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John Grisham

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Sycamore Row Kindle Edition

by John Grisham (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

93,264 ratings

Book 2 of 3: Jake Brigance

#1 Best Seller in Suicide

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SOME CRIMES CAN NEVER BE FORGIVEN.

Seth Hubbard has waited a long time for revenge.

He was haunted his entire life by something terrible he saw as a child: and now he's dead, he's not going to let the past die with him.

Disinheriting his wives and children, he has left his vast, secret fortune to his housemaid and appointed Clanton's famous lawyer, Jake Brigance, to uphold his last request.

Now Jake must defend the will - whatever the cost...

💥350+ million copies, 45 languages, 10 blockbuster films: JOHN GRISHAM IS THE MASTER OF THE LEGAL THRILLER💥

Reader reviews of Sycamore Row:

'The writing and pace are flawless' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'An excellent courtroom drama'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Brilliantly written'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Outstanding'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A must read!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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From the Publisher

	The Litigators	The Racketeer	Rogue Lawyer	The Whistler	A Time For Mercy
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Review

"Powerful . . . immensely readable . . . the best of his books."--The Washington Post

"One of [Grisham's] finest . . . Sycamore Row is a true literary event."--The New York Times Book Review

Praise for the novels of John Grisham

"John Grisham is about as good a storyteller as we've got in the United States these days."--The New York Times Book Review

"In all of Grisham's best books . . . the reader gets good company, a vigorous runaround and . . . a bit of a legal education."--Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"Grisham's books are smart, imaginative, and funny, populated by complex, interesting people."--The Washington Post

"The law, by its nature, creates drama, and a new Grisham promises us an inside look at the dirty machineries of process and power, with plenty of entertainment."--Los Angeles Times

"John Grisham owns the legal thriller." --The Denver Post

From the Inside Flap

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'? In the long-awaited successor to the novel that launched his phenomenal career, John Grisham brings us the powerful sequel to A Time to Kill. As filled with page-turning twists as it is with legal mastery, Sycamore Row proves beyond doubt that John Grisham is in a league of his own.

From the Back Cover

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'? In the long-awaited successor to the novel that launched his phenomenal career, John Grisham brings us the powerful sequel to A Time to Kill. As filled with page-turning twists as it is with legal mastery, Sycamore Row proves beyond doubt that John Grisham is in a league of his own.

About the Author

John Grisham is the author of numerous #1 bestsellers, including The Firm, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Innocent Man, The Whistler, The Boys from Biloxi, and many more. His books have been translated into nearly fifty languages. Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction. Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system. He lives on a farm in central Virginia.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

1

They found Seth Hubbard in the general area where he had promised to be, though not exactly in the condition expected. He was at the end of a rope, six feet off the ground and twisting slightly in the wind. A front was moving through and Seth was soaked when they found him, not that it mattered. Someone would point out that there was no mud on his shoes and no tracks below him, so therefore he was probably hanging and dead when the rain began. Why was that important? Ultimately, it was not.

The logistics of hanging oneself from a tree are not that simple. Evidently, Seth thought of everything. The rope was three-quarter-inch braided natural Manila, of some age and easily strong enough to handle Seth, who weighed 160 pounds a month earlier at the doctor's office. Later, an employee in one of Seth's factories would report that he had seen his boss cut the fifty-foot length from a spool a week before using it in such dramatic fashion. One end was tied firmly to a lower branch of the same tree and secured with a slapdash mix of knots and lashings. But, they held. The other end was looped over a higher branch, two feet in girth and exactly twenty-one feet from the ground. From there it fell about nine feet, culminating in a perfect hangman's knot, one that Seth had undoubtedly worked on for some time. The noose was straight from the textbook with thirteen coils designed to collapse the loop under pressure. A true hangman's knot snaps the neck, making death quicker and less painful, and apparently Seth had done his homework. Other than what was obvious, there was no sign of a struggle or suffering.

