#1 bestselling author John Grisham’s The Reckoning is his most powerful, surprising, and suspenseful thriller yet. “A murder mystery, a courtroom drama, a family saga… 1946, Clanton, Mississippi
Pete Banning was Clanton, Mississippi’s favorite son—a decorated World War II hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church. Then one cool October morning he rose early, drove into town, and committed a shocking crime. Pete’s only statement about it—to the sheriff, to his lawyers, to the judge, to the jury, and to his family—was: “I have nothing to say.” He was not afraid of death and was willing to take his motive to the grave.
In a major novel unlike anything he has written before, John Grisham takes us on an incredible journey, from the Jim Crow South to the jungles of the Philippines during World War II; from an insane asylum filled with secrets to the Clanton courtroom where Pete’s defense attorney tries desperately to save him.
Reminiscent of the finest tradition of Southern Gothic storytelling, The Reckoning would not be complete without Grisham’s signature layers of legal suspense, and he delivers on every page.
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Loved this story. I didn’t want to put it down. I’d like to know what happens to Joel and Stella and their aunt’s land.
Wow! Just Wow!
Grisham at his best.
Very good reading
An intriguing and surprising murder mystery with entirly enexpected characters and plot.
Grisham is the best out there.
Quite a story.Full of surprises!! Could have made it shorter by 100 pages!!
This was quite the book. It was so twisted and yet interesting in many ways. I was shocked at the end when the truth came out. I keep thinking about this book. It was very real and the characters stand out. I want to read more from this author.
Granted I’m not a history buff, however, I do wonder why all the information while Pete was a POW.
I was shocked at the ending. All the information regarding the two siblings and school and I guess I wanted a little summary as to what they did to get on with their lives.
I didn’t like this story. It started off strong, but the war part was way too long and the ending was anticlimactic.
This one was absolutely amazing to read. Grisham is an exceptionally talented author and this story didn’t disappoint. I highly recommend this novel.
This was my first time reading a John Grisham book and honestly I was expecting more (or maybe less). I know great authors are supposed to make you “feel” something with their writing, but the whole time the only thing I felt was anger….at almost every single character (except maybe the kids) and the author. I have a REALLY hard time believing that any military husband could honest to God come home after being declared dead for YEARS and have expected his wife to have just sat there in mourning without moving on with her life at some point. I mean COME ON. I get that it was a different time but seriously….if that was REALLY the catalyst behind the whole thing then maybe Pete deserved every bit of what he got. Ok, so it was a little more complicated than that yes but that’s basically what it boils down to. I’ll give it to the author, he knows how to provoke a response in his readers and his writing is excellent….but he missed the mark here. Not sure I will be a fan after all….
Great Grisham read.
This is my least favorite book by John Grisham. Felt like I was reading two stories that never really came together as one – the war story and the story of what the main character did and why he did it. While the war story was important background to the family story, I didn’t see the need for all the extreme and lengthy details. I was interested in the story of what the main character did and why. So, that made the war story too lengthy, depressing, and overwhelming for me. I found myself wishing I had never started the book. If you like war stories with lots of extreme details, this book may be for you. Too overwhelming for me.
There are some authors you just read without question because you know they ALWAYS deliver. For me, Grisham is one of those authors. “The Reckoning” was no different…and then I got to part two of the novel. I always find World War II history very gripping and interesting to explore. I just didn’t think it belonged in this novel to such an extent. I understand Grisham trying to paint a portrait of the series of events that contributed to Banning’s state of mind, but there was just so much background there and it didn’t seem to connect with the situation in part one. It felt as though the author had two books he wanted to write and part one was only the hook. Overall, I enjoyed the story. I listened to the audiobook which made it especially engaging. Though I didn’t enjoy “The Reckoning” as much as I’d hoped, Grisham is still one of my go-to writers.
I’ve never been disappointed by a John Grisham book.
This is the best Grisham novel I have read and I’ve read them all some several times. The best since Time To Kill. I can’t put into words the merits of this page turner but I’m so happy it was written and I feel truly honored to have read it. The characters were amazing. They were strong passionate, and just didn’t deserve what life had in store for them. I saw a opportunity for a sequel to this book but it may just be my heart wanting more. Well done Mr. Grisham! Maybe my favorite book of all time. There are a handful of books that you never forget and this is definitely one of them for me. I recommend it to everyone!
This book, for whatever reason, just wasn’t my cup of tea. I found it slow moving and had trouble getting through it—which is unusual for me with one of Grisham’s books.
I do not recommend this book. It is a waste of time. The story is a pointless, meandering mess. There are no twists or surprises. It is mired down in pointless descriptions. You never come to know, like or even dislike the characters. It never would have sold without this author’s name attached. Frankly, it is a story that never needed to be told.