John Grisham is painted three characters in this novel who just want to get rid of their lives. Though they have been blessed with many things in life but something is missing deep down. They are not happy and contended with their lives and they want to throw it away because they have been living without purpose for a very long time. First one to appear on the scene is Troy who has won everything that is there to get in the material world and this has made him the richest man in the US.
However there is a tragedy attached to his life i.e he is confined to a wheelchair which means that he cannot walk like ordinary human beings thus he has learnt that money cannot buy everything. Moreover his days seem to be numbered and the heirs are now gathering so that they can take their share. This is a painful period of life and Troy does not want to see it coming. Then there is Nate whose first marriage was a disaster and now his second marriage is also ending in a bad way.
He has worked for the armed forces and has seen enough violence during his life. Just when he wants peace, he gets attached to a murder issue. Lastly Frank Muller narrates the character of Rachel Lane who is quite different than the characters that were there in A Time to Kill and The Whistler. Rachel has started working with Indian tribes and she has left the modern world which was making her feel bizarre. Now she is finally contended because she thinks that she is serving the people in the right way.
