While I enjoyed this more than his last two fiction releases, I do believe the Grisham name is simply not what it used to be. I found the Widow entertaining, but lacking most everywhere else.

At times, the book felt overly long: entire chapters seemed either redundant or predictable, and I wonder if this book couldn’t have been half as long and written a bit more concisely such that it might actually increase the urgency of the story, and with it, how much I cared about poor Simon Latch. The end was sudden and anticlimactic; the answer to the mystery left me vaguely unsatisfied. It’s like he wanted to pull on too many threads in his storytelling and thus ended up with a distressed tapestry in need of refinement and detail that was sadly missing in droves.

There’s an odd fixation on the main character’s assistant and her physical looks, and I’m not sure what purpose any of the female characters served other than as some kind of poorly executed sexual commentary.

I will continue to give Grisham my time, but I am becoming increasingly pessimistic about it…

Another hard hitting novel from John Grisham centered on problems within this country’s judicial system. That alone makes this work worthy of reading however it just does not meet the standards of Grisham’s best works. Known for his brilliant, thrilling pageturners (which kept me up many nights 30 years ago), <i>The Widow</i>was disappointing.

Even though this is a new subgenre for Grisham, it lacked the compelling drive and tension of previous works. Instead of curiosity, it took stamina to push through hundreds of pages, particularly in the midsection, detailing a lengthy, dismal downward spiral and a variety of unlikeable characters. Even with some good basic plot points going for it, they are buried under repetitious subplots.

As the story unfolded I noticed a pattern of dismissive descriptions of the female characters which primarily focused on physical characteristics. It did not seem to have a purpose and gave the book, and it’s story, a very dated feel.

Fortunately, the pace and writing seemed fresher in the last 10% as the plot took an unexpected turn and barreled to a satisfying outcome. Overall, this one just didn’t work for me no matter what the genre label.

The Widow by John Grisham published by Doubleday is part legal thriller, part murder mystery.. A small time lawyer is barely paying his bills , has gambling debts and going through a divorce. An elderly lady comes to his office for a will to be drawn up. She just might be the answer to all his financial problems. She says she is worth millions but over the course of time won,’t divulge any information. The lawyer patiently works with her over several weeks to a gain her confidence. She ends up in the hospital due to an car accident and eventually dies. Now the lawyer has to prove he is not the murderer before time runs out!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read the advanced reader copy. The Widow is due out Oct, 21st.

This is a good courtroom crime mystery.

Simon Latch is an attorney whose practice is barely paying the bills. His marriage is ending and he has gambling debt. When Eleanor Barnett, an 85 year old widow who needs a new will, comes into his office, his life will change in a way he could never anticipate. She claims to be wealthy, so he hatches a plan to control her money, when she dies. Simon learns the destructive nature of greed when Eleanor dies in the hospital after an accident. He is arrested for her murder when it's discovered she was poisoned. Before Simon spends the rest of his life in prison, he must find the real murderer.

This is James Grisham's first who done it. I enjoyed the characters and the plot line very much. It's a fast, easy read with a satisfying conclusion.

It’s been a while since I read a book by John Grisham and this one is a blockbuster!

Simon Latch, a small-time attorney in a very small town in Virginia, is relatively content with his law practice; one largely of simple wills and small crimes. One ordinary day he is visited by an elderly woman who says she’s not satisfied with the will drawn up by the only other lawyer in town and asks Simon to draw up a new one. He hems and haws about why he shouldn’t do that -until the potential client reveals that she’s worth six million dollars. WHOA! That makes him sit up and take notice.

She says she’s has no children but her late second husband has some sons but they aren’t entitled to any inheritance. At this point one wonders if the late second husband had a will, but it doesn’t seem that he had one, not that can be located anyway, and, regardless, he left his fortune only to her.

Simon takes the woman’s word for it and starts asking for bank statements, investment records, and the like, and the client promises to provide them, but they should meet for lunch to discuss things. Simon ends up with the check. They have lunch several times. Meanwhile, the late second husband’s sons appear, and they are by and large quite a sketchy lot. Simon keeps on digging and what he uncovers makes him wish for his small, quiet, practice with longing.

Saying more would reveal spoilers. I loved this book and I loved the characters, even the sketchy ones. Bravo to John Grisham for another tantalizing book, and thank you to him, the publisher, and NetGalley, from whom I received an ARC of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for sending me an ARC of The Widow in exchange for an honest review.

The NetGalley description of this book tells you everything you need to know about the story, so I’ll jump directly to my thoughts.

John Grisham books have been more hit than miss for the last 10 years. I liked Sooley (despite that gut punch ending) and the two Whistler books, but that’s about it. The rest have been fair to middling, and often disappointing.

