𝑯𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒘 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚, 𝒂 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒍, 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕.

THE WIDOW is still a legal thriller, but it marks the first "whodunit" from this author that I found so compelling, I read it in a single sitting.

Simon Latch is a run-of-the-mill lawyer in a rural area of Virginia, cranking out wills and preparing bankruptcy paperwork. He's never going to be wealthy, and he'll never command a jury's rapt attention in a courtroom. His marriage is dying a slow death, and supporting two households is more than his modest income will allow.

Everything changes when elderly widow Eleanor Barnett walks in his office one day with questions about her will. Upon examination, Simon finds some shady legalese from the lawyer who prepared it, and once he finds out that Eleanor has no family and a mind-boggling fortune, he begins to quietly fantasize about all the ways Eleanor's money could fix his problems. But when a car accident lands Eleanor in the hospital right before the new year, Simon finds himself in charge of some decisions he never asked for. When Eleanor dies, a bewildered Simon finds himself on trial for murder. Has someone from Eleanor's past pulled off the perfect crime?

Simon is one of those morally grey characters who is easy to like. I found him very easy to relate to even if I didn't like or agree with everything he did. My only complaint about this book was that the ending was far too abrupt. I'm a fan of open endings for sure, but I do need a modicum of closure. Besides that, this was a fun, twisty character-driven novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the early copy. Look for this one October 21, 2025.

A marvelous murder mystery only John Grisham could create. Brilliant dialogue, much intrigue, well developed believable characters, fun plot twists, and skillful construction. What more could you want? Highly recommended! I enjoyed this book and hope we’ll be seeing more of these interesting new characters. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

Truth is not always considered relevant in criminal proceedings. Join these characters on the journey of their life. The inner thoughts, their actions and the results will keep you turning the pages late into the night. Another fantastic legal suspense - definitely worth the read. This book wasprovided by the publisher and author through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own thoughts.

Whew!! This was a fantastic roller coaster ride.Just as you begin to think you know where it’s headed you realize it took a turn that wasn’t anticipated..A lovely legal thriller mystery.Mr Grisham has outdone himself with this book.He holds true to his forte…the legal thriller and blends it well with a mystery .I couldn’t stop reading and finished it in one day!
Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC

Another fantastic read! I was on the edge of my seat flipping pages just as quickly as possible to see what happened next....keeping me up way too late in the night reading.

Simon is a flawed man and mediocre lawyer, barely squeaking out a living, when his life imploded. He meets a lonley older lady with a big secret. Unfortunately, keeping her secret has a huge impact on his life and changes him forever.

Despite his many flaws, Simon is a likable character. I found myself invested in his story and wanting him to succeed. I really hope that this is the beginning of a new series, as I'd love to read about his future endeavors.

This is a must read for fans of the genre. The author is on my must read authors" list.