The Widow - by John Grisham

This book was a Christmas gift for my sister. She is very excited to read it this month.

Simon Latch has been practicing law in rural Virginia for most of his life. He does not make a lot of money and is trying to pay his bills and keep his family together. One day Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow approaches Simon and tells him that she is a millionaire as her husband left her a huge fortune from shares of stock they own. He feels this is the break he has been waiting all his life for and how it will change things for the better. He is keeping this secret to himself and even types up the will himself which is something he never does so that even his secretary won't know anything about it. He starts taking Eleanor out to lunch at different restaurants and introduces her to many type cuisines she has never tasted and he pays for everything out of his own money. Always thinking not to worry as he will be a rich lawyer when she passes. Eleanor is hospitalized after a bad car accident and suddenly realizes things are not what they seem to be. He is ready to have her cremated when two step sons suddenly appear with a lawyer and want an autopsy performed. They find that she died by being poisoned and not by her injuries from the accident. The police just assume it was Sion who killed her for the money and do not even search for any suspects. Suddenly he is on trial for murder and the jury agrees it was pure greed that made Simon kills her. His world is turned upside down and besides facing murder charges which could land him in jail for life his wife is divorcing and moving out of town as she can't face the talk and humiliation that her and her children are facing. Simon knows he is innocent and now the search for the real killer begins he starts investigating on his own but realizes quickly this going to be much more difficult to prove his innocence. What kind of a killer is he looking for. As usual once Mr. Grisham, is working in a court related atmosphere he is at his best. A real whodunit read.

Such a BORING book. I have enjoyed so many of Grisham’s books in the past, but lately I find them disappointing. The Widow is tiresome and sleep inducing. The synopsis says the main character is accused of murdering his client, but that doesn’t happen until three-quarters of a tedious read. Sorry, but this was not a good legal thriller.

Ordering book was easy. Delivery was quick. Book was a great read. Thank you!

This is a Christmas gif--haven t read it, but the family loves Grisham's books.t

I’ve purchased John Grisham book every year for 10-15 years for my daughter-she’s always loves to read and she loves his books

Loving it

Really great book. Keeps you intrigued the whole way through.

Very good read. Had it done in two days

A struggling small town attorney is just trying to take one day at a time. His marriage is on the rocks, he has a gambling problem, and his practice is...well...boring. A widow has chosen to update her will and when he sees how much money she has, he thinks his ship has come in. Then, she dies under odd circumstances and our struggling small town attorney is the main focus of the police department investigation. When he is convicted, his defense team is surprised. Now, Simon and his team of people, some of which don't hold the legality of some of their searching methods to the highest standards, begin to work on who actually did kill The Widow. I liked this novel. I've read other Grisham books, and my grandboys LOVE the Theodore Boone novels by Mr. Grisham. Having said that, the beginning of the book laid the groundwork and the ending was fabulous. The middle was a bit tedious. Once we got out of the courtroom, the book took off and the ending was wonderful. Four stars to the beginning, three stars for the middle, and five stars for the end...makes this a four star read for me.

I really enjoyed this story. It pulled me in right away with the small town lawyer who’s barely keeping his life together until a wealthy widow walks into his office and changes everything. I liked the slow build, the legal details, the quiet tension, and how an ordinary will turns into something much bigger. Grisham makes the small moments interesting, and I was hooked watching Simon get deeper into trouble. This is a sharp, fast read, part legal drama, part mystery and I liked that it offered something a little different from Grisham’s usual formula. If you enjoy his writing style but want a more personal, twisty story, this one’s definitely worth reading.