Rating: 
Summary: You Were Expecting a Literary Masterpiece?
Review: John Grisham's large fan base will not be disappointed by this book. Some of the other reviewers have taken exception to this book and slammed him to the mat which is somewhat unfair. This is a good book, albeit not his best. Yes, there are a few typos. Yes there are some wandering scenes. But the story is compelling, the setting interesting and the characters are not flat. If you've read John's other books, you'll figure out the ending long before it arrives, which is a bit disheartening. Still he tells the tale in such a way that it is not a chore to reach the conclusion. Buy it, read it and enjoy it. It is still better than most of the legal genre tomes out there.
Rating: 
Summary: Grisham is back to a real life story
Review: It's surely one of the greatest book of Grisham but I think it will be more loved by european people. The story began slowly but it's well written and you are rapidly following Ray Atlee, teacher in law, who has just discover his old father,a famous judge in the town of Clanton, and a great amount of money in a closed cabinet. After three chapters, I read the book in one night. Being a teacher in law too, I found this story really good and close to the real life by all the questions you could ask to yourself in such a case.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Great Grisham Read
Review: I'm amazed at the level of criticism aimed at Grisham recently. It seems that the readership is so demanding. I find him a compelling author and his latest works further prove that he is an extremely versatile writer. The Summons is Grisham at his best with a little bit of Jan Karon's small-town familiarity mixed in. I particularly like The Summons because it shows us the hassle of sudden wealth. So many are duped into believing that if they won the lottery, received an unexpected inheritance, or like Ray Atlee, found millions of dollars stuck in a closet, they would be happy. Atlee's life with the money was much more miserable than his life without it and all of the trouble helped him appreciate the ordinary life he was currently living. The debauchery of money-hungry lawyers also gives evidence to the depths at which one will sink to find wealth. My selfish side would have enjoyed a more suspenseful ending, but I do commend Grisham for producing something refreshingly unpredictable. John Grisham continues to be one of my favorite authors because of his tight writing, his satirical view of the rich and powerful, and his subtle compassion for the common folk. Many read his books for the suspense, but I read them for the messages and tough questions they raise and answer. Kudos to Grisham for another masterpiece.
Rating: 
Summary: Can I issue a Summons for a better book....
Review: I have read all of the Grisham novels (except for Skipping Christmas). This one ranks as my least favorite by far. 1. Pelican Brief
2. Firm
3. Time to Kill
4. Rainmaker
5. Runaway Jury
6. Partner
7. Client
8. Brethren
9. Testament
10. A Painted House
11. Chamber
12. Street Lawyer
13. The Summons If you like stories about dysfunctional Southern patriarchal families that lie and simple twists at the very end of books that are barely surprising and quickly wrapped up... well then, by all means, this is your book. If, on the other hand, you were hoping for an interesting legal mystery from the mind that brought us "Pelican Brief", "The Firm" and "A Time to Kill" you might want to just just buy the jacket cover, because "The Summons" is not much deeper than the description you get on the inside flap. In truth, based on the jacket description, I was skeptical of the story from the start, but I read it anyway because it was Grisham. For those of you that may have seen it, this book is on par with the less-than-compelling screenplay that Grisham wrote for a horrible movie called "The Gingerbread Man." The premise is contrived, the chase is boring, and in order to finish the book, Grisham actually uses a supporting character to receive and provide the big revelation. Buy it to complete your Grisham library, but don't bother to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Not the Courtroom Thriller Expected -- Still a Fair Story
Review: When I first heard that a new Grisham book was to be released I had gotten my hopes up for another legal thriller. However, I was extremely let down. While the story is fairly decent, Grisham has digressed yet again from the courtroom thrillers and legal chases that have made him famous and beloved by so many readers. The Summons refers to a letter received by Professor Ray Atlee from his dying father, Judge Ruben Atlee, in Mississippi to come home to prepare his estate. From there, the reader is taken on a joureny with Ray in which Ray finds some hidden assets and makes an attempt to learn of their origins. Throughout, Grisham blends in a little bit of a chase (not very exciting, edge of your seat) with Ray's battle between guilt and greed. Actually, a little too much time is spent on inconsequential scenes and not enough on the full development of what the story could have been (possibly another The Firm). What was interesting is that although the story lacked the past power of other Grisham works, it was a very well put together story. There was some repetition of character description but overall, Grisham has created some very colorful characters from the family attorney Harry Rex to the Judge's former mistress Claudia. Some of these characters are so outlandish that in some ways they are very believable. The ending, however, posed a very interesting turn of events taking the latent greed of Ray Atlee and turning it against him. Has he really gotten what he wants or has he been taken?
Rating:
Summary: So, so
Review: Not up to the regular standard. OK, but not great
Rating:
Summary: I Found it to Be Good....
Review: I found it to be good. Plot...good. Characters...good. Setting...also good. Interesting dialogue...very good. Ha! Just kidding! This book was mediocre at best, and completely boring at worst. If you are an insomniac and looking to find some bedtime reading material to put you to sleep, this would be the one! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
Rating: 
Summary: ephiany for forrest, empty woods for others
Review: a halting beginning, shallow middle and absent of ending -- disappointing, hurried project from otherwise talented writer.
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Summary: A TYPICAL John Grisham novel
Review: The first time I heard about his new novel, I said "Ah, he went back to his old habit, a novel full of lawyers". It is the most typical John Grisham. The story is quite interesting, and the plot is a bit complicated. The plot has different aspects to it, you would each one. It goes from techniques of tracking gangster to great schemes. And the ending is shocking. But don't be misled by my description, it is not full of action. Generally it is very good, it's been a while since I enjoyed a typical John Grisham novel.
Rating:
Summary: Not Up to Grisham Standard
Review: Very disappointing effort from a normally great writer. Clearly Mr. Grisham is under contract with his publisher to spit out a novel every year or so. This pales in comparison to his past efforts. There's no depth to the characters and the story is boring. The ending is not even an ending; he simply stopped writing and submitted his manuscript. But, he ... me in with his name recognition alone. So, I guess it worked from a bottom line point of view. Don't waste your time with this one. Read "The Firm" again, instead. That was vintage Grisham.
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