General Information
===================
 Title:                  The Summons
 Author:                 John Grisham
 Read By:                Michael Beck
 Copyright:              2002
 Audiobook Copyright:    2002
 Genre:                  Audiobook
 Publisher:              Random House Audio
 Abridged:               No

Original Media Information
==========================
 Media:                  CD
 Source:                 Library
 Condition:              Very Good

File Information
================
 Number of MP3s:         94
 Total Duration:         8:47:03
 Total MP3 Size:         241.65
 Parity Archive:         No
 Ripped By:              GTD
 Ripped With:            Cooledit
 Encoded At:             CBR 64 kbit/s 22050 Hz Joint Stereo
 ID3 Tags:               Set, v1.1

Book Description
================
Whenever a new John Grisham legal thriller hits the bookstores, there's 
bound to be a buzz about it. Most readers can't wait to get their hands 
on another tale of the less-than-stellar law professionals and the twisted 
legal system that are Grisham's forte; other readers complain that it 
doesn't begin to measure up to his first and still most popular book, 
A TIME TO KILL, and proceed to nitpick the storyline to pieces. Frankly, 
I've never understood what the problem is --- I've thoroughly enjoyed 
every single one of them for their individuality, underlying humor, 
and the ironic sense of justice that emerges in surprising ways. THE 
SUMMONS is another superbly entertaining romp through the field of legal 
maneuvers and a prime example of Grisham's talent for drawing characters 
who represent our human fallibility.

Enter the fallible human, Ray Atlee, a law school professor and the 
son of a prominent Mississippi judge. Life in Virginia, far from his 
father's influence, is fairly sedate except for his recent, unexpected 
divorce. The painful truth was that Ray's wife preferred a marriage 
with wealth, to a marriage without it. Naturally, Ray views the whole 
affair from the lofty moral plane of one who believes his values are 
more grounded. Even the advances of a comely student that has the entire 
male faculty on edge, is a pitfall he avoids. But his convictions are 
about to take a disquieting tumble.

Ray's father, the curmudgeonly Judge Atlee, is near death and sends 
a formal summons to both Ray and his ne'er-do-well brother, Forrest, 
to return home to discuss the final arrangements for his estate. Since 
neither of his sons followed in their father's professional footsteps, 
which led to a lifetime of strained relations all around, Ray isn't 
particularly thrilled at the prospect of a family reunion. Reluctantly, 
he packs his bag and makes the long drive to his ancestral home of Clanton, 
only to find that his father has already passed away. But while awaiting 
his brother's arrival, Ray accidentally discovers something even more 
shocking. The honorable Judge Atlee, revered for his unwavering commitment 
to integrity and justice from the bench, has a secret stashed away in 
his library. Boxes of hundred dollar bills. Lots of boxes. And Ray is 
the only one who knows about them --- or is he?

THE SUMMONS is a tale of the consequences that befall a man faced with 
an overpowering temptation. Like other Grisham characters who are neither 
completely the hero nor the villain, Ray is thrown an ethical curve 
which he could not possibly be prepared to handle. And despite his conviction 
that he's doing the right thing for the right reasons, it's inevitable 
that his flimsy rationale will fall apart, disaster soon to follow. 
It's at this point, that Grisham will have readers squirming just a 
bit, knowing that given the same circumstances, they might make the 
same self-serving decision. While we might not find ourselves driving 
helter skelter across the countryside, evading the law and the lawless, 
hoping we'll live to enjoy our good fortune; THE SUMMONS is certainly 
a story with a moral. It's also hugely entertaining and another Grisham 
bestseller you should add to your collection.

   --- Reviewed by Ann Bruns (BkPageWC@aol.com)