A six-foot stepladder had been kicked aside and was lying benignly nearby. Seth had picked his tree, flung his rope, tied it off, climbed the ladder, adjusted the noose, and, when everything was just right, kicked the ladder and fell. His hands were free and dangling near his pockets.

Had there been an instant of doubt, of second-guessing? When his feet left the safety of the ladder, but with his hands still free, had Seth instinctively grabbed the rope above his head and fought desperately until he surrendered? No one would ever know, but it looked doubtful. Later evidence would reveal that Seth had been a man on a mission.

For the occasion, he had selected his finest suit, a thick wool blend, dark gray and usually reserved for funerals in cooler weather. He owned only three. A proper hanging has the effect of stretching the body, so Seth's trouser cuffs stopped at his ankles and his jacket stopped at his waist. His black wing tips were polished and spotless. His blue necktie was perfectly knotted. His white shirt, though, was stained with blood that had oozed from under the rope. Within hours, it would be known that Seth Hubbard had attended the 11:00 a.m. worship service at a nearby church. He had spoken to acquaintances, joked with a deacon, placed an offering in the plate, and seemed in reasonably good spirits. Most folks knew Seth was battling lung cancer, though virtually no one knew the doctors had given him a short time to live. Seth was on several prayer lists at the church. However, he carried the stigma of two divorces and would always be tainted as a true Christian.

His suicide would not help matters.

The tree was an ancient sycamore Seth and his family had owned for many years. The land around it was thick with hardwoods, valuable timber Seth had mortgaged repeatedly and parlayed into wealth. His father had acquired the land by dubious means back in the 1930s. Both of Seth's ex-wives had tried valiantly to take the land in the divorce wars, but he held on. They got virtually everything else.

First on the scene was Calvin Boggs, a handyman and farm laborer Seth had employed for several years. Early Sunday morning, Calvin had received a call from his boss. "Meet me at the bridge at 2:00 p.m.," Seth said. He didn't explain anything and Calvin was not one to ask questions. If Mr. Hubbard said to meet him somewhere at a certain time, then he would be there. At the last minute, Calvin's ten-year-old boy begged to tag along, and, against his instincts, Calvin said yes. They followed a gravel road that zigzagged for miles through the Hubbard property. As Calvin drove, he was certainly curious about the meeting. He could not remember another occasion when he met his boss anywhere on a Sunday afternoon. He knew his boss was ill and there were rumors he was dying, but, like everything else, Mr. Hubbard kept it quiet.

The bridge was nothing more than a wooden platform spanning a nameless, narrow creek choked with kudzu and crawling with cottonmouths. For months, Mr. Hubbard had been planning to replace it with a large concrete culvert, but his bad health had sidetracked him. It was near a clearing where two dilapidated shacks rotted in the brush and overgrowth and offered the only hint that there was once a small settlement there.

Parked near the bridge was Mr. Hubbard's late-model Cadillac, its driver's door open, along with the trunk. Calvin rolled to a stop behind the car and stared at the open trunk and door and felt the first hint that something might be out of place. The rain was steady now and the wind had picked up, and there was no good reason for Mr. Hubbard to leave his door and trunk open. Calvin told his boy to stay in the truck, then slowly walked around the car without touching it. There was no sign of his boss. Calvin took a deep breath, wiped moisture from his face, and looked at the landscape. Beyond the clearing, maybe a hundred yards away, he saw a body hanging from a tree. He returned to his truck, again told the boy to stay inside and keep the doors locked, but it was too late. The boy was staring at the sycamore in the distance.

"Stay here now," Calvin said sternly. "And don't get out of the truck."

"Yes sir."

Calvin began walking. He took his time as his boots slipped in the mud and his mind tried to stay calm. What was the hurry? The closer he got the clearer things became. The man in the dark suit at the end of the rope was quite dead. Calvin finally recognized him, and he saw the stepladder, and he quickly put the scene and the events in order. Touching nothing, he backed away and returned to his truck.

