A lot of long arduous filler to finally reveal nothing of surprise. Dont believe the hype. This is not his best work. I feel more like the victim of a con job than a satisfied fan.

I've read all of his books and this is by far the worst - save your money!!Jim

I love John Grisham books and was anxious to read his latest work. The characters are nicely drawn andyou are pulled into the story and want to keep reading to see how it turns out. Because it’s John Grisham, you expect some kind of twist or unique reveal that will be the payout for investing so heavily in his characters and their dilemmas. Unfortunately the book is predictable and leaves you disappointed. The big secret turns out to be what you expected all along and you feel that it doesn’t ring true to the noble-ness of the main character. In the end you are left with some enjoyment but not the kind of satisfaction that would make you recommend the book to everyone you know who loves to read.

This was a bad read. Too much information on mostly known history. Agree, not enough character development on some people. Way too much detail before "secret" was FINALLY revealed in last 10 pages!!

This is a disjointed, dislikable book - a soap opera with some courtroom window dressing and the Bataan Death March thrown in for no apparent reason except alleged depth of feeling. The mystery of the main character is that he won't talk - a sort of misguided Clint Eastwood Man With No Name anti-hero. Not talking can work on the screen but does tend to drag on on the page. The wife does a bad thing while her husband is slogging around in the Philippines, although it isn't clear what that is until the end. Consequences ensue. The hero kills somebody else. The generations-old family farm is lost to a shyster lawyer. Almost everybody dies. Who knew what? When did they know it? Who was wrong? In the end, who cares? I can't believe I read the whole thing.