Editorial Product Review:Item Description:Once Judge Atlee was a powerful figure in Clanton, Mississippi--a pillar of the community who towered over local law and politics for forty years. Now the judge is a shadow of his former self, a sick, lonely old man who has withdrawn to his sprawling ancestral home. Knowing the end is near, Judge Atlee has issued a summons for his two sons to return to Clanton to discuss his estate. Ray Atlee is the eldest, a Virginia law professor, newly single and still enduring the aftershocks of a surprise divorce. Forrest is Ray s younger brother, who redefines the notion of a family s black sheep.
The summons is typed by the judge himself, on his handsome old stationery, and gives the date and time for Ray and Forrest to appear in his study. Ray reluctantly heads south to his hometown, to the place where he grew up and now prefers to avoid. But the family meeting does not take place. The judge dies too soon, and in doing so leaves behind a shocking secret known only to Ray.
And perhaps someone else.
Amazon.com Review: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
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Buyer Reviews
Average Buyer Rating:
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A good thread but not his best work
The Summons had decent storyline and Grisham has a good bead on small southern town politics but it lacked the energy and sharp edge of his previous books.
Customer Rating: 
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skip this one
I haven't read a novel by John Grisham in a long time. Gosh, I can't even remember the last novel.
Anyways, Ray Atlee is a recently divorced professor of law at the University of Virginia. His brother, Forrest, has been in and out of rehab. When's he's out, everyone is on eggshells, fearing he'll relapse or ask for money.
Their father is the esteemed Honorable Reuben V. Atlee. Even outside of the courtroom, his words, desires, choices are law among loved ones. Nearing death, Judge Atlee summons both sons to settle his affairs.
Ray arrives earlier...only to find his father dead...and only to discover that there's $3 million dollars hidden in his father's office. The problem is that Judge Atlee made no mention of this money...not even in the will.
Ray decides to keep this stash of money secret, even from his brother. The problem is that someone else knows about this stash and makes threats on Ray's life. Will Ray surrender the money or will he keep it by staying on the run?
*The Summons* isn't your typical legal thriller...that's for sure. This deviant break from legal thriller proved to be disastrious for Grisham because, based on other reviews here, it's just plain boring. The characters aren't well developed. The story plot is illogical and amateurish.
Customer Rating: 
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Two Different Worlds
Ray Atlee is a UVA law professor in Charlottesville, VA and receives the news that his father, Judge Reuben Atlee, has died. The news takes him to Clanton, Mississippi to his father's house where he discovers boxes of cash totaling three million dollars. Rather than report the money he decides to take it and deprive his brother, Forrest, of this money as well. The plot accelerates when a mystery third person indicates knowledge of the money and initiates threats to get it. Charlottesville, a sophisticated, wealthy college town in Virginia provides a striking contrast to the more rural Clanton, Mississippi both in culture and setting. Grisham manages to keep the ending and resolution a surprise that intrigues and mostly satisfies. Grisham is good at developing his plot and characters but some of the plot walks close to the margins of plausibility.The Griffon Trilogy
Customer Rating: -
Reads Like a Legal Obligation
Professor Ray Atlee and his brother Forrest are summoned back to their father's home. Their father is the imposing Judge Reuben Atlee and he's dying. Ray arrives to find the judge dead and to find several million dollars in cash. Should Ray share the money with his drug-abusing brother? Should Ray keep the money? Who knows the money is there and what are they willing to do to get their hands on it?
Unfortunately, finding the answers to these questions requires reading the book. And the book is not worth reading. While Grisham once again writes a highly readable, southern inflected legal drama, this one lacks enough plot to justify its 200 and some pages. Simply stated, very little happens and what does happen is belabored and not entirely convincing. It reads, quite frankly, like Grisham is fulfilling a legal obligation to produce a novel.
It may be worth noting that this book contains some connections to other Grisham novels, including A Time to Kill.