It was October of 1988, and car phones had finally arrived in rural Mississippi. At Mr. Hubbard's insistence, Calvin had one installed in his truck. He called the Ford County sheriff's office, gave a brief report, and began waiting. Warmed by the heater and soothed by Merle Haggard on the radio, Calvin gazed through the windshield, ignored the boy, tapped his fingers along with the wipers, and realized he was crying. The boy was afraid to speak.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00D8CSVLW
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hodder & Stoughton
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ 22 Oct. 2013
Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5.5 MB
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 459 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1444765588
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Book 2 of 3 ‏ : ‎ Jake Brigance

Best Sellers Rank: 8,990 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 1 in Suicide
- 2 in Legal Education
- 3 in International Law (Books)

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John Grisham

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John Grisham is the author of more than fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include The Boys From Biloxi, The Judge's List, Sooley, and his third Jake Brigance novel, A Time for Mercy, which is being developed by HBO as a limited series.

Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.

When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.

John lives on a farm in central Virginia.

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Customers find the book engaging with twists and turns throughout, praising its flawless pacing and well-developed characters, particularly Jake. Moreover, they appreciate its classic Grisham style and thought-provoking content that draws readers in. However, the book receives mixed feedback about its length, with several customers noting it becomes long-winded in the third quarter.

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1,454 customers mention ‘Readability’1,422 positive32 negative

Customers find the book captivating as they read along, with one describing it as a good page turner.

"...his usual skill in this book - a great first chapter that hooks the reader straight away, an interesting plot, strong characterisation and the..." Read more

"...Grisham is a great author and this was a pleasant return to a character that was intriguing the first time round.....perhaps he should do it for a..." Read more

"...And you’ll like it if you like well-paced, neatly constructed, well told tales of people, the conflicts between them and the way they can sometimes..." Read more

"...not my favourite John Grisham novel but once it gets going, it's a decent read." Read more

967 customers mention ‘Story quality’841 positive126 negative

Customers enjoy the story's twists and turns, suspenseful pacing, and courtroom drama elements, with one customer noting it's not overly mentally challenging.

"...- a great first chapter that hooks the reader straight away, an interesting plot, strong characterisation and the suspense of a jury trial with both..." Read more

"...It's a simple story line, that opens a can of worms that keeps getting more intriguing...." Read more

"...you’ll like it if you like well-paced, neatly constructed, well told tales of people, the conflicts between them and the way they can sometimes be..." Read more

"...But what I can say is that the story is wonderfully gripping, the characters are very well drawn and no fan of Grisham will be disappointed...." Read more

381 customers mention ‘Pacing’328 positive53 negative

Customers praise the pacing of the book, noting it is well written and easy to read, with one customer highlighting how the prose keeps words flowing.

"...But the quality of the writing, the characterisation and the contrast of darkness and humour mean that this still stands up well as one of Grisham's..." Read more

"...And in this novel Grisham respects them. For instance, the telling must be pacy, and Grisham’s nothing if not a master of pace...." Read more

"...keep track with the many characters in this book, but the writing and pace are flawless...." Read more

"...But this was good. Much better written than his first....with better characterisation, pace and humour...." Read more

236 customers mention ‘Character development’218 positive18 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, particularly the brilliant lead character Jake, and find it interesting to revisit familiar characters.

"...I can say is that the story is wonderfully gripping, the characters are very well drawn and no fan of Grisham will be disappointed...." Read more

"...All the characters were vividly described and I liked them all despite their flaws "we all have flaws"..." Read more

"...again at his best, takes the reader with a remarkable story, compelling characters, makes you savour each page, keeps in suspense all the time...." Read more

"...I found it completely absorbing. The characters were so real and the plot drew me in. And I love a good ending...." Read more

166 customers mention ‘Thought provoking’166 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and engaging throughout, drawing readers into the story.

