There are two things a reader is guaranteed when they pick up a John Grishom novel. One is that they will certainly glean a greater insight and understanding of some aspect of law and litigation. The other sure thing is that an page turning cracking good read is in store. The Testament is certainly no exception to this rule and brings together finely narrated story telling with the surrealism of events that can really only happen in between the covers of a Grisham book. No surprise for guessing that the central character is a lawyer, albeit a penniless down on his luck type working for a top Washington law office. He is a litigator at the top of his game, or would be if he did not have to contend with his own demons, alcohol and narcotics being chief amongst them. His intellect and ability become apparent early on as do his social and moral hang ups. When a very unusual will comes to be read following the death of an eccentric millionaire, a series of thoroughly engrossing events unfold, which accounts for the entire opening chapters of the book, and will leave the reader aghast at what has transpired. The story moves at a rapid pace and before you know it, the hero is deep in the remotest jungles of Brazil. Here Grisham stretches his narrative skills and obviously enjoys describing the open untamed expanses of greenery rather than the claustrophobic confines of a Boston courtroom. The Testament never disappoints and delivers at every level. The characters, plots and locations are credible and ultimately believable. Unexpected things happen, including plane crashes, river storms and disease, and of course regular cell phones won‘t work so well in the jungle. Apart from giving us an exceedingly good read, Grisham shows us that in this life, money really isn’t everything and that perhaps we shouldn’t wait until the end of our lives to try to put things right.