If you are a mystery lover like I am, it’s sort of sacrilege to trash talk John Grisham…and I admit I still eagerly grab any new Grisham book available. But for me at least, lately there hasn’t been that certainty that “this is gonna be GOOD” that is always there with my most reliable authors (Crais, Alan Drew, Jane Harper). So I was cautiously optimistic when I received a copy of The Boys from Biloxi, which I received from Doubleday Books and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review. 

Biloxi is an interesting place. Home of the Jefferson Davis Presidential museum, with. a rich history of boatbuilding and seafood processing, it is perhaps best known for its beaches, hotels, and casinos. Historically, it is (as the publisher’s blurb says) “notorious for corruption and vice, everything from gambling, prostitution, bootleg liquor, and drugs to contract killings.” Great setting for a classic Grisham sprawling saga with contrasting life stories focused on protagonists Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco. Solid friends from childhood,  when they became teenagers their paths diverged. Keith’s father was a prosecuting attorney who wanted to clean up the town, while Hugh’s father was a big shot in the crime-riddled city (Dixie Mafia, anyone?) 

The two families find themselves on opposite sides in many ways, and the story builds to a terrific courtroom confrontation. It’s an entertaining story with lots of rich history,  excellent characters, and a setting that is so vivid it is a character in itself. Four stars.