"...It's a simple story line, that opens a can of worms that keeps getting more intriguing...." Read more

"...No chance of finding the story dull, even though it’s also highly informative: about the law, more particularly about the law in Mississippi, and..." Read more

"John Grisham at his best. Moving and thought provoking. A seriously good read Still a modern day problem,sad as it is" Read more

"...A most intriguing read." Read more

75 customers mention ‘Style’71 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the book's style, describing it as a classic Grisham work that maintains the author's signature writing approach.

"...This is almost historical in the sense that it is set in the 1980s and that gives an interesting view on the politics and social environment in..." Read more

"...Grisham is on form and it's nice to see him re-introducing an 'old' character and I look forward to more in this vein...." Read more

"...brought to mind easily and new characters were well written and fully formed...." Read more

"This is classic John Grisham and I was saddened when the book ended...." Read more

117 customers mention ‘Pace’65 positive52 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some praising its flow and movement, while others find it slow going at the beginning.

"...And you’ll like it if you like well-paced, neatly constructed, well told tales of people, the conflicts between them and the way they can sometimes..." Read more

"...At times the court room stuff drags on a little but to be fair to Grisham he keeps it as short as possible as am sure a book true lily representing..." Read more

"...Much better written than his first....with better characterisation, pace and humour...." Read more

"...Unfortunately that didn't quite happen. I found the book very slow in the beginning and I was about 100 pages in before I found myself beginning to..." Read more

48 customers mention ‘Length’13 positive35 negative

Customers find the book's length problematic, describing it as long-winded, particularly in the third quarter, and mentioning that the typeface is smaller than an atom, making it difficult to read.

"...I couldn't put it down but it was too big to finish and too good to rush, so ordered it when I got home...." Read more

"...Some a little long winded but hints throughout made you realise there would be a wow moment at the end but definitely not predictable...." Read more

"Interesting story and quite a neat ending. A book you can read a few pages and put it down, but look forward to starting again." Read more

"...However, I found it quite long winded in parts...." Read more

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FictionFan
Where there's a will...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 October 2013
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Seth Hubbard was dying of terminal cancer and in extreme pain, so it was not altogether surprising that he had chosen to end his own life. Much more surprising was that, the day before, he had handwritten a new will, leaving the bulk of his substantial fortune to his black housekeeper and specifically cutting out his own children and grandchildren. He had also left clear instructions that he wanted Jake Brigance to be the legal representative for his estate and to fight any challenges to the will `to the bitter end.'

This book takes up the story of Jake Brigance three years after the end of the Carl Lee Hailey trial (A Time To Kill). Jake still hasn't recovered financially from the loss of his house, and the expected rush of clients after the Hailey trial hasn't materialised. So the idea of a case like this, with a guaranteed generous hourly rate for his work, strongly appeals. And when it becomes clear that Seth's family intend to throw everything they have into challenging the will it looks like it'll be a long case. Jake's determined to take the dispute before a jury, mainly because he loves the thrill of a court appearance.

The question of why Seth would have left such a will is a matter of hot debate, with the majority view being that Lettie Lang must have been something more to him than just a housekeeper. But Lettie seems as bewildered as everyone else and maintains that their relationship was never more than that of employer and employee. So Jake's old boss, Lucien, and Lettie's daughter Portia set out to investigate the past...

Grisham shows all his usual skill in this book - a great first chapter that hooks the reader straight away, an interesting plot, strong characterisation and the suspense of a jury trial with both sides pulling unexpected ambushes at the last moment. As in A Time to Kill, race is a major theme - the general feeling that Seth should not have cut out his own children is compounded by a belief amongst some of the white people that no black person deserves to have been left so much money. Greed figures prominently too - the greed of Seth's unloving children scrambling for their share, Lettie being inundated with requests for help from relatives she wasn't even aware she had, and, not least, the greed of the lawyers all trying to manipulate the case so that they get a healthy cut of the proceeds of the estate.

