.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing the free early arc of The Boys from Biloxi for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

You just can't go wrong with John grisham, I have been reading his books since I was basically a kid, I kind of grew up with them, and they just get better and better, some authors seem to kind of lose steam after a while but not Gresham! He is iconic and I absolutely love his writing, would recommend this book 100%. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for an honest review

The Boys from Biloxi didn’t grip me the way Grisham’s other books have. Normally I’m hooked from page 1 and read it straight through. This novel introduced an excess of characters and bounced back and forth in the timeline with unnecessary backstories and gore. I was more interested in the actions of our two main characters, but kept being presented with the action of the security guy/enforcer, Nevin.

The reader definitely hears Grisham’s voice in reading this book and definitely learns of the corruption of Biloxi – two big pluses – but for me, the book didn’t keep me turning pages the way most Grisham books do. There was also the length – 464 pages – definitely longer than most Grisham novels and unwieldy. Instead of a concise telling of the facts, with humor or anecdote thrown in to keep the reader invested, there seem to be lots of sidetracks and tangents.

Enjoyable, but definitely not his best.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Grisham’s latest in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved reading all the John Grisham novels over the years, and was excited to read The Boys from Biloxi! This story is set in Mississippi and sprawls through many years as young friends, Keith and Jesse, choose very different life paths, but end up confronting each other as 38 year olds. As is typical with Grisham, this book includes a LOT of legal talk, and courtroom drama, which I have always enjoyed reading. This book, however, seems to amble. It's kind of a (LONG) narration of events leading up to the main event, and then slow crescendo to the end.

I believe this story should be edited quite a bit. I typically read other Grisham novels in record time because I just can't wait to find out what's going to happen. With this book though, I continued reading it in hopes a something huge, but it just didn't deliver like other novels. There were SO many characters in the beginning that I tended to get a little confused. So many characters! And the ending was not what I expected or wanted, and I feel quite unsettled about taking the time to invest in the book, and then being somewhat disappointed with the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Boys from Biloxi.

My thank to the author, DoubleDay Books, and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book. This is my own unbiased review of The Boys from Biloxi.

This is one of the best books John Grisham has written in years. Grisham returns to Mississippi to tell the story of two immigrant families coming of age along the coast; one doing it through hard work and honesty; the other through criminal activity like gambling, prostitution, bribery and drugs.

The two families--named Rudy and Malco, begins with the story of their grandparents and how they arrived in the US, but quickly gives way to background the oldest sons in each family, Jesse Rudy and Lance Malco, As young men, both are married and raising a family and used to hard work. Jesse struggles to find his place until he decides to pursue law school at night while holding medial jobs during the day. Lance is introduced to the world of vice--casino gambling, alcohol, prostitution. Lance becomes wealthy very quickly as he builds an illegal empire. It's good versus evil. The Dark Side versus the Light.

The "Boys" are Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco, who are friends as young adolescents with dreams of playing professional baseball. That dream falls short for both teens, who each in their own way idolize their fathers and their hard work.

Keith and Hugh's lives move far apart for many years, but converge as both grow in to their 20s. Keith has graduated from Law School and joins his father's meager law firm, who has struggled for years to try to eliminate the corruption on the Mafia-like Coast. Hugh becomes a trusted confident to his father, and is the obvious heir apparent to a graft-rich lifestyle. While their paths diverge, by the final third of the book the Boys are on a collision course with one another with devastating consequences.

Along the way we are introduced to a number of other rich characters, which adds more interest to the story. As such, this book is a bit longer than a typical Grisham book. Mix in politics, suspense, murder, numerous trial scenes, police investigations and lots of scenes of eating oysters and shrimp, and you have what I feel is a very compelling read.. I think this book would make a great movie someday.