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One of my long-standing favorite authors is John Grisham. While my literary choices naturally lead me to romantic dramas and chick-lit, there is something riveting about a legal thriller, the genre Grisham is so widely known for. Grisham’s credibility in this genre stems from his career as a lawyer and his novels always feel authentic and believable. Over the years, I’ve read a number of his books including The Firm, The Pelican Brief, and A Time to Kill. In Grisham’s latest release Sycamore Row, readers are taken back to the setting and characters that were brought to life in A Time to Kill. In that story, defense attorney Jake Brigance takes the case of a black father who pursues his own justice when his daughter is brutally assaulted by two white men. The delve into racial tensions and the inequality often felt by blacks in our country is handled brilliantly by the author and eventually the story was realized on-screen.
Nearly twenty five years later, we return to Clanton where Brigance once again finds himself entangled in a trial that exposes the deep-seated racial tensions still plaguing our country. A sequel to Grisham’s infamous novel-turned-film, Sycamore Row opens with a suicide, immediately drawing readers in to find out the motive. Seth Hubbard has his death planned to a T…right down to the will he changes only one day before his self-inflicted hanging. On the surface, the answer seems straightforward. Terminal lung cancer. But as we delve deeper into the story and details about the change in will surface, we find that things are not always as they seem. In it, he leaves nearly all of his fortune to the black maid that took care of his home and eventually his immediate needs while battling cancer. The question then becomes why? I found myself constantly pondering what the significance of their relationship was, which is slowly divulged as the story progresses.
Those who have lost a loved one and waded through the legal battle that can arise surrounding a will, know that the journey is often lengthy and complex. Seth Hubbard was estranged from his ex-wives and children and it is only in his passing that they come together to seek out what they think they deserve. Each of his children are self-serving and their colorful sides are enhanced by the draw of Hubbard’s unexpectedly large fortune. Racial tensions surrounding the beneficiary complicate the legal battle which seeks to determine which will to uphold.
Once I started reading the book, it was hard to put it down, despite its slow beginning. While I don’t think it is essential that you read A Time to Kill before Sycamore Row, I think it would be helpful in piecing the two stories together and setting the context. Grisham vividly describes the details of the characters and the scene, drawing readers in so they feel immersed within Clanton and connected to the characters.
If you’re looking for a thrilling, edge-of-your seat read, I highly recommend Grisham’s Sycamore Row. The book is available for purchase at your local Walmart or online for $20.26 which is 30% off the suggested retail price.
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