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.

The Boys from Biloxi grabbed me from the get-go and never let loose! I got so into this latest Grisham story that I read it in a day. The plot was interesting; I loved the legal aspects. And the setting. I live in the Florida Panhandle, and the history of this area fascinates me. I highly recommend this read!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yes, I am a fan and eagerly await my Grisham fix every year, and am therefore saddened when I don't like one of his books as much as others. The pacing is off in this one, with a laborious introduction of character and many set pieces usually centered around sporting events that could have been trimmed to speed up the action. Knowing how much he loves sports, however, I can appreciate his using this opportunity to write about them, but his trademark good vs notsogood got plowed under. This coastline city of Biloxi, MS, with its vibrant immigrant population and center of vice is really the star of the show, and those sections were dealt with utilizing his usual themes of cleanup and overcome the greedy. I'll still read him when the next one comes around.

Great trial lawyers aren't born; they're made. The great ones simply tell the jury a story, one that he has a thorough command of. The story must be written and rewritten, and edited some more, to the point where the lawyer knows every word, pause, and punch line by memory.


Biloxi was the setting of the Dixie mafia and two families were at odds. The Malco family immigrated from Croatian. Lance Malco was tough, having lived through World War II, working the ship yards until he saw an opportunity on the strip with liquor, drugs, women and having the sheriff in his pocket. His son Hugh developed a friendship with Keith. Two fathers took different paths that crossed many times while the two sons joined their fathers business. Malco in crime and Rudy in law.


The narration reads like a documentary. It built a foundation on the families. What motivated each family and how they passed it to their sons. The Rudy family's determination to shut down the crime and the steps they took was detailed and I was hooked. Malco's family read like any crime family, protecting their business and their own. How they buried their crime and it is never personal but business. I found it interesting that towards the end, when it became personal, the narration read differently. I found it to be one of Grisham's best and movie worthy.

A special thank you to Doubleday books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

I couldn't get into this book. A disappointment from one of my fave authors. It didn't have a plot or story line. I didn't understand what the point was.

4 Stars!!

It's been a while since I've read a John Grisham novel, but this one did not disappoint! Be prepared to be transfixed by the beautiful Mississippi coast! I loved the history of Biloxi and the scene that was set. Two boys, Hugh and Keith grow up playing all star little league together, but find that they grow apart due to the paths their fathers chose. Hugh's, a life of crime and Keith's a life of justice.

Although I couldn't put this one down, I held back one star because I was expecting a bit more Grisham magic. The pacing was a little slow at the beginning and I feel like the pulse pounding factor wasn't there like it normally is.

This book would make a get movie or TV series.

A special thanks to NetGalley, Doubleday Books, and John Grisham for providing me with an ARC.

Another great John Grisham read, I’m not only loved the legal aspect of this, I loved the whole Biloxi history and story.
Immigrant families wanting better for each generation
One families son becomes a lawyer, and one becomes the whole underworld boss!
A total page turner from the first page to the last!

Grisham is a terrific writer and this is good tale set in the colloquial south. There is one problem with this book... it takes far too long for the plot to develop. The first quarter of the book could easily be cut without impacting the story.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Doubleday Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have long been a fan of John Grisham and eagerly await each new publication from him as I know it will be exciting, action packed and full of things I know nothing about. This one does not disappoint on any of these features. I found this one to be many stories woven into the fabric of a larger story. It is a gripping legal thriller of two boys raised in Biloxi and childhood friends and the choices they make. As adults they follow in their father’s footsteps. One deals in the dark side of life on the coast and one goes to law school and then enters politics. There is much about the legal issues involved with nonpayments by insurance companies after hurricane Camille, and a lot about gambling, prostitution, bootlegging and all areas related to crime. Some of the book is a little slow and predictable but mostly it holds your attention until the end. The readers learn a great deal about politics, law, and the penal system in Mississippi. At the end I felt like I had reconnected with an old friend.

I know this book will be another best seller for John Grisham and highly recommend it to his fans.

