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28 days and 15:10:47
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The French Illusion
Not yet published
Expected 29 Sep 26Win a free print copy of this book!
28 days and 15:10:47
20 copies available
U.S. only
#1 New York Times bestselling author John Grisham delivers a gripping, suspenseful page-turner about a Paris honeymoon gone horribly wrong—and the nightmare that follows.
After Paul and Chelsea Tanner’s fairytale wedding, their future is full of promise. But their honeymoon to Paris takes a dark, shocking turn when they are kidnapped while on a day trip to the French countryside. Who would target them, and why? It turns out this is not the first crime of its kind. The search for clues soon stretches across borders, with the FBI, CIA, and French Intelligence trying to work together to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Struggling to find answers, a young lawyer is recruited to be the bait in an elaborate CIA operation.
Propulsive and surprising, The French Illusion is an unmistakable Grisham thrill ride—gripping and impossible to put down.
After Paul and Chelsea Tanner’s fairytale wedding, their future is full of promise. But their honeymoon to Paris takes a dark, shocking turn when they are kidnapped while on a day trip to the French countryside. Who would target them, and why? It turns out this is not the first crime of its kind. The search for clues soon stretches across borders, with the FBI, CIA, and French Intelligence trying to work together to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Struggling to find answers, a young lawyer is recruited to be the bait in an elaborate CIA operation.
Propulsive and surprising, The French Illusion is an unmistakable Grisham thrill ride—gripping and impossible to put down.
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 29, 2026
About the author
John Grisham
454 books92k followersJohn Grisham is the author of more than fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include Framed, Camino Ghosts and The Exchange: After the Firm.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy
When I’m not reading legal thrillers, I enjoy espionage and spy stories. As a writer, I have been influenced by Ken Follett, John le Carré, Robert Ludlum and Len Deighton. Many of the elements that make legal thrillers compelling – high stakes, hidden motives, intricate plots, and shady characters – also propel the best espionage fiction. THE FRENCH ILLUSION is my first attempt to follow the craftsmanship of some of the great international suspense novelists.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The French Illusion by John Grisham (September 2026) [reading in May]
317-page Digital Copy story pages 11-316
Uncorrected Proof ARC/ADC courtesy of Doubleday
Genre: Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Espionage
Rating as a movie: R
Featuring: Bibliography for John Grisham, Parts, Honeymooners, Paris, France, CIA, FBI, French Intelligence, Lawyer, Abduction Trope, Violence, Politics, Military
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½🇫🇷💒😷
My thoughts: 🔖Page 136 of 317 Chapter 25 - It's an exciting thriller, for sure.
The story was fast-paced and pretty interesting, so of course I had phone calls, errands, and chores to prevent me from getting back to the story. I had to fight all day to finish this book! It's is a good problem to have. I was blessed to get an advanced copy of this story. I usually read Grisham books on release day and let me tell you the worst part about reading a John Grisham book is finishing it and knowing that I have to wait 6 to 12 months for the next book, but in this case I'm not mad. It's only been 7 months since I read The Widow, and I think I love this one and bit more. It was quite the treat. It was completely unpredictable and but hopeful throughout. I'm looking forward to discussing it with others this fall.
Recommend to others: Absolutely! Go ahead and get your pre-order ready.
Books and Authors mentioned: Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara, The Little Drummer Girl, by John le Carré, Call for the Dead by John le Carré, A Legacy of Spies by John le Carré, The Little Rascals by Romeo Muller [based on] Our Gang by Hal Roach
317-page Digital Copy story pages 11-316
Uncorrected Proof ARC/ADC courtesy of Doubleday
Genre: Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Espionage
Rating as a movie: R
Featuring: Bibliography for John Grisham, Parts, Honeymooners, Paris, France, CIA, FBI, French Intelligence, Lawyer, Abduction Trope, Violence, Politics, Military
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½🇫🇷💒😷
My thoughts: 🔖Page 136 of 317 Chapter 25 - It's an exciting thriller, for sure.
The story was fast-paced and pretty interesting, so of course I had phone calls, errands, and chores to prevent me from getting back to the story. I had to fight all day to finish this book! It's is a good problem to have. I was blessed to get an advanced copy of this story. I usually read Grisham books on release day and let me tell you the worst part about reading a John Grisham book is finishing it and knowing that I have to wait 6 to 12 months for the next book, but in this case I'm not mad. It's only been 7 months since I read The Widow, and I think I love this one and bit more. It was quite the treat. It was completely unpredictable and but hopeful throughout. I'm looking forward to discussing it with others this fall.
Recommend to others: Absolutely! Go ahead and get your pre-order ready.
Books and Authors mentioned: Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara, The Little Drummer Girl, by John le Carré, Call for the Dead by John le Carré, A Legacy of Spies by John le Carré, The Little Rascals by Romeo Muller [based on] Our Gang by Hal Roach
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is not your daddy’s John Grisham. In “The French Illusion”, Grisham steps away from his usual legal thriller, which is something he has done from time to time. But this time, it just feels different.
We join a beautiful couple on their honeymoon in France. Then things go horribly wrong as they are kidnapped. Are the kidnappers just looking for money or is there something more diabolical at play. Eventually, the FBI and CIA are involved, for better or worse.
This novel was near perfection. I literally consumed this book in one day and Grisham had me on every page. The characters are so well written. There are glimpses of Grisham’s sense of humor that show up, but overall, this is just a heart-pounding, edge of your seat thriller.
My rating is 4.9999. The .0001 that is missing is because I think he could have cut some of the “prep time” for the rescue attempt and spent more time on the actual rescue attempt. The rescue attempt felt a little rushed and was such a dramatic scene, it could have breathed a bit more.
I don’t know if this was just a one-off style change for Grisham, or a new direction for a period of time, but I’m all in on this. Excellent book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
We join a beautiful couple on their honeymoon in France. Then things go horribly wrong as they are kidnapped. Are the kidnappers just looking for money or is there something more diabolical at play. Eventually, the FBI and CIA are involved, for better or worse.
This novel was near perfection. I literally consumed this book in one day and Grisham had me on every page. The characters are so well written. There are glimpses of Grisham’s sense of humor that show up, but overall, this is just a heart-pounding, edge of your seat thriller.
My rating is 4.9999. The .0001 that is missing is because I think he could have cut some of the “prep time” for the rescue attempt and spent more time on the actual rescue attempt. The rescue attempt felt a little rushed and was such a dramatic scene, it could have breathed a bit more.
I don’t know if this was just a one-off style change for Grisham, or a new direction for a period of time, but I’m all in on this. Excellent book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Such an excellent story! Wrenching, exhilarating, and breathtaking plus the fun of some unexpected surprises. Did not want this one to end - SO good!
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This has all of the action and suspense that you’d expect from a John Grisham novel. Loved every minute of it! Rae Claire is a CIA agent with heart, and Stuart is a refreshing recruit for this mission! Fans of Grisham will be happy with this latest book!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews