false 5352 43 Law professor Ray Atlee and his prodigal brother, Forrest, are summoned home to Clanton, Mississippi, by their ailing father to discuss his will. But when Ray arrives the judge is already dead, and the one-page document dividing his meager estate between the two sons seems crystal clear. What it doesn't mention, however, is the small fortune in cash Ray discovers hidden in the old man's house--$3 million he can't account for and doesn't mention to brother Forrest, either.<p> Ray's efforts to keep his find a secret, figure out where it came from, and hide it from a nameless extortioner, who seems to know more about it than he does, culminate in a denouement with an almost biblical twist. It's a slender plot to hang a thriller on, and in truth it's not John Grisham's best in terms of pacing, dramatic tension, and interesting characters (except for Harry Rex, a country lawyer who was the judge's closest friend and in many ways is the father Ray wishes he'd had. He's so vivid he jumps off the page). But Grisham's legions of fans are likely to enjoy <I>The Summons</I> even if it lacks the power of some of his classic earlier books, like <I>The Firm</I>, <I>The Brethren</I>, and <I>The Testament</I>. <I>--Jane Adams</I> 270452 book 2002 The Summons total:7738|5:1046|4:2467|3:3270|2:820|1:135| 7738 26683 9630 331 4 2 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Sun Mar 30 18:14:55 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 31 09:35:11 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1 2 false false Thu Jul 10 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 16 13:14:41 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 16 13:17:00 -0700 2008 5 1 false false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Oct 30 03:28:22 -0700 2007 Thu Dec 06 20:31:56 -0800 2007 more...]]> 4 1 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Sat Aug 30 17:37:52 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 30 17:38:14 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2 1 false false Mon Feb 04 09:55:27 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 30 23:02:39 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 04 09:50:33 -0800 2008 more...]]> 1 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Thu Mar 12 06:51:58 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 12 06:59:35 -0700 2009
Oh for the days of his earlier books, when the plots were intricately woven and I couldn't put the books down! You know what I thought when I read this book (and King of Torts, and The Broker)? I thought, OK, JG, we get it that you're ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jan 19 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Wed Dec 10 10:47:15 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 10 10:47:15 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Apr 13 13:13:27 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 13 13:13:41 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sat Aug 06 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Sun Jul 26 18:44:27 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 26 18:46:51 -0700 2009
... I should have checked the Amazon ratings before picking up this novel. I was looking for a pleasant summer thriller - the kind that Grisham usually delivers. But this one disappoints small-time. The primary weakness is plot. Why does the smart protagonist forg...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Mar 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 28 14:20:49 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 28 14:24:53 -0700 2009 1
The Summons is a fantastic read ~ Grisham doesn't disappoint! Two brothers are summoned to their father's death be...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 17 08:34:23 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 17 08:40:09 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Mar 11 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 03 17:00:21 -0800 2009 Fri Mar 13 07:29:28 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Aug 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 16 14:47:46 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 19 14:14:53 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Oct 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 28 21:26:07 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 28 21:29:01 -0700 2009
But if you have read Grisham before, this one's going to feel a little formulaic to you. Once again we have a dude with a potential fortune. Once again he almost loses it 1,403,493 times. And once again... well,...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Aug 16 13:54:23 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 16 13:55:34 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Sat Dec 01 16:44:50 -0800 2007 Sat Dec 01 16:46:09 -0800 2007 Audible.com

Narrator: Michael Beck
Publisher: Random House AudioBooks, 2002
Length: 8 hours and 52 min.

Publisher's Summary

Ray Atlee is a professor of law at the University of Virginia. He's 43, newly single, and still enduring the aftershocks of a...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2004 Mon Sep 03 13:11:36 -0700 2007 Mon Sep 03 14:43:04 -0700 2007
He takes all of the 2 Mio $ and doesn't ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jul 29 19:28:17 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 27 09:43:51 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 29 19:28:17 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Aug 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 01 20:20:41 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 06 16:03:53 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sun Nov 01 11:40:52 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 01 11:44:51 -0800 2009 more...]]>