Fantastic novel. The opening draws the readers in, twisting them between sympathy for the narrator, then revulsion at his lifestyle.

This is the same game that Grisham employs with most all his characters, such as Stafford, Snead, Nate O'Reilly. We are engaged with mixed feelings. But the emotional investment put into the born-again lawyer is powerful, especially as he struggles with an exotic adventure in the jungles of the Pantanal, with the haunts waiting for him back home, and his own personal demons.

Beautiful imagery. This is a novel in which readers can get lost. The four walls and sitting chair disappear into the primitive village, the heated court-room. Grisham's simple prose creates a tangible world, and The Testament is a perfect example of it.