I’m happy to say The Widow is a return to form for Mr. Grisham. While the book is being positioned as his first mystery novel, it’s still set in the legal world and has a courtroom trial. The key is that it got his style of storytelling, the style that’s sold a bazillion books. I didn’t love everything about the story. The plot is carried by a couple of lucky breaks (if I’m ever in trouble, I hope it turns out I have an ex who’s an FBI agent willing to stick her neck out for an ex). And to put Simon into his predicament he has to be quite unlikeable for the first half of the story, which makes him not a fun time to hang out with. Still, the good greatly outweighs the imperfect here. I hope The Widow starts a new run of entertaining books by Mr. Grisham. Recommended.

This is one of my “many will like this book reviews”! Meaning I didn’t love it but he is such a beloved author that I know if you like him and this genre you would enjoy this book. I finished it even though I thought I knew how it would end - I didn’t know all of the details but I did suspect the general conclusion.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book starts out with Simon Latch lamenting his current life. His marriage is on the rocks, his law practice is barely getting by and he is not finding much joy in his life other than his 3 children. He meets a widow and is intrigued by her. Eleanor claims to have substantial assets and shows him a will that was drawn up for her by Wally, the lawyer across the street. Simon quickly realizes that Wally was up to no good and lets her know she should make a new will. Simon is very aware that he is also seeing dollar signs, but he does try to convince her to give some charitable bequests. Eleanor has two step-sons that don't seem to be in the picture. She has no real heirs of her own. Simon takes her under his wing and they start to go to lunch together so he can find out more about her life and assets. Now as everybody knows, no good deed goes unpunished. His secretary is suspicious of his actions. His wife was really not helpful at all. Simon was a man on his own island before his life took a drastic turn. He finds himself needing a lawyer of his own. I liked how some people in his life stepped up when he needed them. We are then left to wonder who actually committed the crime. I don't want to give away what happens since it was quite an interesting story. Some parts of this book were repetative and weren't really necessary and that dimmed my enjoyment a bit. I was entertained though and did like how it ended.

3.5 The Widow is the newest book by expert legal thriller writer John Grisham. Simon is a familiar character to Grisham books- small town solo practitioner just making ends meet doing a little of this, a little of that. Enter client Eleanor, an 85 year old woman who wants her will rewritten and claims to have a multimillion dollar fortune laying around with no one to give it to. Simon takes her on as a client, rewrites her will, and then some months later, the old woman dies. But all is not so simple. How did she die? Who is to blame? Where is her fortune? Simon ends up becoming a defendant in a murder case, and readers get the courtroom scenes they know and love.
I have loved John Grisham books since I was in high school. I love the law, I love small town settings, and I love the thrill his books typically bring.
The Widow started off a bit too slow for me. A big portion of the book was Simon and Eleanor’s relationship building, and I just didn’t believe it. It seemed like Simon quickly got what he wanted, so I didn’t understand why his actions continued as they did. I think a needed a more detailed why in his motivations to enjoy that part of the story.
Once Simon is arrested and charged with murder, things started rolling. It felt like a John Grisham book and I was intrigued by how it would wrap up. Similar to his recent non fiction book Framed (which is phenomenal), this highlighted the injustice of our justice system, and that is a point that cannot be overstated. I do question Simon’s legal team a bit and their lack of using information on hand, so I would have liked a longer trial with more pointing fingers, alternate suspects, etc. The ending just seemed a bit rushed.
Overall, it’s not my favorite John Grisham, but it’s a solid read that fans will enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday books for my ARC.

An elderly woman walks into small-town attorney Simon Latch’s office, looking to write a new will. The woman was left with sizable wealth when her husband died, and Simon sees a gold mine of fees down the road. But Simon’s good fortune soon takes a downturn when he’s arrested for murder. The Widow is a traditional whodunnit, as Simon works feverishly to clear his name and discover the real culprit. The plot is strong enough to hold your interest, and the courtroom scenes are vintage Grisham, but the ending seemed abrupt and came out of nowhere, and that diminished my enjoyment of the whole book. Still a good enough read, just hated the conclusion. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up.

I've always enjoyed John Grisham's books and this was no exception. It was a little slow to start but once it got going it's excellent. Wrongful convictions happen and this was an interesting take on that. Well done.

The Widow, dives into the chilling concept of wrongful conviction, where an innocent person is wrongfully accused and put in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
This is a murder mystery that intense and suspenseful investigation that is full of plot twist as the truth begins to unravel. This is a true John Grisham story
Thank you netgalley

Well….not sure what to say here. This being my first Grisham book I was definitely expecting something else. He’s a very popular author so I assumed this was going to be a thrilling experience. Sadly, I was let down. Sigh. Where to start? There were the very unlikable characters, so much useless information I could have done without and what’s the deal with the gambling? Did I miss something there? The story moved at a snails pace and while the mystery itself was decent, the ending felt rushed and wrapped up rather quickly.