This book doesn't have quite the same impact as A Time to Kill - Grisham has toned down the overt racism of the earlier book, presumably so as not to offend modern sensibilities, but it leaves this one feeling a bit sanitised. However, as a standalone, this is a very readable and enjoyable story. The twists were a bit obvious, I thought, meaning that the ending didn't have as much surprise value as I feel Grisham intended, and the last chapter was pretty saccharin even for Grisham, as well as seeming a bit too rushed and neat. But the quality of the writing, the characterisation and the contrast of darkness and humour mean that this still stands up well as one of Grisham's better books, leaving me hoping he will revisit Ford County and Jake Brigance again in the future. 4½ stars for me - so rounded up.

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Steve
Jake Brigance returns
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 July 2014
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John Grisham at his best.....well he is going back to one of his early novels for a follow up story for this novel. It is a couple years down the line from 'A Time To Kill', and still suffering the after effects of that episode Jake Brigance gets drawn into a battle over a Will left by an eccentric old millionaire. The old man has left nearly all of his estate to the housekeeper and cut out his family before committing suicide.
It's a simple story line, that opens a can of worms that keeps getting more intriguing. At times the court room stuff drags on a little but to be fair to Grisham he keeps it as short as possible as am sure a book true lily representing a court case would be veeeeery long and dull!
Grisham is a great author and this was a pleasant return to a character that was intriguing the first time round.....perhaps he should do it for a couple more of his previous best sellers. Grisham doing what he does best...courtroom thrillers that keeps you guessing just when you think you know it.....despite knowing the ending will be a fairly happy one!

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David Beeson
A great read, using a fine old plot structure, and obeying all the rules. And it tells you some good stuff too...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 April 2015
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He doesn’t pull it off every time, but when Grisham gets a novel right, it’s simply a great read.

Fortunately, 'Sycamore Row' works perfectly.

Now, I can’t claim there’s much to shock and surprise in it. It has a structure with a long tradition to it – or, to put it less generously, which is far from innovative. A dramatic start opens up an opportunity for great success – with lawyers at the centre, as so often in Grisham. Things build in intensity, with the usual presentation of legal work as exhaustingly driven, though with huge potential rewards. Then there’s a calamity and things start to fall apart. All that’s left is the final twist which takes us to a cathartic ending – an ending explicitly concerned with fairness far more than merely the law.

If that plot shape isn’t new, it’s because it works. It’s Jane Austen’s 'Pride and Prejudice', at one end of the spectrum, or Hammond Innes’s 'Campbell’s Kingdom' at the other. It grips the reader and makes us turn the pages. And it has us closing the book with a sigh of satisfaction.

There are rules, of course. And in this novel Grisham respects them. For instance, the telling must be pacy, and Grisham’s nothing if not a master of pace. No chance of finding the story dull, even though it’s also highly informative: about the law, more particularly about the law in Mississippi, and about Mississippi race relations – lessons worth learning, conveyed without didacticism by the narrative itself.

Briefly, the starting point – the drama which hits us from page 1 – is the suicide, by hanging from one of the title's row of sycamores, of a man in the last months of death by cancer. He leaves behind a recently drafted holographic (handwritten) will, rescinding the previous lawyer-built one, disinheriting his family and leaving the bulk of his fortune to the woman who cared for him during his final three years. She happens to be black, which is a far from insignificant feature; the family is less than delighted with the new will, which is highly significant – indeed the driving force behind the legal case at the centre of the story; even the place chosen for the suicide has its significance.

The setting for the case is reminiscent of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. That’s not altogether surprising: Grisham himself has cited Harper Lee’s novel as an influence on his earlier 'A Time to Kill' whose protagonist, lawyer Jack Brigance, reappears in 'Sycamore Row'. Brigance has many traits in common with Atticus Finch. What's more, the fictional town in which Brigance practises the law, Clanton, Mississippi, feels not unlike Finch's equally fictional Maycomb, Alabama.

Another rule is that there have to be clues given early about the ending we’re heading for, and Grisham doesn’t disappoint in this respect either. The essential element for the final resolution is stated good and early in the novel – no cheating there – you’ve been told and can’t complain.

