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Audio CD Description Law professor Ray Atlee and his prodigal brother, Forrest, are summoned home to Clanton, Mississippi, by their ailing father to discuss his will. But when Ray arrives the judge is already dead, and the one-page document dividing his meager estate between the two sons seems crystal clear. What it doesn't mention, however, is the small fortune in cash Ray discovers hidden in the old man's house--$3 million he can't account for and doesn't mention to brother Forrest, either. Ray's efforts to keep his find a secret, figure out where it came from, and hide it from a nameless extortioner, who seems to know more about it than he does, culminate in a denouement with an almost biblical twist. It's a slender plot to hang a thriller on, and in truth it's not John Grisham's best in terms of pacing, dramatic tension, and interesting characters (except for Harry Rex, a country lawyer who was the judge's closest friend and in many ways is the father Ray wishes he'd had. He's so vivid he jumps off the page). But Grisham's legions of fans are likely to enjoy The Summons even if it lacks the power of some of his classic earlier books, like The Firm, The Brethren, and The Testament. --Jane Adams

Customer Reviews Another one of John Grisham's fine works Despite John Grisham's different style of writing compared to his court heavy law books, I think that Grisham develops a well-written plot that carries itself throughout the It is a book that I truly enjoyed reading. Grisham does an excellent job portraying each character's personality and habits. Grisham starts the novel with Judge Rueben V. Atlee, a rapidly aging judge who lives in his past, summoning each of his sons to talk about estate matters. Ray the eldest of the sons, arrives first and finds his father dead along with a secret stash of over $3 million. Ray hides the money from his brother Forrest. However, Ray soon finds out that someone knows about the money. The intruder seems to know much more than he does. Ray then tries to find clues to where the money has come from to track down the stalker. Just as he thinks he finds out from a lawyer who calls himself "King of Tortes," the plot takes an unexpected twist to where the truth lies. Underrated I really can't see why this book is getting so poor reviews overall. The fact that it's not the typical story of trials may have something to do with it but then again it's not a solid reason to dismiss this book, that's not dull at all by the way. I believe John Grisham has done the right thing not getting stuck in only-trials books, as this would have made him a cliched writer, what he sure doesn't want to be. I've read The Summons three times so far and every one of them I feel so much sympathy for Ray Atlee. How paranoid and overwhelming his life becomes when he finds out the loot in the family house. The chapters when he is sleeping there and gets unsettled by odd noises (not to mention the part when it's hit by bricks and he has to flee in a hurry leaving the money behind) still give me chills. Another character I like a lot is Harry Rex. The end is anything but predictable. I enjoyed The Summons so much three years ago when I got it, and still do today. 5/5. Fast and Fun Read This book was fun to read and was very fast. I thought the ending was good and I didn't get confused at all while reading it. I would say yes to other real John Grisham fans to read this book, you wont be dissapointed!