Summary:
As usual, Grisham keeps the reader wondering until the end. If you’re a John Grisham fan, you won’t be disappointed in Sycamore Row.
Who loves a good mystery? I know I do! And John Grisham is one of the best legal mystery writers I know! I won’t claim to have read all of his books, but I’ve read many, and I have not been disappointed yet.
One of the first Grisham books I read was A Time to Kill. Do you remember that one? It was set in the deep south. Lawyer Jake Brigance defends Carl Lee Hailey, a black man who is accused of killing his daughter’s white rapists. Racial tensions are high throughout the story, and the case makes Jake Brigance a star lawyer in the fictional town of Clanton, Missisippi.
In John Grisham’s latest novel, Sycamore Row , Jake Brigance is back in action. Walmart sent me an advance copy of the book to review for our Walmart Moms Book Club series.
In Sycamore Row Jake Brigance’s case is completely different from his case in A Time To Kill. This time he is charged with defending the handwritten will of Seth Hubbard, a white man who committed suicide. Before killing himself, Hubbard hand wrote a will, leaving almost his entire substantial estate to his black housekeeper, Lettie Lang. In that will he specifically invalidated a previous will, which left everything to his children and grandchildren.
Of course, Hubbard’s children are none to pleased to have been suddenly left out of the will. Why would their father suddenly decide to leave everything to his housekeeper? Did she influence him? Was he in his right mind when he wrote his will? These are the questions that are fought out in an intense court battle over Hubbard’s estate.
As with most Grisham novels, I was immediately drawn into the story. I enjoyed returning to the town of Clanton, Mississippi to hear about Jake Brigance’s latest case.
Confession: in my mind Jake Brigance will always look and sound like Matthew McConaughey, which makes total sense to those of you who have seen the movie, A Time to Kill. And that’s really not a bad thing, right?
Sycamore Row is filled with all kinds of characters. Some are sympathetic, like Lettie the housekeeper. She’s had a tough life, and I really wanted her to win the case and inherit the money. And some characters are despicable, like Seth Hubbard’s two children, who obviously didn’t love their father and now want his money.
Throughout the novel, Grisham masterfully strings the reader along. For 400 pages, I was wondering why Hubbard would leave everything to Lettie. Certainly Grisham provides a clue here and there. That’s what makes Sycamore Row a page turner. But he saves the big secret for the end of the book, and the ending completely makes Sycamore Row worth the read.
I won’t say any more. If you’re curious about the ending, you’ll just have to read the book for yourself.
If you love most of John Grisham’s legal mysteries, you won’t be disappointed in this one. You won’t be able to put it down. At least that’s how I felt about Sycamore Row.
Syacamore Row is being released today! You can find it at Walmart for $20.26, which is 30% off the suggested retail price.As usual, Grisham keeps the reader wondering until the end. If you’re a John Grisham fan, you won’t be disappointed in Sycamore Row.
- $20.26
- 5 editor rating