All in all, therefore, a great read. More 'Campbell’s Kingdom' than 'Pride and Prejudice', but I’m not too proud to admit that I have no prejudice against Innes (and I’ll be reviewing 'Campbell’s Kingdom' shortly to prove it.)

Certainly, no prejudice against 'Sycamore Row'. Great fun to read in a bath, on a train or even in bed: in fact, it was quite gripping enough to keep me reading rather longer in bed than many of the worthier, if occasionally more soporific, books I often find myself falling asleep to when I don’t have a Grisham to enjoy.

No hesitation in recommending this one. If you like Grisham, you’ll like 'Sycamore Row'. You’ll like it if you like courtroom dramas and visions of the US deep south. And you’ll like it if you like well-paced, neatly constructed, well told tales of people, the conflicts between them and the way they can sometimes be intelligently resolved.

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Fredi79
Best Grisham in years
Reviewed in Germany on 19 November 2013
Verified Purchase

John Grisham has not been a master of suspense in recent years, but "Sycamore Row" is a real page turner and it goes right into my top Grisham books along "The Pelican Brief", "The Firm", "A time to kill", "The Runaway Jury" and "The Rainmaker".

I will not go into the plot, other reviews have done that very well, and I encourage everyone to find out for themselves.

What I would like to go into is the setting of the action in Clanton, Ford County, MS.

I come from a small village and I find myself deeply sympathising with all the characters like Jake Brigance and Harry Rex Vonner. I can really imagine sitting in Dell's cafe or the Coffee Shop, listening to the regulars gossiping viciously about the case and of course the buckload of money.
The side stories like Jakes new house or the battle with his old "friend" Rufus Buckley are entertaining as well. Also the way business is done in rural Mississippi, with Jake discussing court matters after church or after hours on the Judge's front porch, paints a good picture.

A lot of the pictures that were created in my head of course come from the movie adaptation. The court square (minus, thankfully, the KKK), Jakes office, the Coffee Shop etc.
Jake Brigance and Harry Rex Vonner are Grishams most colourful characters and if you've read and also seen "A time to kill" pictures of Matthew McConaughey as Jake, Oliver Platt as Harry Rex, Kevin Spacey as Rufus Buckley and Donald Sutherland as Lucien Wilbanks come to your mind immediately.

I was afraid I would not be able to say this anymore about a Grisham novel, but this is movie material.

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Morgane
Passionnant
Reviewed in Belgium on 26 January 2024
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Très bien développé

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David W.
An absorbing read.
Reviewed in Spain on 4 July 2023
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Right from the first page this book grabs your attention and doesn't let go to the very end. The various twists and turns keep you guessing which way it will go next.

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Deb McIlroy
Great book
Reviewed in Australia on 14 March 2025
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This book is so good. A Time to Kill is my favourite book and finding out there are 2 more books in the Jake Brigance series was the best. I loved the story. The characters were great especially Jake. If you are a John Grisham fan you definitely need to read this one

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倫理的で、人間的で、道徳的で、社会性もあり、心が洗われる思いがした
Reviewed in Japan on 4 November 2013
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この本の宣伝文句に、『「A Time to Kill」の主人公Jake（弁護士）や、舞台となったClanton郡を中心にして別の小説を書こうと思っている』、というJohn Grishamの言葉が載っていた。彼にとっても「A Time to Kill」は愛着のある作品だ、ということが察せられる。それを見たのは今年の８月だったが、すぐにキンドル版と紙の本を予約した。何故なら、この本の出版予定の10月には、私は南スーダンに滞在しているからだ。10月22日に、紙の本が私の日本の実家に送られたという連絡があり、同時にキンドル版が南スーダンの私のキンドルに、ページを開けたら、ひっそりとそして誇らしげに入っていた。

　10月に入るとすぐに、「A Time to Kill」を19年振りに再読した（これもキンドル版である）、この本、「Sycamore Row」にもJake を始め多くのその当時の登場人物が出て来ることが予想されるので、文中で迷子にならないようにするためである。当時からお気に入りの一篇だったが、今度は違った角度からその本を読むことが出来た。

