I listened to The Testament as an audio. Frank Muller read the book. I chose this book as a requirement for one of the books on my 2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge. This book was not one of Grisham’s better books.

I have enjoyed Grisham’s past books which mostly all circle around the legal field and involve one or more lawyers, a firm, a case, or a trial.

The dysfunctional family is a trope so prevalent that it didn’t take long for me to grow to hate it. Books such as This Is Where I Leave You, tv shows such as The Family, and movies such as August, Osage County flood the market and make me feel more than a little nostalgic for a time when “normal” families were something to be upheld and to strive for.

The characters were well developed and Troy Phelan and his heirs definitely inspired feelings of intense dislike. There were plenty of in-depth descriptions of Troy and his heirs leading the reader to infer why Troy made the decisions he did. The heirs were almost clichés in terms of what one would imagine a typically spoiled child grown up into an adult to become. I was a bit ambivalent towards Nate O’Riley, the lawyer assigned to the Last Will and Testament in question, was also a cliché drunk just rescued from rehab. I felt ambivalent to him throughout the majority of the book because he didn’t seem to have any redeeming qualities.

The characters were amusing to read about in a mildly entertaining way but I wasn’t that invested in any of them. This book was definitely not un-put-down-able. Unlike many of Grisham’s other novels, this one didn’t have an intense plot that characterizes and edge of your seat thriller. The plot plodded along at some points, such as describing Nate’s riverboat ride to Brazil, and his trips to see his children. I just wanted to know what the outcome of the will was going to be. The descriptions of Brazil really didn’t interest me.

The point of view kept toggling back and forth between first Troy and his heirs to Nate and the heirs. It Although the heirs were amusing, they didn’t have a whole lot of bearing on the outcome of the case and they were just annoying nuisances after a point.

Personally, you’d be better off reading one of Grisham’s better books, such as The Firm, A Time to Kill, or The Rainmaker.

A very good Grisham story. The first two chapters are two of the best chapters I have ever read. After that it just settles into being an excellent tale. Billionaire dies and leaves his money to the one child of his who doesn't want it. An alcoholic lawyer is assigned to assist her in deciding what to do. One of Grisham's better books. Recommended.

Comments on the cover of this paperback touted it as absorbing. Yes, it really was, and entertaining with gobs of excitement. It was sad and poignant too. Well done, John Grisham! You had to sympathize with lawyer Nate who kept crashing from his high stress occupation. He ends up in rehab numerous times. He is sent to the wilds of Brazil to find a missionary who is the only one who inherits billions. She changes his life. An unusual plot with a surprising end!

This is my first introduction to John Grisham. A wealthy man commits suicide after disinheriting his family by a holographic wills. And the battle ensues between the dead man's estate and his family. This was an interesting story to get in to the intriguing legal world of Grisham.

There was a mixture of interesting characters in this - Troy Phelan, the eccentric billionaire who commits suicide, Nate, the alcoholic lawyer whose life and practice is ruined by his addiction, and Rachel, the illegitimate daughter who works as a missionary, who is the sole benefactress of the Troy's Will.

Additional to the legal drama, there is a bit of adventure too as Nate travels down to the tropical jungles in Brazil to find Rachel.

Overall, it was an interesting read and a good introduction to the world of Grisham.

My 4th John Grisham novel. Very different from the other 3 legal thrillers I read by the author. Enjoyable nevertheless. Half the book is taken up by the Brazilian adventure in the Pantanal.

Wow, this was a hidden gem! 5 stars! I am still in awe of the ending. Tears, so many emotions. My first John Grisham read. Thanks to Oceana from OceanaGottaReadEmAll for the recommendation.

Troy Phelan has an 11 billion dollar fortune and is one of the richest men in the U.S. He is dying and doesn’t want his ex-wives or children to inherit his fortune. He has written many wills, but the final will before he dies is the most shocking of them all --- he leaves his fortune to a missionary, Rachel Lane, in Brazil who no one knew was his mysterious illegitimate daughter. Nate O’Riley is a recovering alcoholic and his sole job as a lawyer is to find Rachel and explain everything in the will, get her to sign the required papers

Ya’ll this book was a wild ride of adventure, humor, faith and grace. Nate’s journey brings him closer to God and the experience completely changes his life. I absolutely loved hist story. I also like the journey as he went to Brazil searching for Rachel.

Rachel’s character was a beautiful example of Christ and His love and mercy. Even though we didn’t see a lot of her, it was so impactful and important to see in this story!

There are some swear words in this book, but it wasn’t anything major and didn’t take away from the story for me. I loved the faith content in this book and the ending was simply beautiful. Cannot recommend this enough.

O meu primeiro livro deste autor. Talvez o último também. Por ser o primeiro, não sei dizer se é falta de inspiração ou se ISTO É John Grisham.

O que esperamos de um autor bestseller, tido com o suposto mestre do thriller jurídico? Esperamos uma história cativante, de leitura rápida mas que, ao mesmo tempo, prenda o leitor e faça com que este pouse o livro a altas horas da noite, vencido pelo sono.

Não é isso que acontece aqui. Onde estão os "twist & turns", as surpresas inesperadas, a aventura. O problema aqui é que essa parece que era a intenção de JG, mas falhou em conseguir.

Chateia um bocadinho saber que muitos escritores conseguem enriquecer a escrever livros, sem sequer o saberem fazer muito bem nem terem um talento natural, apenas porque nasceram nos estados unidos, escrevem em inglês e têm uma máquina de marketing enorme por detrás. Enquanto que em Portugal, por exemplo, temos escritores excecionais que são obrigados a dar aulas ou a fazer qualquer outra atividade, pois os livros não chegam para se sustentarem

Eu sei, eu sei, a culpa também é minha, que comprei o livro ;). Vou reconsiderar as minhas aquisições. Primeiro passo: antes de comprar o próximo livro, dar uma olhada às dezenas (centenas, provavelmente) de livros por ler que estão na estante cá de casa.

Loved this book! Could not put it down!! Story of a will read and how the distribution played out. Excellent.

Not sure if it was an okay book or a waste of time. Too long and boring sometimes, fewer times gossipy and intresting. Would not recommend.

As other reviewers have stated, John Grisham grabs you on the first page of this novel and holds you until the end. Nate O'Reilly, the main character, is not very likable at the beginning, yet the reader becomes his cheerleader as the story unfolds. The adventure which takes Nate into Brazil and Bolivia has the reader gripping the edges of his/her chair. There is so much reflection on what is truly important in life during both the court and wilderness parts of the story. An outrageous amount of money plays a character in this novel; reactions to its value and impact keep the reader engaged as the plot unfolds.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.

The Testament is a typical John Grisham novel—which means it's an entertaining and suspenseful read!

Troy Phelan, wealthy and dying, decides to teach his ex-wives and many children a lesson by changing his will and leaving his money to a daughter, Rachel, that no one knows about. The book alternates between the family members and their multiple attorneys who are fighting to get “their” money, and Nate O'Riley, a lawyer with the firm representing Troy. Nate is just out of yet another rehab, so he's expendible. He is sent to find Rachel, a missionary, which means traveling to the untamed jungles of Brazil and searching for someone who doesn't want to be found.

What was uniquely interesting about this book is that half of it is jungle adventures! The descriptions of the unexplored parts of Brazil, the dangers of snakes and rivers and unfriendly Indians and deadly diseases, were exciting—and I loved the contrast going back and forth.

If you like John Grisham novels, if you like legal thrillers, or if you like adventure novels, I recommend this book! One of John Grisham's best.

Wonderful,wonderful,wonderful!My favourite Grisham to date!!!Shady beginning-glorious ending!