Thriller
A Time to Kill
In a small Mississippi town, a Black father shoots the two white men who brutally attacked his young daughter. A struggling local lawyer takes the case, in a place that is ready to explode.
Facts last checked 2026-10-16
- First published
- 1989
- Pace
- Medium
- Length
- Long
- Pages
- 502
- Format
- Book 1 of 4 in Jake Brigance
Read this if you like courtroom drama set in a pressure-cooker small town that wrestles with justice and prejudice.
Skip this if you want to avoid a graphic attack on a child and frequent racist language, which are central to the story.
The feel
Content warnings
Quick answers about A Time to Kill
- What is A Time to Kill about?
- In a small Mississippi town, a Black father shoots the two white men who brutally attacked his young daughter. A struggling local lawyer takes the case, in a place that is ready to explode.
- Who should read A Time to Kill?
- Read it if you like courtroom drama set in a pressure-cooker small town that wrestles with justice and prejudice. Skip it if you want to avoid a graphic attack on a child and frequent racist language, which are central to the story.
- How long and how fast is A Time to Kill?
- It is a medium-paced, long read of about 502 pages, first published in 1989.
- Does A Time to Kill have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Sexual assault, Racism, Violence, Death.
- Can I borrow A Time to Kill for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends A Time to Kill; the borrow button above searches it for you.
- What should I read after A Time to Kill?
- Readers who liked it often move on to To Kill a Mockingbird, The Help, Presumed Innocent.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Bookshop.org | Check price | Buy new from Bookshop.org |
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Libro.fm | Check price | Buy audiobook from Libro.fm |
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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Because you might love it
If you loved A Time to Kill
-
To Kill a Mockingbird
The classic Southern courtroom story of race and justice that this book is in conversation with.
-
The Help Another novel set in the segregated South with a focus on personal courage and uncomfortable history.
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Presumed Innocent A more intricate, more thoughtful courtroom novel about guilt and who gets to decide it.
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