This is a set of three novellas. I was a bit surprised to see it listed as Jake Brigance #4 because he only appears in one of the three.

The first novella takes the reader back to Clanton and Jake Brigance (along with other Clanton regulars) when former attorney Mack Stafford contacts Jake about returning to Clanton (wanting to make sure there are no pending charges against him).

The second novella takes us to death row, where an inmate who was sentenced at age 15 (and is now 29) is in his last few hours before his execution. I liked Miss Iris who sent him books.

And the third novella deals with the law firm of Malloy and Malloy. Founder Bolton Malloy is serving a 10 year manslaughter sentence. He's been disbarred but is still trying to run the law firm via an agreement he made his sons sign prior to his incarceration. His sons can't stand each other and a third lawyer (Diantha) ends up being the go between. There are lots of twists and turns to the story and readers are left to infer what happens to many of the characters based on narrative. ( )

Sparring Partners by John Grisham (2023)
Sparring partners is a set of three novellas involving criminal activity that ends in escape, death, or restructure. The stories are called: Homecoming, Strawberry Moon, and Sparring Partners.

I have read many of the novels of John Grisham, a master writer of legal thrillers. It is so enjoyable to read his prose that is simple and direct on the surface but complex in the deep content.
In Homecoming an independent lawyer in a small town becomes fed up with his legal practice. For years, he has been grubbing for client dollars in the shadow of a large law firm that gathers most of the legal activity in the town.

Strawberry Moon is a novel about a young man reviewing his life while incarcerated in a prison cell on “Death Row.”

Sparring Partners is the most complex story involving a very successful but troubled family law firm that has spawned dirty deals, envy, and hatred among the three managing partners over the years. Brother against brother, father against sons, partners against each other is the name of the game in the lucrative law firm.

The three themes can be summarized by the following questions. First, can you go home after betraying family and law partners? Second, can insight and peace be achieved when sins of the past were not completely caused by the will of the person facing the consequences. Finally, who do you trust in a thriving law firm with a history of shady legal maneuvers and family partners infighting?

Guilt is a toxic legacy that affects individual and group decisions that determine the outcome of legal sparring and main bouts. Sparring Partners is an enjoyable reading experience. ( )

There are three stories in this book, and two of them left me "meh". The third however, Strawberry Moon, is a little gem of writing with a character, Cole, you don't soon forget. More like this one, please, Mr. Grisham. ( )

Three great short stories somewhat different than the normal Grisham, but equally enjoyable. I listened to audiobook ( )

Overall Rating: 4/5

Sparring Partners by John Grisham is a collection of three novellas, each of which is very well-written, distinctive in setting, theme and tone and makes for an intriguing read. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and would definitely recommend it to both longtime fans of Grisham and also as an interesting introduction to those who are yet to read any of his novels.

“Homecoming” revolves around Mack Stafford, a former lawyer and resident of Clanton, Mississippi, and friends with lawyers Jake Brigance and Harry Rex (who also happens to be his lawyer). Mack disappeared from Clanton after divorcing his wife, declaring bankruptcy, and closing his practice rumored to have skipped town with his clients’ money due to them as part of a settlement. Three years later he makes contact with Jake and expresses his desire to return to Clanton, meet his ex-wife who is terminally ill and reconnect with his daughters who he had left behind. However, his homecoming is more complicated than he anticipated with his family wanting to have nothing to do with him and suspicions about his indiscretions leading to potential legal problems for which he requires the assistance of Jake and Harry. This novella was an average read and my least favorite among the three. With a few familiar characters (it was great to revisit Ford County with Grisham) and many new ones and an intriguing start, it did have some interesting moments but I was a tad disappointed with the way the story ultimately panned out. (My Rating: 3.5/5)

“Strawberry Moon” is an engaging story revolving around 29-year-old death row inmate Cody Wallace, who is hours away from being executed. Incarcerated for a home invasion that resulted in the deaths of his brother/partner in crime and the two residents of the house they were in the process of burgling, his appeals and requests for clemency have been denied and now he waits for the inevitable. The narrative gives us a snapshot of his life on ‘The Row’ and takes us through his final interactions with his lawyer, the prison doctor, the chaplain, his warden, a surprise visitor he has been corresponding with and the guard on duty who grants him his final wish. This was a moving and thought-provoking read. You cannot help but feel sympathy for Cody who was arrested at the young age of fourteen and ponder over the justification for capital punishment. (My rating: 4.5/5)

The final novella, “Sparring Partners”, revolves around St. Louis based law firm Malloy & Malloy and the Malloy brothers, Rusty and Kirk, who couldn’t be any more different in nature, management styles or political inclinations. They barely speak to one another and mostly communicate through ‘unofficial third partner’ Diantha Bradshaw. However, together they run the family law firm after their father was incarcerated for manslaughter and duly disbarred, though his devious efforts to manipulate from behind bars remain a constant factor of irritation. Unfortunately, the firm is in a downward spiral. While the brothers and Diantha are concerned with the survival of the firm, each of them is also motivated by self-interest and is looking to grab a larger slice of the pie from a settlement that Malloy Sr. has kept hidden with the help of his lawyer. What follows is a thrilling sequence of events involving collusion and deceit, bribery and political corruption and financial fraud. The fast-paced narrative, well-developed characters and intriguing plot kept me glued to the pages with this one. (My rating: 4.5/5)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due for release on May 31, 2022. ( )