The Widow by John Grisham

The Widow

A Novel

John Grisham

Diversified Publishing · Print & ebook · October 21, 2025

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham is the acclaimed master of the legal thriller.

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Who it’s for
Fans of legal thrillers and courtroom dramas
Themes
legal thriller, mystery, justice
Pacing
Fast

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About this book

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham is the acclaimed master of the legal thriller. Now, he’s back with his first-ever whodunit, even more suspenseful than his courtroom dramas, as a small-time lawyer accused of murder races to find the real killer to clear his name. “A classic, compulsive, taut and thrilling novel from one of the great storytellers of our time.

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The Widow is John Grisham at his irresistible, unforgettable best.”—Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colors of the Dark Simon Latch is a lawyer in rural Virginia, making just enough to pay his bills while his marriage slowly falls apart. Then into his office walks Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow in need of a new will. Apparently, her husband left her a small fortune, and no one knows about it. Once he hooks the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar. But soon her story begins to crack. When she is hospitalized after a car accident, Simon realizes that nothing is as it seems, and he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn’t commit: murder. Simon knows he’s innocent. But he also knows the circumstantial evidence is against him, and he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. To save himself, he must find the real killer….

Who it’s for

  • Fans of legal thrillers and courtroom dramas
  • Readers who enjoy whodunit mysteries with suspense

Where it sits

Legal Thrillers79%
Mystery31%
Suspense22%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Suspense
  • Thrillers
  • Legal Fiction
Authors
John Grisham
Publisher
Diversified Publishing
Published
October 21, 2025
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
legal thriller · mystery · justice
Reading lane
Suspense