Sycamore Row by John Grisham
My rating: 5 of 5 starsI am a John Grisham fan. Okay, I like a lot of different authors, but he is one of them. I had been eagerly awaiting Sycamore Row and was delighted to end when I got a copy the same day Allegiant was released! (I was in chain-reading-nirvana)
Sycamore Row is definitely a Grisham novel written in his unique style which blends legal matters, light humor, and a good mystery. The book brings back Jack Brigance (the lawyer who defended Carl Lee Hailey in the book A Time to Kill).
In Clanton, Mississippi, a man named Seth Hubbard hanged himself from a Sycamore tree. He was a very wealthy man who had been suffering from lung cancer. He was found hanging by his employee who he had called to meet him one Saturday afternoon.
The following Monday, Jack Brigance received a letter from Seth Hubbard which contained three pages. The first one was a letter to Jack and the two remaining pages contained his handwritten will (known as a holographic will). In that will, Seth wrote that he is leaving 90% of his fortune to a woman named Lettie Lang.
But Seth had two children, Ramona and Herschell, who in turn have their own children. They were not going to stand for being cut-out of their old man's will. Especially if the woman Seth name's in his will is actually his housekeeper and a black lady to boot. To complicate matters, Seth has an earlier will that was properly drafted by a big law firm. The question now is which will is valid.
So Jack has now got to get his act together and ensure that Seth's will is recognized as valid and executed as per Seth's instructions. For the second time in his law career, Jack faces a tough battle. He has just begun to recover from the Hailey trial which cost him and his family their home -- which was burned down. Now, though he is getting paid this time, the battle is about just as tough.
Sycamore Row is a very good read. If you enjoy reading Grisham's books, you will love this one. The characters are very interesting and I especially enjoyed the interaction between Jack and Judge Atlee again (they were both present in A Time to Kill). It is an exciting page turner and even the courtroom drama will keep you hooked.
I definitely give it 5 stars. :)
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