Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow in rural Virginia, needed a new will. When she walked into attorney Simon Latch’s office seeking his help, he thought she was the answer to all of his financial problems. She claimed to have been left a substantial fortune by her recently deceased husband, which could solve all of his financial problems. He was barely able to cover his household financial responsibilities and his marriage was falling apart.
Simon soon finds out that Eleanor was not as wealthy as she claimed, and when he attempts to help her after she is hospitalized following a serious car accident, his efforts land him in jail after being charged with her murder. Desperate to prove his innocence of a crime he did not commit, Simon moves full speed ahead to find the killer who is framing him.

I enjoyed the journey that John Grisham took me on with this book. It's been a long while since I had read a John Grisham novel, and I forgot how he spins a tale. For me, John takes me for a long Sunday drive, we see sights and get to know the area, but we take our time. Up until the end of our journey, which comes with a great surprise and many twists. Would I recommend this book YES! I would say that don't expect an edge-of-your-seat kind of novel, but it is a great read with lots of interesting characters.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This review is my opinion.

First and foremost, I thank NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of The Widow. I have mixed feelings about this book. The mystery is fantastic and is a riveting read. However, there are some issues. The protagonist and his wife are not likable characters. While one can feel sympathy for his predicament of being falsely accused, it is overshadowed by the vitriol he expresses toward his wife, his deceitfulness/ greed with his new client, and the gambling addiction. The gambling scenarios are not germane to the storyline and drone on and on. The pace slows to a crawl until the 50% mark and finally picks up steam. It was almost DNF at the 33% mark. Cutting 50-100 pages (especially those about gambling, and his horrible marital relationship)would help. The redundancy of the gambling and bars scenes as well as the boring details of all the lunches and the food at each establishment are unnecessary. I skimmed. I’m glad I did because the mystery truly is outstanding! The climax comes around the 80% mark so the rest of the book is anticlimactic. The book ended abruptly; I hoped there would be an epilogue. However, the mystery is solved satisfactorily and it is wrapped up nicely. Two stars for the beginning of the book and four stars for the remainder, rounded to three stars.

Love this author. The premise of the book was interesting. I wanted more character development and at times it was repetitive in explaining some of the plot points being uncovered and then re-explained them in the court proceedings especially in the last several chapters. Thank you Netgalley and Doubleday for the ARC!

John Grisham surely knows how to tell an intense, captivating story! This book captured my attention for hours and had me trying to solve it on my own. Well, isn’t that the fun of reading mystery thrillers?!

This legal thriller was told from the POV of Simon Latch, an attorney struggling to pay the bills, who had a lot of personal problems, a disintegrating marriage, a gambling problem and who drank too much. Things began looking up for him when he was asked to write the will for an 85 year old, very wealthy widow who had no family other than her husband’s deadbeat stepsons who had even been excluded from her late husband’s will.

Simon was very meticulous, wanting to do everything by the book and not have there be any reason for Eleanor Barnett’s will to be contested.

My interest intensified, knowing the widow would die, and I began assembling potential motives for various characters, wondering who would kill her, and how.
After her death the game changed as I wanted to solve the crime!

I don’t want to tell more of the story and reveal spoilers, but this book was so good! It was well written with a wide range of interesting, well-developed characters and a lot of twists and turns. My only complaint would be that it felt a little too long. My interest peaked at a crucial point and waned as the final solution was worked out with almost too much detail. However, I understand and accept the need for the details!

My special thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Publishers for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I jumped right in wanting to be friends with Simon Latch. He is a lawyer who is very down on his luck. Has a terrible marriage, a tolerable secretary, up to his neck in gambling debt, and pretty much little to no business. Enter Eleanor (Nettie) in the office door, asking him to draw up her will, and Simon thinks his life is about to change. Oh, it is about to change, alright. Netty is going to turn Simon's world upside down.

The book ends in a way that only Grisham can sum up a plot, and I LOVED it.

John Grisham was the author who introduced me to reading, so no matter what the circumstance his books will always hold a special place in my life. I was more than excited to see an arc of his latest, The Widow.

