#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.
more
There are so many great things I could say about this book, but the one that stands out most for me is – How many books have you read that the most gripping part was the middle? It involves the protagonist’s experiences in the Bataan Death March in WW II and you will not be able to put it down. Beyond that, it is masterfully told, opening with a brutal crime committed by the town’s war hero, which he refuses to explain and which is not revealed until the final pages of the story. It’s not for the faint of heart, but is ultimately satisfying, sobering and redeeming.
Excellent reading. Keeps you reading to get to the end!
Loved it!!!
Definitely a page turner,couldn’t put it down
This is the story of a man’s grave mistake and the consequences that are paid for it. Not his usual legal drama, this book examines the consequences of a single decision on a family.
Good book
This is not up to the standards I am used to. Definitely not one of his better books. The whole war saga is just added filler. He could have said ” Pete was captured, tortured, escaped, and became a guerrilla fighter” and that would have been enough. All the Bataan death march wasn’t necessary.
The story itself wasn’t bad. Definitely a surprise ending. The whole thing seemed kind of murky, not clear and concise.
Maybe the next one will be better.
ENGAGING.
Great, ending disappointing
To begin, I am a John Grisham fan. This wasn’t my favorite of his books, but I definitely enjoyed the read.
Excellent! Reminiscent of A Time to Kill. Grisham at the top of his game.
I did not enjoy this book as much as I have his other novels. I thought it was slow getting to the point. Not nearly as suspenseful but I had to finish it to see how it ended.
Poorly written.
Very interesting story, I did not guess the ending correctly.
Love Grisham books. This was especially unpredictable and couldn’t stop reading til I was done.
I found most of this book intense and engrossing. Although it took me a few days to read, I couldn’t wait to pick it back up each evening. Until the ending. What I thought would be a five star story was reduced to just an average read. The ending was so steriotypical of books about the South that it ruined it for me. My goodness, how could poor Pete ever be told the actual truth (sarcasm)! And in every way possible the ending was so sad for so many people. No silver lining; everything was lost.
I miss rhe early John Grishom books…..
Grisham is at his best. Always a good read.
Very well written with a twist at the end.
One of Grisham’s best. Had me hooked from the beginning.
It was a chore to read the first 75 pages of this 400+ page book. I have read everything by Mr. Grisham, and have found his books to be most enjoyable.
But this was so slow, I put it down and returned it to the library. I don’t know if he had someone else write this. It was so unlike his other fast paced books. At some point, when I have absolutely nothing else to read, I may try this again. It must get better after the point, I stopped reading.