John Grisham returns to Clanton, Mississippi, and attorney Jake Brigance in SYCAMORE ROW. This sequel to his debut novel A Time to Kill is a treat for long-time Grisham fans. That novel, which is a favorite of many readers, has been made into a stage play and adapted into a movie starring Matthew McConaughey.

On Sunday, October 2, 1988, Seth Hubbard committed suicide. On Monday, October 3, Jake Brigance receives a letter in the mail from Seth. Enclosed with the letter is a handwritten will written on the day before his death. Jake never met the man, but the letter asks Jake to act as the lawyer for his estate. In this new will, Seth disinherits his children and leaves the vast majority of his estate to his housekeeper Lettie Lang. The family immediately embarks on the process of challenging this new will, and Jake, as the lawyer for the estate, has been instructed by Seth to defend this new will in any way possible. Most people knew that Seth had some money, but everyone is completely shocked to find that his estate is worth $24 million. Of course, the gossip mill goes into overdrive, and his family is appalled that it will all go to a virtual stranger.

Everything about the will contest comes down to one simple question. Why did Seth choose to leave the majority of his estate to his housekeeper, a woman who he only knew for a short time? Although Seth meticulously planned his suicide, his family contends that he wasn't of sound mind when the will was written. They claim that Lettie had undue influence on a sick, elderly man. The truth is that even Lettie doesn't know the real answer.

The action picks up only three years after the Carl Lee Hailey trial from A Time to Kill. The Brigance family and the town of Clanton are still dealing with the fallout from that trial. Although he won that landmark case, Jake was only paid $900 to represent Carl Lee Hailey. He still hasn't received payment from his insurance company for his house after it was destroyed by a fire during the trial, and he is broke. He is also still under threat from the KKK.

The novel centers around the will contest, but there is so much more to the story. The case brings up issues of race, family, history, and justice in the small southern town of Clanton. Many of the great characters that made A Time to Kill such a memorable novel return. This layered story is a sequel worthy of its predecessor. SYCAMORE ROW is Grisham at his best.