Simon is married with three children, but his marriage isn’t going well. He is also a lawyer who handles mainly wills and routine contracts, making small amounts of money at a time. One day Eleanor walks into his office with a request for a will. Even though she is dressed modestly, she says she has millions and millions of dollars. Her deceased husband had purchased many years of Coca Cola and Walmart stock, and they hoarded it.

Simon couldn’t believe his luck. Was this the fortune he was looking for? For months he continues to talk to her and they became friends, although she could never quite prove her wealth. When she suddenly dies around Christmastime, many question his intentions and open an investigation. His seemingly good luck reverses almost immediately with an arrest. Will Simon be able to prove through trial he only has good intentions in mind?

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Eleanor a widow needs a new will- her husband has left her well off. Simon sees a way to get ahead. He wines and dines her and helps her with her legal issues all the while hoping for a big payoff. When she is in the hospital after a car accident and dies Simons world falls apart. He is accused of murdering her. He claims he didn’t but the evidence says he did. Who do you believe? Can he prove he is innocent? Can he find the real killer?

I just loved it! Reading the premise I knew Simon was going to be accused of murder. Reading to see how it all came to play and then working on his defense, it was a great read!! I hope Grisham writes more mystery books like this in the future! Put this on your "to read" list now!

definitely not close to his best. For a mystery, there wasn't a whole lot of mystery there. Quite tedious at length discussion on the day to day activities of rather slimy lawyers including the protagonist and the other lawyers who practice own this all town in Virginia. Unfortunately, for I generally enjoy Grisham's novels, I cannot recommend this now

If someone asks me to name a book I’ve read that did not live up to expectations, this one will be one of the first to come to mind.

It seems to be well received so far though - count me in the minority I guess. The premise was so promising… a lawyer tasked to write up a will for an elderly client that is secretly wealthy, only to end up on trial for her murder. The blurb had me hooked and I was very excited to dive in.

None of the characters in the story were particularly likable (not even the widow), there was next to no breadcrumbs along the way to figure out the real murderer and the abrupt ending left me feeling so disappointed. The breadcrumbs that were left were all red herrings that were just left as dangling unresolved threads. One of those unresolved stories could’ve been explored and it would’ve made for a much better, more satisfying resolution. This was a slow, frustrating and ultimately lackluster read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read an early copy.

This wasn’t as much fun as most John Grisham novels and was longer and slower. But apparently his purpose was to have a venue to preach about wrongly convicted victims. And he certainly did that well, both in the early part of the novel and in the finale. I appreciate the fact that he is speaking out for those wrongly convicted and that he has a history of working to free those people who have been wrongly convicted.

His portrayal of the power of social media, the press and the local gossip mills was absolutely perfect. In today’s world nothing goes unnoticed and everything is mushroomed to unparalleled importance.

I am grateful for this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Doubleday Books, in exchange for an honest review.

I've always been a fan of John Grisham, and overall, I enjoyed this book. While there were a few slower sections in the middle, the story itself was compelling and kept my interest. It follows Eleanor, an elderly woman who unexpectedly finds herself in control of a large sum of money after her husband’s death. Wanting to revise her will, she turns to Simon, an attorney whose life is completely transformed after crossing paths with her.

I found the premise intriguing and the characters well-developed, especially Eleanor. My only fundamental critique is the abrupt ending—it felt a bit rushed and left me wanting more closure. Still, it was a very enjoyable read and a solid addition to Grisham’s collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for this ARC.

