The Summons

A Hidden Fortune. A Dead Judge. A Dangerous Secret.

The Summons by John Grisham is a tense, atmospheric legal thriller that explores greed, loyalty, and the fine line between right and wrong. When Professor Ray Atlee, a quiet law professor at the University of Virginia, receives a formal summons from his dying father, he knows it’s time to return home to Clanton, Mississippi.

His father, Judge Reuben Atlee, once a towering figure in local law and politics, is now frail and reclusive. Ray expects a routine discussion about settling the estate—but instead, he finds the Judge dead and a shocking discovery hidden in the study: over $3 million in cash. No will. No explanation. And Ray isn’t sure he’s the only one who knows about it.

A Moral Dilemma Turns Into a Deadly Game

As Ray wrestles with what to do, he’s plunged into a world of shadows, secrets, and pursuit. Someone else is watching—someone who will stop at nothing to claim the money for themselves. With mounting tension and masterful twists, Grisham delivers a gripping tale where the law can’t always protect you—and doing the right thing might be the riskiest move of all.

The Summons is classic Grisham: smart, suspenseful, and impossible to put down.