The Testament - Hardcover

Grisham, John

3.9

118,913 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0712678263 ISBN 13: 9780712678261

Publisher: Century, 1999

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Troy Phelan is a self-made billionaire, one of the richest men in the United States. He is also eccentric, reclusive, confined to a wheelchair, and looking for a way to die, His heirs, to no one's surprise especially Troy's - are circling like vultures. Nate O'Riley is a high-octane Washington litigator who's lived too hard, too fast, for too long. His second marraige in a shambles, he is emerging from his fourth stay in rehab armed with little more than his fragile sobriety, good intentions, and resilient sense of humour. Returning to the real world is always difficult, but this time it's going to be murder. Rachel Lane is a young woman who chose to give her life to God, who walked away from the modern world with all its strivings and trapping and encumbrances, and went to live and work with a primitive tribe of Indians in the deepest jungles of Brazil. In a story that mixes legal suspense with a remarkable adventure, their lives are forever alterred by the startling secret of the Testament.

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Review:

Troy Phelan, a 78-year-old eccentric and the 10th-richest man in America, is about to read his last will and testament, divvying up an estate worth $11 billion. Phelan's three ex-wives, their grasping offspring, a legion of lawyers, several psychiatrists and a plethora of sound technicians wait breathlessly. However, the magnate shocks everyone with a bizarre, last-gasp attempt to redistribute the spoils, setting in motion a legal morality tale of a contested will, sin, and redemption.

Nate O'Riley--a washed-up, alcoholic lawyer with two ruined marriages in his wake and the taxman on his tail--is dispatched to the Brazilian wetlands in search of a mysterious heir named in the will. After a harrowing trip upriver, he encounters Rachel Lane, a pure-hearted missionary living with an indigenous tribe and carrying out "God's work." Rachel's grave dedication and kindness impress the jaded lawyer, so much so that a nasty bout of dengue fever leads him to a vision that could change his life.

Back in the States, the legal proceedings drag on and Grisham has a high time with Phelan's money-hungry descendents, a regrettable bunch who squandered millions, married stripers, got druggy, and befriended the Mob. The youngest son, Ramble, is a multi-pierced, tattoo-covered malcontent with big dreams for his rock band, the Demon Monkeys. Will Nate get straight with Rachel's aid? Do the greedy heirs get theirs? What's the real legacy of a lifetime's work? The Testament is classic Grisham: a down-and-out lawyer, a lot of money, an action-packed pursuit, and the highest issues at stake. It's not just about great characters; it's about the question of what character is. --Rebekah Warren

Review:

" An entertaining page-turner...his best novel in years." -- "USA Today"
" A compulsory page-turner." -- "Newsweek"
" Entertaining." -- "The New York Times Book Review"
" Absorbing...the pages fly by." -- "Chicago Tribune"

"From the Paperback edition."

"An entertaining page-turner...his best novel in years."—"USA Today"
"A compulsory page-turner."—"Newsweek"
"Entertaining."—"The New York Times Book Review"
"Absorbing...the pages fly by."—"Chicago Tribune"

"From the Paperback edition."

"An entertaining page-turner...his best novel in years."--USA Today

"A compulsory page-turner."--Newsweek

"Entertaining."--The New York Times Book Review

"Absorbing...the pages fly by."--Chicago Tribune

From the Paperback edition.

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