- Date Published:
2025 - Length:
416 pages—Listening Time: 14 hr 23 minutes - Genre:
Fiction, Mystery, Thriller - Setting:
Present day; Braxton, Virginia, a small rural town - Awards:
The Times (London) and Sunday Times Best Books of the Year Nominee Thrillers 2025; Barnes & Noble Best Books of the Year Mystery & Thriller 2025; Audible Best Book Mysteries and Thrillers 2025; #1 New York Times Best Seller 2025 - Languages:
English - Sensitive Aspects:
Gambling addiction, marital infidelity/divorce, elder financial exploitation and legal manipulation, greed-driven corruption in the legal system, car accident with injury leading to hospitalization, poisoning and suspicious death (murder investigation), wrongful accusation and threat of life imprisonment, family conflict over inheritance and disinheritance, frequent profanity/strong language (no explicit sex, limited on-page violence) - Movie:
The Widow, published in late 2025, as of early 2026, has no confirmed movie or TV adaptations announced, though Grisham's works are frequently adapted and this one most likely will be adapted for the screen. - Recommended for Book Club:
Yes, especially for groups that love mysteries and thrillers
If you’ve ever finished a John Grisham novel and immediately felt the urge to Google something vaguely legal—like “how long does probate take” or “what really happens if I lose my will?”—then welcome to the club. The Widow, Grisham’s latest legal thriller, didn’t just have me flipping pages late into the night; it had me double‑checking my own estate plans by morning. That’s the magic of a seasoned storyteller—he blurs the line between fiction and the too‑possible realities of law, greed, and human frailty.
Readers who love mysteries can’t go wrong with Grisham. He’s a master of pacing—moving seamlessly from small‑town gossip to courtroom chaos—and The Widow is a perfect reminder of why his books have filled so many carry‑on bags, bedside tables, and book club calendars. But this novel, in particular, feels more reflective than flashy. It’s less about the sensational trial and more about the quiet unraveling of guilt, secrets, and consequences that linger long after the last objection is overruled.
For book clubs, The Widow offers a buffet of discussion points: questions about trust and vulnerability in marriage, the ethics of wealth, and the emotional labor of grief—especially when it mingles with suspicion. Grisham keeps his readers balanced on that thin edge between empathy and outrage. And while he knows exactly how to deliver a satisfying mystery, it’s the moral knots that stick with you.
So yes, friends—settle into your favorite reading chair, and maybe tuck your will somewhere safe. The Widow will keep you thinking about what’s fair, what’s right, and what we never truly know about the people we love most.
Simon Latch is the kind of small-town Virginia lawyer most of us have met in one form or another: overworked, underpaid, and quietly drowning. His marriage is unraveling, his law practice barely keeps the lights on, and a persistent gambling habit has left him perpetually short on options. Then Eleanor Barnett walks through his door.
The 85-year-old widow—known to friends as Netty—needs a new will. That's unremarkable enough. What is remarkable is her claim: her late husband left behind a secret fortune worth millions, and no one else knows about it. To a man like Simon, she looks like the answer to every prayer he forgot to pray.
But as Simon begins quietly managing Netty's affairs and guarding her hidden wealth, the cracks start to show. Her story doesn't quite line up. Her past seems deliberately hazy. And when Netty is hospitalized after a serious car accident, the questions multiply—until they become accusations. Suddenly, Simon isn't Netty's trusted attorney anymore. He's the prime suspect in her murder.
What follows is a twisting, slow-burn investigation and courtroom battle that will have you second-guessing everyone—including Simon himself. Grisham delivers exactly what he does best: ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances, a justice system full of shadows, and just enough doubt to keep you flipping pages long past your bedtime.
Readers With Wrinkles fans are right at home with The Widow. Here are some reasons this one will land well with thoughtful, seasoned readers and book clubs.
It’s a grown-up mystery with real-life stakes.
This isn’t just about a puzzle; it’s about wills, inheritance, long marriages, and the quiet ways money and secrets can warp a life—territory many readers know all too well from the edges of their own experience.
The characters feel lived-in, not flashy.
Simon, Netty, and the people orbiting them aren’t superheroes or villains; they’re flawed, tired, hopeful, and sometimes foolish, which makes their choices ripe for both empathy and debate.
It treats aging and vulnerability seriously.
Netty’s age, her health, and her dependence on others aren’t just background details—they’re part of the tension, raising important questions about how society, families, and the legal system treat older adults.
The legal and financial details are intriguing but approachable.
Readers who enjoy peeking behind the curtain of law offices, probate courts, and estate planning will find plenty to chew on, without needing a law degree to follow along.
It offers excellent book club fodder.
Trust, greed, obligation, marital loyalty, and what we owe the people who depend on us—this story is packed with the kind of moral gray zones that spark lively, thoughtful conversation.
The pacing respects a patient reader.
Rather than racing from twist to twist, the story unfolds in layers, giving time to absorb each revelation and sit with the uneasy feeling that something is off long before the hammer finally falls.
It pairs suspense with reflection.
Yes, there’s a central mystery, but just beneath it runs a quieter current about regret, second chances, and the cost of looking the other way—which is exactly the blend many Readers with Wrinkles followers love.
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Books similar to The Widow will blend a flawed but somewhat sympathetic lawyer, money and inheritance secrets, a manipulative client, and a slow-burn shift into a murder trial/whodunit.
Grisham novels with similar feel
- Sycamore Row by John Grisham
A lawyer is stunned when a reclusive man hangs himself and leaves a handwritten will cutting out his family, propelling a fierce legal battle over a hidden fortune and buried town secrets. - The Summons by John Grisham
When a law professor is “summoned” home by his dying judge father, he instead finds a stash of mysterious cash, forcing him to question where the money came from and who might kill to reclaim it. - The Last Juror by John Grisham
A young newspaper owner covers a notorious murder trial in a small Southern town, then watches the freed killer quietly intimidate jurors years later, blending courtroom drama with community tension. - The Confession by John Grisham
A condemned man faces execution for a crime he did not commit while the real killer finally comes forward, creating a race against time that interrogates guilt, legal failure, and moral responsibility.
Other legal thrillers with inheritance, secrets, and suspect lawyers
- Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow
A star prosecutor is accused of murdering his colleague and former lover, and the trial exposes his marriage, ambition, and ethics, leaving readers unsure how innocent he really is. - Defending Jacob by William Landay
A prosecutor’s teenage son is charged with murdering a classmate, forcing his father into desperate, ethically murky decisions as family loyalties clash with the law. - The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
A defense attorney who works from his Lincoln Town Car takes on a wealthy client who seems like an easy win, until the case twists into a deadly trap that challenges his morals and survival. - The Appeal by John Grisham
A chemical company hit with a huge verdict quietly buys a judicial election to overturn it, spotlighting how wealth and influence can bend legal outcomes while ordinary people pay the price. - Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark
A Los Angeles prosecutor investigates a young woman’s murder that appears tied to elite circles and political pressure, revealing how image-conscious institutions bury the truth. - While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams
A Supreme Court law clerk discovers that her comatose mentor has left her in control of both his legal legacy and a dangerous biotech case, throwing her into a labyrinth of political and corporate intrigue.
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