3.5 rounded up because it’s John Grisham. The book started slow and I figured it would pick up the pace and get more exciting. It didn’t. It’s very descriptive and does an excellent job at transporting you to the Coast where you learn of the ongoing issues between the Malco and Rudy families. It’s a well written and reasonably interesting story, it’s just not the pulse pounding thriller that I was expecting. It’s still worth a read, as long as you have the right mindset going into it!

Thank you to #netgalley for this ARC of #theboysfrombiloxi

The Boys From Biloxi
by John Grisham
Pub Date: October 18, 2022
Doubleday
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I always am excited when I see John Grisham has a new book out. This one is no exception and I have already preordered it for our library.
John Grisham returns to Mississippi in his most gripping legal thriller yet, the riveting story of two sons of immigrant families who grow up as friends but ultimately find themselves on opposite sides of the law. Grisham’s trademark twists and turns will keep you tearing through the pages until the stunning conclusion. I highly recommend this book.
5 stars

Excellent writing and plot from John Grisham. I've been a fan of his books since I was a teenager and this is one of my favorites. A few have been hit or miss for me. I'm from Biloxi and of course the title caught my attention. I didn't notice any plot holes and I was hooked!

Wow! This is a great book! There are so many plot twists, I just could not put it down. The story starts with the two main characters, Keith and Hugh, as boyhood friends, playing little league baseball together, and follows through to adulthood. Keith's father is a lawyer, Hugh's is a casino owner. The story builds as the two boys grow to adults, with the influence of each of their family's becoming instrumental in shaping their lives. The book delves into the history of the Biloxi area and the influence of organized crime and corruption. John Grisham has written a fantastic, character driven, legal thriller that is probably one of his best! I loved the book! (When your kindle is at 10% battery life at the end of the book-that is quite a book!!) Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

I'd love to see into John Grisham's brain. I have never failed to be astonished at how engrossing his books are. This is another winner. The "Boys" from Biloxi starts with two friends, playing Little League together. The book begins with Hugh and Keith Rudy, and ends with Hugh and Keith. As they go into high school their lives start to diverge. Keith admires his father as a great father, provider and lawyer. During school vacations he goes to the office with his dad, Jesse. He watches him in trial and assists in his father's campaign to become District Attorney. Jesse wants to clean up Biloxi, which is rife with gambling, booze and prostitution. The police take kickbacks and the current DA does not want to take on crime and the police department.
Hugh wants to be like his father, Lance Malco. Lance is the king of crime in Biloxi. Hugh follows his father in a life of crime.
This book showcases good vs. evil. It brings into play what is ethical and what is not? The ending gave me a lot to think about as I wondered if the decision was mercy or revenge.
I was very excited to receive this ARC from NetGalley and DoubleDay Books. This review is my own.

A legal thriller by John Grisham? Yes, please! This was a good read. It was a slow lead up, action in the middle, then a slow down to a good ending. Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco grew up in Biloxi and were friends but their lives took very different paths. Exact opposite in fact. I really enjoyed this book. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

It's always a treat to get a new Grisham. I read all of his books and he's definitely the master of his craft. This one started out a little slow for me, but as the story gained momentum, I found myself caught up in the multitude of characters and life in Biloxi. So, it's a slow burn that rises to a pitch and totally ropes the reader in. I found the ending to be abrupt and a little unsatisfying, but when I reflected on the entire story, it made sense. It's practically a treatise on friendship as it stands.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I gobbled it up!

This is the story of 2 families and their sons. Rudy and Hugh. This story takes the boys from youth into adulthood. We see the parents and the choices that they make and the choices that their kids make. One family ends up doing good and the other family ends up doing the crimes in biloxi. The ending was good and very open to the reader which I enjoyed. Loved seeing the families change over time and make many choices.

The Boys From Biloxi is an action packed page turner as well as an interesting historical novel about the seamier side of Biloxi. I couldn’t put it down.
Primarily about two intertwined families who immigrated to Biloxi, and their subsequent generations, one to a life of crime and one to law. But it’s fair to say the history of Biloxi is a major part of the plot as well.
I have to say this is one of Grisham’s best.