　「A Time to Kill」は、幼い娘を強姦した無頼漢をその父親が公衆の面前で銃殺し、その是非を陪審員が審理するという筋書きである。アメリカでは、その父親の行為を批難する人は稀だと言う、むしろ英雄視し、自分の娘がそうなったらきっと同じことをするだろう、と特に南部では、当たり前の感覚なのだそうだ、ということをこの本から知った。しかし、話を複雑にしたのは（即ち、面白くしたのは）幼い娘の父親が黒人で無頼漢が白人だったことである。

　この本、「Sycamore Row」（プラタナスの並木）も、陪審員が大きな役割を占めている。前作「A Time to Kill」と違って暴力行為は出てこないが、論点は黒人の婦人と白人達の遺産を巡る話である。前作の続編か、と言われれば、そうでもあるが、前作を読んでいなくても楽しめる。或はこれを読んでから前作を読んでみてもよい。

　冒頭から扇情的で大胆であり、読者を、「どうして？」、という自問に落とし込む。肺がんのために余命幾ばくもない白人・Seth が、首を吊って自殺する。Sethは年老いていて、離婚して独り身である、そして大金持ちだ。翌日、Jake の元に郵送でSeth からの手紙が届けられ、遺産の分配実施の代理人としてJake を指名すると書かれていた。同封されていた遺言には、別の法律事務所を通じて作成していた、「遺産を二人の子供に遺す」、を破棄し、新たな遺産の受取人として、黒人の家政婦・Lucienに、遺産の90%を譲る、となっていた。

　これを読んで思い出すのは、同じくJohn Grishamが書いた、「The Testament」である。年老いた億万長者が皆の前で飛び降り自殺をして、その遺産全部を南米で布教活動している、何人目かの奥さんとの間に出来た娘に遺す、という話だった。その他に離婚した何人かの元妻と、その子供達には一銭も遺さなかった。冒頭部分は似ているが、内容は全く違うので、「The Testament」を読んだことのある人でも楽しめる、むしろもっと面白い。

　この話の主題は、遺言の内容があまりに非常識だったことに端を発して、遺産相続から外された二人の子供が自分の得べかりし相続分を取り戻すために弁護士を雇って、遺産処理の代理人のJake と争うことである。弁護士同士のやり取りや、「A Time to Kill」でお馴染みになった登場人物が、眼に浮かぶようによく描かれているので、彼等にはもう一度別の小説で会いたいという気になる。南部人のおおらかさなのだろうか、ちょっと法律に違反しても正義を尽くそうとする警察官や裁判官の逸脱、には驚くが気持ちがいい。そして、読み進めば進むほどに次の展開が気になり、ページ（私の場合はキンドルだが）をめくるのが早くなるのだった。

　認識を新たにしたのは、陪審員制度の多様性である。「A Time to Kill」のような事件を審理するには、社会性という観点から、陪審員による審理は必要だろうが、この小説では、彼等とは縁もゆかりもない他人の家庭の事情の審理である、こんな個人的なことにまで関与するのか、ということに意外性を感じた。

　これ以上感想を書くと内容が分かってしまうので、書けないのが残念である。あとは本文を自分で読んで楽しんでほしい。つい涙する場面もあった、John Grishamの話の展開のうまさに拍手、である。「倫理的で、人間的で、道徳的で、社会性もあり、心が洗われる思いがした」とだけでも言っておきたい。

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5.0 out of 5 stars Where there's a will...

4.0 out of 5 stars Jake Brigance returns

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read, using a fine old plot structure, and obeying all the rules. And it tells you some good stuff too...

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Where there's a will...

Jake Brigance returns

A great read, using a fine old plot structure, and obeying all the rules. And it tells you some good stuff too...

Best Grisham in years

Passionnant

An absorbing read.

Great book

倫理的で、人間的で、道徳的で、社会性もあり、心が洗われる思いがした