The Widow: Could She Really Have $20 Million in Assets?
- Melissa Gouty
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
John Grisham's Legal Thriller
Entertaining. Enjoyable.
I've been reading a lot of heavy stuff lately, books with deep meaning, cultural conflicts, and historical impact. So I needed - and was absolutely delighted by - the fast-paced, legal thriller from John Grisham,The Widow!
If you haven't heard of John Grisham, you might not be a "reader." This former attorney and politician turned novelist has published 37 consecutive best-sellers beginning with the 1989 publication of "A Time to Kill." (Yes. Thirty-seven!) His books have been made into major motion pictures, and he has sold over 300 million copies of his books worldwide. (Can you imagine, 300 million people reading your work? WOW.)
I don't read every single book Grisham writes, but I have read probably a dozen over the years, most recently his "Camino Island" series about a bookshop owner who deals in rare books - and sometimes, slightly shadier ventures. (Again, enjoyable reads, particularly Camino Ghosts about an elderly woman who lays claim to some ancestral property being bought up by a real-estate developer.)
But The Widow was one of my favorites. Maybe my need for something lighter than what I've been reading affected my opinion, but I truly enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting, flawed, and funny, and the plot took several turns I never saw coming. It moved fast, and what I thought would happen, didn't happen!
A widow walks into a lawyer's office...
Yep. It sounds like the set-up for a joke! No joke, though. A little old lady walks into Simon Latch's small-town law office, claiming she needs a new will because another lawyer in town has employed some devious dealings in the will she recently had him update. Simon begins to understand why a colleague across the street may have adopted some unscrupulous tactics when this unassuming widow claims that she and her husband have lived very simply, frugally, for decades, amassing a fortune of about twenty million dollars.
One of the joys of the book is that it moves quickly and there are lots of moving parts. Each section of the book has a different focus. First, the set-up. Then the "crime," followed by the trial, and then the aftermath.
The fascination of questionable characters
Can you trust a lawyer who is drowning in debt, whose marriage is on the rocks, and who has a gambling problem? Simon Latch is likeable and cares about his clients, but when faced with an unbelievable windfall, could he resist temptation?
Is the little old widow, Eleanor Barnett, trustworthy? She makes big claims, but isn't willing to back them up. Is she losing her grasp on reality? Is what she says actually true? If she truly has all this money, why doesn't she ever pay for lunches, entertainment, or Simon's services?
Throw in some disreputable stepsons, a former love interest of Simon's, a beating, a hacker, and a courtroom trial. All good stuff that creates a multi-faceted legal thriller.
John Grisham's The Widow: Reading for FUN!
If you want an enjoyable thriller without a lot of heavy-duty analytical thinking or massive historical impact...
If you like thinking about legalities...
If you enjoy putting together evidence and being in courtrooms...
If you just like a plain good story... try John Grisham's The Widow!
Great gift for Christmas - or for any other celebratory occasion -
for someone who likes to read.
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