Wow, absolutely loved this book. Couldn’t put it down! Grisham is so talented to be able to write and capture every free moment of my day! When I couldn’t sit down and read it I’d put my ear buds in and let me iPhone read it to me as I got ready for work, cooked dinner, cleaned the house, and even drove anywhere! I just had to know what happened next. We all know that Grisham writes legal thrillers that have you sitting on the edge of your seats, and this one did not disappoint! Part of me wondered if he’d be able to capture my attention like he did with his first handful of novels, because I’m always concerned I’ll get board with the writing or the same recycled stories, but this was none of those. I haven’t been this captivated with a book in years! Thank you Mr Grisham for giving me something to look forward to again every single day! Next!
Thank you Net Galley and Doubleday publishing for sending me this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

It has been a while since I've read a John Grisham book so I wasn't sure what to expect. I will admit that it was a struggle to get through the first half of the book. The main character, Simon Latch, is a lawyer in a small rural community in Virginia. While we do not learn why he is practicing law in this town or what brought him and his family to this town, he is thoroughly unhappy with everything, except his betting. He's in an unhappy marriage, with children he can't engage with and a law practice that is barely scrapping by. Then a widow, Netty Barnett, comes into his office to draft a new will. She doesn't seem to trust her last will, made by another lawyer in town. Netty, who has no direct relatives, leads Simon to believe that she has a lot of money, but seems hesitant to confirm anything. Simon views this as a big payday to resolve his troubles by being in charge of her affairs after she dies. For the first half of the book, Simon was a very dislikeable character with very little morals who just seems to dislike everything, including the new client.

Then Netty befalls an unfortunate accident and dies. And suddenly all of the circumstantial evidence points to Simon as the guilty party. As he tried to navigate a legal system, but as a defendant, I think he learns some valuable lessons that improves his character at the end. As I have read a lot of Erle Stanley Garnder's Perry Mason series, it was enjoyable to see court room tactics that seem more normal.

As he fights to stay out of jail, Simon breaks a few more laws to find the actual guilty party before he's sentenced. As there are a few suspects that he investigates, the story veers along a storyline that I'm pretty sure I've read in a book or seen in a movie / tv show. While there was enough doubt and questions that left the reader guessing till near the end for who was guilty, I was disappointed that the story didn't go in the direction of a different character.

But overall, the story ended well and has made me interested in reading more of John Grisham's other books (whether I've read them before or not).

Opening a window a crack to shed a light on The Widow's complex story. When Simon gets wind of a quick-rich scheme, he schmoozes Eleanor to enlist his services. As her lawyer, he gains Eleanor's trust and becoming executer of her will grants full access to Eleanor's finances. Taking stock of her past, the wealthy widow changes the course of his life.

Simon learns that behind the curtain, Eleanor is guarding a secret. Has his golden goose been cooked?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheWidow in exchange for an honest review. While at times I had trouble connecting with the characters, the compelling story kept me paging through the novel to discover the truth. Get ready for a wild ride so don't convict the slow start for the final verdict.

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

I am an outlier but I just couldn't get into to the book and enjoy it.

One of my favorite authors, writes another great book. A widow, walks into a lawyer’s office, claiming she’s a multi millionaire, with no family of her own, but two step sons from her husband’s previous marriage.And that’s where it begins. He becomes a little greedy. He starts to wine and dine her. And finds out about the stocks that her husband has. Coke and Walmart, from the very beginning.
I didn’t see this ending coming. And the characters in this book also add to this story.

I thought the book was a little slow at first but by the time of the trial I was hooked. I first thought the main character was selfish but then I started feeling sorry for him. I did not want the book to end. I could see this as a series. I hope so! Thanks for letting me read this and review it.

Can I give this book 10 stars? Best book I've read this year! I have loved almost all of John Grisham's books, and The Widow did not disappoint!! I would even go as far as to say that this book is better than The Firm, which has long been my favorite.

Simon Latch is a small town lawyer, with marital issues, and barely getting by. An elderly woman enters his office asking to have her will redone, as she didn't trust the other lawyer who prepared it. Simon learns that she may have millions in stocks, and starts to see some needed money in his future, but being a good guy, tries to just take care of her legal issues with this will. Things go well, until they don't, and Simon gets into into an incredible situation with this woman, one that will absolutely ruin his life. This story is filled with greed, heartbreak, despair, and a lot of courtroom drama. Highly recommend for all those who have enjoyed John Grisham's works over the years.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Widow.