The Summons is a legal thriller novel written by American author John Grisham,[1] first published in February 2002. Known for his courtroom dramas, Grisham once again explores the legal world in this novel, though with a significant departure into family dynamics and mystery.
Plot summary
The main character, Ray Atlee, is a law professor with a good salary at the University of Virginia. He has a brother, Forrest, and a father, known to many as Judge Reuben V. Atlee. Ray is sent to his father's house in Clanton, Mississippi, to discuss issues regarding the old man's will and estate. To do this, Ray has to go to fictional Ford County, Mississippi, the setting for four of John Grisham's other books including A Time To Kill. When he finds his father dead in the study, Ray discovers a sum of over $3 million in the house, money which is not part of Judge Atlee's will. Ray immediately thinks the money is "dirty" because his father could not possibly have made so much money in his career.
Assuming that he is the only one who knows about the money, Ray decides to take it without making it officially part of the estate, and does not tell anyone about it: he knows that if he made it a part of the estate, taxes would take most of the money. But later reality proves otherwise. Ray is being followed; someone else knows about the money. After his own investigations into the roots of the money and the identity of his shadow—including trips to casinos and shady meetings with prominent southern lawyers—he eventually discovers that Forrest has the money. He finds Forrest in a drug rehab compound and confronts him. At the end both part, with Forrest telling Ray that he will contact him in a year.
Themes
The novel explores themes of family tension, moral dilemmas, and the gray areas of legality and ethics. The central mystery of the unexplained money leads Ray to question not only his father’s integrity but also his own as he struggles with the decision of what to do with the fortune.
Critical Reception
While The Summons follows in the tradition of Grisham's legal thrillers, it has been noted for its focus on personal relationships and internal conflict rather than courtroom drama. Critics have praised Grisham’s storytelling and his ability to create suspense, though some have commented that the resolution leaves several unanswered questions about the characters' futures.
