Sycamore Row, by John Grisham

This book was a long time coming!  After being introduced to the scrabbling new attorney Jake Brigance in 1989’s A Time to Kill, we’re finally getting an update from Mr. Grisham.  And what a highly entertaining update it is!

In Sycamore Row, the year is now 1988, and the cast of characters includes the wealthy white Seth Hubbard, who takes his own life by hanging.  Before that, however, he writes a will, leaving most of his $20 million + fortune to his black housekeeper, Lettie.  Oh, did I forget to mention that he has intentionally excluded his two children?  Knowing that the contents of this will won’t be taken lightly, he enlists the help of Mr. Brigance via a letter left with his suicide note.  In the deep south of Clanton, Mississippi, you can imagine where this one is going.  And, lest you feel I’ve given too much away, this all occurs in the first 20 or so pages. 

Every time I pick up a John Grisham book, it’s abundantly clear to me why he’s so successful.  His books are just *so* readable, with likeable and unlikable characters alike.  (And, yes, I used a form of the word ‘like’ 3 million times in that sentence on purpose, just to make sure you’re still paying attention.)  Most importantly, though, each of those characters has a particular role to play.  Nothing aggravates me more than a bunch of ‘throwaway’ people added in the middle of the book, simply as filler.  Whether you love them or hate them, you’ll find yourself embroiled in the activities of each of the people introduced (or reintroduced) in Sycamore Row.

This is a tough book to review without giving too much away, though.  You already know the meat of the story – it’s the subsequent 425 pages that will fill in all the details.  Suffice it to say that it was an engrossing story, with a stomach-churning ending.  You’ll have to get there for yourself, though.  I’m not giving it away.