The Widow
- Judith D Collins
- Oct 21
- 6 min read
By: John Grisham
Narrator: Mchael Beck
Random House Audio
ISBN: 9780385548984
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date: 10/21/2025
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 5 Stars + (ARC)
TOP BOOKS OF 2025
The master of the legal thriller returns this fall with his first-ever whodunit.
#1 New York Times bestselling author John Grisham is the acclaimed master of the legal thriller. Now, he’s back with his first-ever whodunit, even more suspenseful than his courtroom dramas, as a small-time lawyer accused of murder races to find the real killer to clear his name.
Simon Latch is a lawyer in rural Virginia, making just enough to pay his bills while his marriage slowly falls apart. Then into his office walks Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow in need of a new will. Apparently, her husband left her a small fortune, and no one knows about it.
Once he hooks the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar. But soon her story begins to crack. When she is hospitalized after a car accident, Simon realizes that nothing is as it seems, and he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn’t commit: murder.
Simon knows he’s innocent. But he also knows the circumstantial evidence is against him, and he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. To save himself, he must find the real killer….
My Review
Renowned Southern storyteller, bestselling author, and literary legend, John Grisham —an enduring favorite of mine—makes a thrilling return with his latest captivating courtroom drama and intriguing whodunit mystery, THE WIDOW.
After more than three decades of crafting bestselling legal thrillers, Grisham steps into the realm of whodunits, the first time he has written a true mystery. The slow-burning mystery revolves around Simon Latch, a small-town lawyer ensnared in a shocking accusation: the murder of his wealthy, elderly client.
As we accompany Simon on his journey, we witness his struggle against personal and financial turmoil, navigate his complex relationship with his client and her troubling past, and follow his urgent quest to prove his innocence after her suspicious death.
About the book...
The Opportunity:
Simon Latch is a financially struggling lawyer in rural Virginia, grappling with a gambling addiction, when he seizes an opportunity. An elderly widow, Eleanor Barnett, aged 85, hires him to revise her will.
A Desperate Lawyer:
Facing significant gambling debts and a crumbling marriage, Simon sees a potential financial windfall in his new client, Eleanor "Netty" Barnett—unaware of the trap that lies ahead.
Hidden Fortune:
Eleanor claims to possess a $20 million fortune that remains a secret to others, presenting herself as the key to alleviating Simon's financial woes. She insists that her deceased husband left her hidden millions and that her previous lawyer, Wally Thackerman, was attempting to steal her inheritance. She enlists Simon to draft a new will that disinherits her stepsons. BINGO!
Shady Characters & Suspicion:
As Simon works to secure Eleanor's wealth, he finds himself surrounded by other lawyers who are circling like vultures, complicating matters as various parties express interest in her assets.
Red Flags Ignored:
As the months pass and Eleanor neglects to pay her legal bills, Simon begins to suspect that her claims of wealth might be unfounded. Yet, his desperation prevents him from questioning her more deeply, leading him to indulge in expensive dinners to safeguard his potential payday.
The Car Accident:
Eleanor is hospitalized following a car accident, and everything Simon thought he knew begins to unravel.
Accused of Murder:
When Eleanor dies under suspicious circumstances, poisoned, Simon finds himself accused of her murder, with the legal system seemingly stacked against him.
A Fight for His Life:
To prove his innocence and avoid imprisonment, Simon must don the hat of a detective, unraveling a complex murder mystery to uncover the true killer.
Family:
Though his gambling addiction is undeniably selfish, Simon's motivation for the money is also intertwined with his failing marriage and the desire to support his family. The thought of going to prison and potentially ruining his children's lives propels him to find the real killer.
My thoughts...
THE WIDOW is another blockbuster hit that will transport you back to Grisham's earlier works. It serves as both a riveting courtroom drama and a captivating whodunit mystery.
Exploring moral compromise, driven by greed and desperation, Simon views Eleanor as his ticket to solving his problems. He positions himself as her executor and trustee, managing the new will personally to keep its existence hidden from his assistant.
Driven by desperation rather than malice: Unlike Wally, the previous lawyer who was actively defrauding Eleanor, Simon is more inept than malicious. He is an underqualified lawyer who finds himself in over his head, rather than a calculated criminal. His actions stem from his dire financial situation and poor habits, rather than pure evil, and readers will find themselves sympathizing with him.
While his initial motivations may seem self-serving, is subsequent actions are fueled by a genuine need to prove his innocence and seek justice. Lacking detective training, he must rely on his own instincts to solve the mystery and evade prison.
This quest for innocence becomes the book's compelling narrative. Unlike other "sleazy" characters drawn to Eleanor's wealth, Simon experiences moments of reflection and doubt, particularly as he realizes inconsistencies in Eleanor's story. These circumstances force him to grow and see beyond his initial greed.
With Grisham's signature twists and turns, Simon's investigation leads him into a web of characters also vying for the widow's fortune. The suspense escalates as he races against time to unravel the mystery and identify the true killer before his own life is irreparably damaged. I hope to see this played out on the screen in the future.
By appointing himself as executor and trustee, Simon arranges for Eleanor to name him the sole executor of her estate, granting him complete control over her assets upon her death. This action starkly reveals his selfish motives and desire for financial gain. A setup for murder.
Despite his flaws and morally ambiguous choices, Simon Latch possesses redeeming qualities. While he is driven by greed and desperation, he is not depicted as malicious or evil but rather as a misguided man whose poor decisions lead him into a desperate situation.
The author masterfully develops Simon's character, making him compelling and relatable, even if his choices are less than admirable. Who would have imagined that he would end up accused of murder?
The plot is filled with shocking twists and turns as Simon painstakingly works to uncover the truth, with suspense building to a thrilling final reveal.
As a devoted fan of the author, I’ve immersed myself in all his legal thrillers as well as the adaptations into movies and series. Currently, I’m thoroughly enjoying The Rainmaker (love) Rudy Baylor on Apple TV and eagerly anticipating the final episode this Friday evening. Fingers crossed for a Season 2!
Recommendations...
THE WIDOW is a must-read for devoted Grisham fans and those who appreciate intricate legal complexities intertwined with a captivating slow-burning whodunit mystery featuring a flawed protagonist.
Audiobook...
I eagerly anticipate listening to the audiobook narrated by my favorite, Michael Beck, which always promises to be an entertaining experience!
Many thanks to Doubleday Books and Netgalley for sharing a compelling advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. I also ordered the hardcover copy for my JG home library collection.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Oct 21, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
Praise
“A classic, compulsive, taut and thrilling novel from one of the great storytellers of our time. The Widow is John Grisham at his irresistible, unforgettable best. No one does it better.”
—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark
“A captivating legal whodunit . . . [Grisham’s] nuanced portrait of Latch demonstrates his gift for constructing morally flawed yet sympathetic characters. The author’s fans will be galvanized by this impressive return to form.”
—Publishers Weekly
About the Author
AMERICA'S FAVORITE STORYTELLER
Photo: © Matt Eich
John Grisham is an expert storyteller, whose unforgettable characters fight for justice in a world that isn’t always fair.
John Grisham is the author of fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include Camino Ghosts, The Exchange: After the Firm, 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. WEBSITE
