The Widow (John Grisham)

The publisher’s summary

Lawyer Simon Latch is struggling with debt, gambling issues and an impending divorce. But when Eleanor Barnett, an 85-year-old widow, visits his office to secure a new will, it seems his luck has finally changed: she claims she’s sitting on a $20 million fortune and no one else knows about it.

Once he’s hooked the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar. But it’s a terrible mistake. Hidden secrets have a way of being found out, and when Eleanor is hospitalised after a car accident, Simon realises that nothing is as it seems.

As events spiral out of control, he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn’t commit: murder.

My reading review

John Grisham never disappoints and this is another great page turner.
Simon Latch is a small town lawyer who is struggling in all areas of his life. His practice does not have much business, his family life is broken, he is a gambler and he is basically tired. When a little old lady walks into his office and asks him to rewrite her will, Simon’s life is about to change.
The story builds up slowly and this gives time to develop the characters, the relationship between Simon and his client, Eleanor, the discussions about her wealth and what to do with it, and slowly Simon becomes totally involved in Eleanor’s life. When Eleanor is hospitalised after a car accident, the story picks up speed and Simon finds himself in the middle of a real crisis. The final part of the book is a great combination of murder mystery and courtroom drama, in the true Grisham style.
I don’t want to give any spoilers so I will stop here and just say I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend it to everyone looking for a well written and original legal thriller.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this Novel.