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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780440234746
ISBN number: 0440234743
Label: Island Books
Manufacturer: Island Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 544
Printing Date: December 28, 1999
Publishing house: Island Books
Release Date: December 28, 1999
Sale Popularity Level: 10036
Studio: Island Books
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product 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....
Amazon.com 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 spawn, a legion of lawyers, several psychiatrists, and a plethora of sound technicians wait breathlessly, all eyes glued to digital monitors as they watch the old man read his verdict. But Phelan shocks everyone with a bizarre, last-gasp endeavor to redistribute the spoils, setting in motion a legal morality tale of a contested will, sin, and redemption.
Our hero, Nate O'Riley--a washed-up, alcoholic litigator with two ruined marriages in his wake and the IRS on his tail--is dispatched to the Brazilian wetlands in search of a mysterious heir named in the will. After a harrowing trip upriver to a remote settlement in the Pantanal, 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 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 strippers, 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
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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This is one of the worst books I have ever read! It is a very slow read with characters I could not come to like and/or care about. I usually enjoy John Grisham novels, so I kept reading in hopes of a twist, a burst of action, an interesting character...anything to turn around the reading experience....but it continued to be a bore the entire way through. I believe Mr. Grisham put some words to paper just so he could write-off a trip to Brazil, a major setting in the book. I only gave one star because the system forced me to select at least one star.
Rated by buyers 
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I received the book in fast time, it was in excellent condition and I am very happy with the service I got.
Rated by buyers -
The Testament is one of John Grisham's best reads (have read about 12 of his books so far)...it had me interested from the very first page until the last. Would highly recommend this one.
Rated by buyers 
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Here's my review system--I score on four categories and average them together for the number of stars. The four categories are: character development (are the characters deep and complex, plot (is it interesting), voice (is the narration smooth and engaging) and cliche level (is it predictable.)
Characters: 5 stars-- I found the two main characters fascinating
Plot: 2 stars-- it went on an on to a predictable ending
Voice: 5 stars -- very smooth which I believe is Grisham's strong suit
Cliche: 3 stars -- good lawyers and greedy lawyers as JG does
Overall Score 3 stars
Rated by buyers 
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Grisham brings his page-turning style to a contested will. Aged billionaire Troy Phelan commits suicide, leaving behind a questionable hand-written will and angry heirs (six kids and three ex-wives) who get nothing beyond their debts erased. The beneficiary is Troy's previously unknown illegitimate daughter Rachel, who lives as a penniless missionary among the Indians somewhere in the vast wilderness of Brazil. Naturally, the greedy heirs and their unscrupulous lawyers contest the will (claiming Troy was insane), while the exector plucks an acoholic attorney (Nate) from rehab to seach for Rachel in Brazil. Grisham provides adventurous reading as Nate braves storms, floods, snakes, mosquito-borne diseases and hostile natives while traveling up the Pantanal River in search of Rachel. At the same time, we see how low the Phelan heirs and their sleazy lawyers will sink to grab part of that $11 billion estate. But lest you lose faith in human nature, some redemption is mixed in with the mounds of sleaze.
I like Grisham's page-turning style and legal adventurism, but felt finding Rachel was too easy, and he took too long to get to the tepid ending. Still, if this isn't the top Grisham effort, it still makes very good reading.
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