The Boys from Biloxi

Grisham practiced law for almost 10 years before becoming a full-time author. His books are predominantly legal thrillers that reflect his expertise, and he’s a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. Although no longer a practicing lawyer, Grisham remains active in law-related causes: For example, he serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and Centurion Ministries, two organizations that work to exonerate people who are wrongfully convicted of crimes.

The Boys from Biloxi, like many of Grisham’s works, benefits from the author’s personal experience in and in-depth knowledge of the US criminal justice system. Broadly, this informs the book’s intricate plot details on processes such as arraignment, trial, and appeals procedures. In addition, Grisham demonstrates familiarity with specific laws, such as the “nuisance law” that the character Jesse uses to lock away key criminals. Grisham takes care to explain these proceedings and the relevant laws, aware that his audience may not share his knowledge.

Many of Grisham’s works focus on the complexities and deep-rooted problems of the US criminal justice system, such as people being wrongfully convicted of crimes. His criticism of the criminal justice system is evident in The Boys from Biloxi. The narrative flags the corruption within the system that often results in guilty men walking free and innocent men being locked away. The character Sheriff “Fats” Albert Bowman is the prime example (although, in the narrative, Fats eventually does come to justice—but only after many years of blatantly flouting the law).

Additionally, Grisham raises the curtain on the complexities of incarceration as a whole. The narrative includes depictions of what happens inside prisons, including gang wars and violence among criminals. It even asserts that death row is the safest place for prisoners—because it holds them in solitude so that they have no contact with other criminals. The narrative also hints at the difficulties of rehabilitation—for instance, in the difficulties that Lance faces after he’s freed from prison; his wife has left him, his son is on death row, and his crime empire has crumbled.

Grisham is a vocal opponent of the death penalty and hints at this viewpoint in The Boys from Biloxi. Hugh ends up on death row and, despite many appeals and a final request for clemency, is executed. Grisham’s criticism of the death penalty is apparent in the execution of another inmate: The procedure is botched, resulting in a drawn-out and painful process. Although the book doesn’t fully assert a stance on whether capital punishment is “right” or “wrong,” the author makes a clear choice to emphasize (in grotesque detail) how inhumane an execution can be if botched. Grisham’s authorial lens shatters any misconception that executions are like “peacefully falling asleep.”