Unlike Grisham's previous works, The Summons was a grave disappointment. The characters lacked any endearing qualities; the pace of the book was tedious; the ending was obvious long before the reader reached the end, and the only factor driving the reader to complete the book was the misguided hope that Grisham would manage, at some point, to bring some of his usual sparkle to this work. Don't waste your money or time on this book; look for one of his earlier works if you value a fast pace, interesting characters and an intriguing plotline. Perhaps Mr. Grisham is too busy worrying about screenplays to worry about writing good prose.