The Widow Audiobook By John Grisham cover art

The Widow

A Novel

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime
Try for $0.00
More purchase options

The Widow

By: John Grisham
Narrated by: Michael Beck
Try for $0.00

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $23.40

Buy for $23.40

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham is the acclaimed master of the legal thriller. Now, he’s back with his first-ever whodunit, even more suspenseful than his courtroom dramas, as a small-time lawyer accused of murder races to find the real killer to clear his name.

“A classic, compulsive, taut and thrilling novel from one of the great storytellers of our time. The Widow is John Grisham at his irresistible, unforgettable best.”—Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colors of the Dark

Simon Latch is a lawyer in rural Virginia, making just enough to pay his bills while his marriage slowly falls apart. Then into his office walks Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow in need of a new will. Apparently, her husband left her a small fortune, and no one knows about it.

Once he hooks the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar. But soon her story begins to crack. When she is hospitalized after a car accident, Simon realizes that nothing is as it seems, and he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn’t commit: murder.

Simon knows he’s innocent. But he also knows the circumstantial evidence is against him, and he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. To save himself, he must find the real killer….

Accolades & Awards

Best of 2025
Editors Select
Most Popular
Best of 2025 Crime Editors Select Legal Suspense Thriller & Suspense Marriage Exciting Murder

Critic reviews

“A classic, compulsive, taut and thrilling novel from one of the great storytellers of our time. The Widow is John Grisham at his irresistible, unforgettable best. No one does it better.”—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark

“A captivating legal whodunit . . . [Grisham’s] nuanced portrait of Latch demonstrates his gift for constructing morally flawed yet sympathetic characters. The author’s fans will be galvanized by this impressive return to form.”—Publishers Weekly

Editorial Review

There oughta be a law
To start listening to John Grisham’s latest incredible legal thriller, I had to put a whole lot of things on hold. Like my weekend to-do list and my Sunday call to my mother (she was busy anyway). Yeah, it’s that good. Nothing like the trials and tribulations of a Southern lawyer whose life seems to be going further south. It has all the “fixins”: plenty of money, dubious relatives, biscuits, bourbon, and a marriage also on the rocks. Narrator Michael Beck does an excellent job insinuating himself into every character, male and female. I admit to chuckling more than a couple of times. I wanted the story to go on and on, but I had to go back to my daily life—which isn’t all that bad, but this audiobook is all that good and then some. —Yvonne D., Audible Editor

Engaging Plot • Unexpected Twists • Excellent Narration • Compelling Suspense • Courtroom Drama • Strong Voice Acting

Highly rated for:

All stars
Most relevant
The story was so good! I had cooled on Grisham for a while, but The Widow is reminiscent of his earlier work! All of the characters were well-drawn and I found myself rooting for Simon! The narration was first rate!

One of Grisham’s best!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This novel was so intriguing that it was completed in two days. It builds on an old lady's story and follows through to a conviction for life in prison. With superb narration and a fantastic story line, I did not pull myself away from it. I believe that future readers (audio) will feel the same!

A Story for Humanity

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I have been a fan of John Grisham since day one and have read every single book he ever wrote. This tale is among his best in my opinion and reminds me of what made me fall in love with his work in the first place. I lived and died with the hero and how real his character was. I love characters who aren't perfect and Simon is far from that. In fact, in the beginning I didn't like him at all until I realized how many people out there would actually be guilty of making the exact same choices he made.

Michael Beck is my favorite audio book performer. He gives the most accurate voice to the South and it's characters I've ever heard. Dick Hill is a close second, but no one narrates like Michael Beck.

Classic Grisham

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I’m always a Grisham fan, and this was another good one. His characters are so well developed and he makes you feel like you’re in the south with them. Also love John Beck’s narration - he’s perfect for Grisham’s books!

Always love listening to John Beck.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I have read or listened to most of John Grisham’s books. I love the characters he creates and also how he lets us hear about the back rooms in law offices. I hope they make this one into a movie!

Michael Beck is my favorite reader. Once he starts a book I can hardly put it down

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews