Sycamore Row by John Grisham (Book two in the Jake Brigance series)

 The Mystery Book Club "met" this past week. Our theme was any book in the Jake Brigance series by John Grisham or any other book by this author.

I chose to read Sycamore Row, which is actually book two, rather than book one, A Time To Kill. The description sounded disturbing to me. Several people in the book club did read A Time To Kill and highly recommend it though.

 

About: 

"Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten, will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his black maid, and Jake into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County's most notorious citizens, just three years earlier. The second will raises far more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what does it all have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row?"

My thoughts: 

As I said, I did not read the first book in this series, but didn't find that I had to, in order to follow this story. 

I really liked it. It is a page turner. I liked reading the methodical way Jake plans how he is going to get the most recent hand written will held up in court and comply with Seth's wishes. The case goes to trial and that is very interesting with plenty of suspense.  I like the character of Jack and his wife. I also liked the person that is to inherit much of Seth's estate, Lettie, his maid. Portia, Lettie's oldest daughter, takes on a role which will carry on to book three. (She was a popular character with the book club members.) There are other colorful characters from the first book, fellow lawyers, that add interest to the story. There is also a side story line (Is there such a thing?) of Lucien, a lawyer who was disbarred, helping in the case by looking for the long lost brother of Seth. That was very good also.

There wasn't anything I didn't like about it. Everyone liked the books also and all are hoping for a book four.