Simon Latch, a down-on-his-luck lawyer in “Nowheresville,” Virginia, gets a career-changing client in Eleanor Barrett, an elderly and wealthy widow who hires Latch to handle her estate. Little does he know the career change could be him landing in jail for murder, compelling him to discover the truth behind Eleanor’s claim to wealth while defending himself for being accused of her murder.

John Grisham’s long career of writing legal thrillers is stellar, but with this novel, The Widow, he throws in a murder mystery. What I love most about him is how he’s using his knowledge of the legal field, and his concern for innocent people falsely accused and convicted, to champion the cause of this injustice. His writing supports The Innocence Project and Centurion Ministries, two non-profits that fight for the release of wrongfully convicted prisoners.

Whether or not you support these causes, The Widow is a fun read that will keep you turning the pages. This is Grisham at his best!

reviewed May 2026