Not sure if this will be my first and last foray into Grisham’s books. I’ve been told his earlier ones are much better so I may give him another shot someday. You win some, you lose some.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Grisham has his own writing style.
This is a good read on two accounts.
First, it is yet another picture of human nature, sin affects all of us. In this read, it is greed that sets a small town lawyer on a path toward destruction.
There is murder, money, and mayhem.
In the end there is justice.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I am thrilled to read anything by John Grisham.
The characters in The Widow are masterfully crafted, and the storyline starts with a client needing a simple will.
But there is always a catch, and for the run-of-the-mill street lawyer, Simon Latch, Ms. Eleanor Barnett’s will is more than he expected.
How did he let himself get in this predicament?
How will he get out of it?
#TheWidow
#JohnGrisham
#Doubleday
#NetGalley

I thoroughly enjoyed The Widow. I’ve read many, many Grisham books and liked most of them, although there were a few not-so-good ones in the mix too. Simon was much more human than the conventional reputation lawyers often have. I thought the relationship he had with his wife/ex-wife was believable, and so was that of the kids. The ‘human’ side of this book was just right. It kept the book from being textbook legal. I felt myself wanting Simon to be okay in the end. (I knew he would be, of course, but I actually felt invested in his character.)

The story itself was captivating, and as usual, the writing flowed comfortably. The whodunit was cleverly done. It started a bit slowly, but very soon picked up. I only put it down when life got in the way of my reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Widow. I loved it.

3.5 I've been a big fan of John Grisham for years. I always read the"next new book" as soon as it comes out. I have to say this wasn't my favorite. I understand that he is trying on something new with this book- more of a who dun it format than the usual courtroom drama. I didn't find this lawyer, Simon, as engaging as others have been. I grew tired of the family drama and the amount of time devoted to it. I really wanted to skim those chapters. Every story about families plays out the same these days, kids over-scheduled or kids in a relationship with their technology and checked out from the world. And also- the time spent on Simon's gambling and losing. I know there needs to be background and character development in any story. Granted, his losing bets are what drove some of his behaviors, which was was germane to the character development, but I thought a lot of went on too long for the type of story this is meant to be. 75 pages could have been shaved off and still got the job done.

I stuck with it because other reviews stated that the story really picks up in the second half, which it did. However, I felt having to get through 60% of the book before the story really takes off is a big ask for the readers of a book of this length. Having said that, the early part of the story where Netty, with possibly a considerable estate to manage, chooses the wrong attorney to manage it, recognizes that he might not be on the level, only to pick another who has slightly less nefarious intentions toward her and her estate, should be recommended reading for seniors as a cautionary tale about trusting "professionals" to help manage your money. Perhaps that was part of the plan- to weave a PSA into a book likely to be read by may people.

If you are a regular reader of Grisham, you will probably read it and enjoy it enough, as I did. If you are new to Grisham, there are better titles to start with to become acquainted with his books.

Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC opportunity.

The book was slow up until about 43%. Like really slow, dragging slow. However once the story picked up it was really good. It was a perfect storm of legal drama. The twists were great and I didn’t see them coming. I did want more of an ending or an epilogue to see what’s next. I always enjoy this authors books.

John Grisham has been a must-read for me ever since I read A Time To Kill when I was in high school. That book set a pretty high bar, but this one is really good too! The pace picked up a lot more once I got to the second half, which I really liked. It gives us small town drama and a cast of attorneys who, as different as they all are, share one motivator—greed. It’s a high-stakes legal thriller, one of my favorite genres, and I highly recommend it!

John Grisham has always been passionate about the wrongful conviction issue in our country, and as an attorney who cried at the end of the Brian Banks movie when I went to see it in the theater, I love that he works to raise awareness of it—not just its prevalence, but how easily it can happen in our justice system and how difficult it is to overturn. Of course, this book is fictional, but it helps you see how easily someone like you could be convicted of a crime you had nothing to do with.

An 82 year old woman needs a will and Simon is ready to do a simple will. Then she tells him she has a fortune in stocks so he knows this will take more care. When she dies unexpectedly after a traffic accident, Simon finds himself in a lot of trouble.

This was a good who dunnit by Grisham. His style was light and had a good plot. Toward the end, I thought it seemed like Grisham didn't quite know how to end the story so that's why it's a 4.

Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read and review this book.