John Grisham

In this novel the author takes you back to where it all began in A Time to Kill. Now we return to that famous courthouse in Clanton as Jake Brigance once again finds himself embroiled in a fiercely controversial trial; a trial that will expose old racial tensions and force Ford County to confront its tortured history. Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten, will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his black maid, and Jake into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County's most notorious citizens, just three years earlier. The second will raises far more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what foes ita ll have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row? -- From book jacket.

Sycamore Row

Emily

A sequel to A TIME TO KILL He will make them pay . . . Jake Brigance has never met Seth Hubbard, or even heard of him, until the old man's suicide note names him attorney for his estate. The will is dynamite. Seth has left ninety per cent of his vast, secret fortune to his housemaid. The vultures are circling even before the body is cold: the only subject more incendiary than money in Ford County is race, and this case has both. AS the relatives contest the will, and unscrupulous lawyers hasten to benefit, Jake searches for answers to the many questions left by Seth Hubbard's death: What made him write that last-minute will leaving everything to a poor black woman named Lettie Lang? Why did he choose to kill himself on the desolate piece of land known as Sycamore Row? And what was it that Seth and his brother witnessed as children that, in his words, 'no human should ever see'? ************ Praise for SYCAMORE ROW 'A gripping read' - Literary Review 'A fantastic book' - 5 STAR reader review 'Just as good [as A Time To Kill] . . . an excellent climax' - 5 STAR reader review 'Grisham at his best'- 5 STAR reader review

Peggy Walker

Best Grisham book in a long time

"A Time to Kill" was the first book I ever read by John Grisham, and it remains my favorite. This book revisits several of the same characters, and it was good to meet them again.

One of the things that bothered me about many of Grisham's intervening books is that they followed the same formula. An unlikely protagonist falls into a dream scenario...usually involving a lot of money...then everything goes wrong and things end badly.

This book is quite different. There is a "good" side and a "not good" side. It was a good read, but not meticulous. It was hard to believe so many critical witnesses could be found and produced at just the right time. Also, the book revolved much more around plot over character, which was somewhat detrimental.

Still, for me it was a step back in the right direction for this author, and most fans of legal thrillers would enjoy it.

Jonathan Tysick

Better than A Time to Kill in my opinion. A slow build, but a clever, emotional and thought provoking story in the end. Looking forward to A Time for Mercy.

Ed Kay

I haven't read a Grisham since the early days of The Firm and The Client. I remember taut, sharply written thrillers that pulled you through with excitement and drama. So when my flatmate left this lying around - the sequel to another riveting page-turner A Time To Kill - I looked forward to reacquainting myself.

How disappointing. This was a tedious, badly written, overlong, predictable mess. What a shame! Next time I'm going to check a few reviews before casually assuming a classic author is still at the height of his powers.

Vivek Chand

A great sequel 20 years later after his first book "A time to kill". Not as riveting but another good Grisham book which is why he remains a favorite.

Cindy Lieberman

Seth Hubbard is dying. Before he kills himself, he we writes a new will that changes significantly from his previous bequests. What ensues is a frustrating look inside the probate laws and the "get money at any cost" system.

Katrina White

Totally predictable but a wonderful read. If you like to listen to audible, I think you will not be disappointed. The reader is wonderful!

Alyssa Jacunski

Why I loved it

My dad first got me into John Grisham's book many years ago and I feel in love with the stories I was reading. I think that John Grisham is an incredibly writer. The fact that he can make me interested and sometimes a boring topic is amazing to me. Lawyer books can sometimes be boring and uninteresting full of technical terms that I really don't understand - however, Grisham pulls me in with the characters and I need to know what happens. When reading this book, I was in awe at how awful Hubbard's children were. And really that Hubbard wasn't an awful man, despite how his children turned out. I found myself really enjoying this book, and I'm certain that I will be adding more of his books to my "to-read" list.

Why you should read it
Do you like mystery books? How about books about law/lawyers? If you answered yes to either of those questions, I think you'll enjoy this book. If you've read other books by John Grisham, you won't be disappointed in picking this one up.

My rating
4/5 stars - It wasn't my absolute favorite book ever by a long shot. But it was better than just average for me.

Sycamore Row

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