The Widow by John Gresham

Jackson Coppley
13 minutes ago
2 min read

In The Widow, John Gresham returns to his legal drama roots. The novel follows Simon Latch, a small‑town lawyer drowning in gambling debts, a failing marriage, and a lackluster practice built on minor cases that barely pay his bills. He experiences a change of fortune when elderly widow Eleanor "Netty" Barnett, a rich woman, hires him to manage her estate.

Seeing a chance to escape his financial ruin, Simon ingratiates himself with Eleanor, becomes her trusted adviser, and positions himself as executor and trustee of her supposed fortune. Unfortunately, his plans for riches turn south. As he digs into her finances, he notices inconsistencies and odd secrecy surrounding her assets, raising doubts about whether her wealth is real or carefully constructed.

Because Eleanor suffered serious injuries in a car accident and was hospitalized, questions arose about her health decisions and estate control as Simon sought the authority to act for her. When she dies under suspicious circumstances, investigators focus on Simon’s financial motives and his role in her medical and legal arrangements, leading to his arrest for her murder.

The second half of the novel becomes a courtroom and investigative drama in which Simon, insisting on his innocence, must work with a legal team to dismantle the prosecution’s circumstantial case.

The book explores greed, moral compromise, and the ease with which an ordinary, flawed person can become the perfect suspect when money and death intersect. It also critiques small‑town justice and trial‑by‑public‑opinion, showing how reputation, economic desperation, and secrecy shape the search for truth.

Simon Latch—good guy, bad guy, or somewhere in the middle.

Read the novel and make your own judgment.