Grisham is known for his mystery novels - The firm, The Client, The
Pelican Brief, The Partner and many more. The Summons is his latest one.
But it seems to lack in comparison to his previous works.
Although his simple writing and description to the detail is maintained
- the story however seems to drag.
The novel begins by a description of Judge Atlee and his two sons. One
who instead of practising law like his father chose to be a professor of
law and the other who turned to be a total loser - a drug and alcohol
addict.
The Judge is not particularly close to either of his sons and calls them
home for a meeting. Ray reaches on the predecided time only to find his
father dead. A one-page will is lying on the study table which says the
estate to be divided equally among the two brothers. Also Ray stumbles upon
boxes which are filled with cash - 3 million dollars and some change.
Ray decides to keep this secret from his brother because he isn’t sure where
the money has come from. But at the same time doesn’t know what to do with so
much liquid cash. He goes around carrying the cash in the trunk of his car and
later deposits it at some warehoure. But is constantly under the fear that he
is being followed. Hiring a detective doesn’t help much. But Ray is convinced
nevertheless.
The few chapters make for interesting reading given the mystery of the money. At
first Ray thinks his father earned that money gambling. But that proves wrong. Then
he thinks that the money has come from the cases he heard after he retired from his
chair. And after a few tedious chapters discovers the real truth of the money.
By this time he is being threatened for the money. He leaves the money in his father’s house
and runs for his life only to realize that the money is gone and the house is burnt down
to ashes.
In this time his brother is admitted to a rehab centre. The mystery very quickly unfolds
in the last two chapters and is not really a surprise by then.
The novel begins with a lot of promise but disappoints right in the middle of it. Not
Grisham’s style at all.