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The Testament
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The Testament
Author: John Grisham

Book Information
Publisher: Island Books
Book Type: Paperback
Rating:

ISBN-13: 9780440234746 - ISBN-10: 0440234743
Publication Date: 1999
Pages: 544


Other Versions of this Book: Hardcover, Hardcover, Audio CD, Audio Cassette (unabridged), Audio Cassette

Book Description:
Heart of darkness...

In a plush Virginia office, a rich, angry old man is furiously rewriting his will. With his death just hours away, Troy Phelan wants to send a message to his children, his ex-wives, and his minions, a message that will touch off a vicious legal battle and transform dozens of lives.

Because Troy Phelan's new will names a sole surprise heir to his eleven-billion-dollar fortune: a mysterious woman named Rachel Lane, a missionary living deep in the jungles of Brazil.

Enter the lawyers. Nate O'Riley is fresh out of rehab, a disgraced corporate attorney handpicked for his last job: to find Rachel Lane at any cost. As Phelan's family circles like vultures in D.C., Nate is crashing through the Brazilian jungle, entering a world where money means nothing, where death is just one misstep away, and where a woman--pursued by enemies and friends alike--holds a stunning surprise of her own....

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Top Member Book Reviews

Carlos J. (Ironman) wrote on 5/9/2007...

3 member(s) found this review helpful.

An entertaining read, fun to see how convoluted the human mind becomes when money is in the midst of it all. Mr. Grisham does not let us down with this one; happy reading.

Heather F. (AZmom875) wrote on 7/24/2007...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

All his books involve lawyers some you love and some you hate. I liked this lawyer. I loved the travel to the remote area. This book seems softer on the whole Lawyer thing and made the people seem more human. Great ending and a great testament to John Grisham who can write about lawyers in more than one way.

Janis K. (scrapbooklady) wrote on 6/26/2007...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

I am an avid reader and not of just one author. John Grisham books are on my booklist but I read just about everyone at one point or another. If I am not engaged by the first few pages in any book I pick up, and held so thoughout the story, I don't waste my time with the rest of the book. "The Testament" grabbed me from the first page and held my interest all the way through to the end. It was a page-turner for me. What I liked about the story was that I developed definite feelings about the characters even though Grisham did not say a lot about them other than their antics and a bit of background here and there. Grishman was very good at creating characters that a reader will either care about or not care for. The other thing I liked was that the story was transformational on various levels and not just for the lead character. Nate O'Riley, the alcoholic, drug addicted, constant rehab dwelling attorney, was a character that I truely appreciated getting to know. I enjoyed watching him as he passed through life-tests that he sometimes failed and sometimes conquered. Even with Rachel Lane, who you did not know much about at all, you got a good depth of her personality through Nate's observations of her. Lastly, the story talks about what a lot of money can do to people, how it corrupts, blinds, and befuddles a sane mind into doing insane things with it. But it also told the reader through more than one character that it's hard to blame people for how they deal with money because of how they were brought to it. It's a very thoughtful read and I would recommend "The Testament" to anyone who enjoys a good read and a good mystery that has a very unpredictable ending.

Ann C. (auntant) wrote on 5/31/2007...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

A disgraced corporate attorney, who has come out of rehab for the umpteenth time, is sent to the wilds of Brazil in search of the illegitimate, missionary daughter of a dead millionaire, who has left most of his estate to her. As usual, Grisham's characters are well-formed and complex, and his plot is fast-paced and thrilling. A great read

J.R. P. (TheBookaholic) wrote on 4/29/2007...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Grisham has done it again! Fast paced thriller, with twists and turns that only he can bring.

Amy S. wrote on 4/4/2007...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

The testament has romance, courtroom drama, adventure, and redemption packed into a readily readable novel!

Roberta S. (Robey) wrote on 8/30/2007...

1 member(s) found this review helpful.

This one took me awhile to read. You have to really focus on what you are reading, no distractions. Very interesting. Not a light read, but good story line.

Ashley N. (mommanick) wrote on 5/14/2007...

1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Quick read, great premise.

M. Carol T. (mamatraub) wrote on 5/8/2007...

1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Not one of Grisham's best but still interesting.

Leslie W. (LeslieGW) wrote on 3/24/2007...

1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Loved it.


Please Rate these Book Reviews

LaTrice L. wrote on 7/21/2009...


This book was a page turner! It's not even the kind of book I typically read, but I can say that I really enjoyed it.

Jennifer G. wrote on 6/10/2009...


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 marriage is in shambles, he is emerging from his fourth stay in rehab armed with little more than his fragile sobriety, good intentions, and resilient sense of humor. Returning to the real world is always difficult, but this times 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 trappings 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 altered by the startling secret of The Testament.

Shayna P. wrote on 3/26/2009...


"A COMPULSORY PAGE-TURNER"
"ENTERTAINING."
HEART OF DARKNESS
In a plush Virginia office, a rich, angry old man is furiously rewriting his will. With his death just hours away, Troy Phelan wants to send a message to his children, his ex-wives, and his minions, a message that will touch off a vicious legal battle and transform dozens of lives.
Because Troy Phelan's new will names a sole surprise heir to his eleven-billion-dollar fortune: a mysterious woman named Rachel Lane, a missionary living deep in the jungles of Brazil.
Enter the lawyers. Nate O'Riley is fresh out of rehab, a disgraced corporate attorney handpicked for his last job: to find Rachel Lane at any cost. As Phelan's family circles like vultures in D.C., Nate is crashing through the Brazilian jungle, entering a world where money means nothing, where death is just one misstep away, and where a woman-pursued by enemies and friends alike-holds a stunning surprise of her own....
"ABSORBING..THE PAGES FLY BY."

Mary P. (marytpie) wrote on 3/22/2009...


This story is about a rich, angry old man who's life is coming to an end in a matter of hours, so he writes his will. That's not as easy as it seems. The will includes all of his ex-wives and all of his children, and it soon turns into a legal battle between the man's different families. Who should get the man's 11-billion dollar fortune? Does anyone in one his numerous families' even really love him or do they just want his fortune.

It's a page turner, especially if you have ever dealth with the death of a loved one and have had to deal with the legalities of their will.

Great book!!! The pages fly by.

Sharon H. (grannysharon) - Hixson, TN wrote on 2/1/2009...


Grisham at his best, twisting plots and players with all of the money-hungry family snapping at his heels. This was a super read, but what can you say about John Grisham?!!

Norene L. wrote on 1/30/2009...


The story of an anthropologist and his wife who look for Bible and historical treasures. A lunatic contacts him and tells him of a find beyond his wildest dreams, but then as he goes to find it from the instructions, the lunatic tries to kill him. Very good

Sue K. wrote on 8/17/2008...


good

Diane H. (auntbeebooks) wrote on 6/30/2008...


This book is not the typical John Grisham novel. I enjoyed this different format so much so, I re-read it. It begins slowly in development but you will enjoy the ending. A truly rewarding read.

W. R. (NYbooks) wrote on 5/15/2008...


* * ½*. Legal Thriller. A multi-billionaire leaves his entire fortune to an oblivious heir. From that point, the story separates into two parts: one a journey into Brazil; the other, the legal quagmire resulting from decisions made by said billionaire.

Really, I didn't much care for the traveling story. It didn't move the narrative and I often times skimmed that part without really losing any important part of the story. Midway thru, though, the story does pick up steam until, literally, the last page. Ok book.

Mary A. wrote on 5/9/2008...


Excellent -- I can't believe I had missed a Grisham book!


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