The Reckoning: A Novel

Reviews

1. 

   STLCRZY – July 23, 2024

   Only half way through…..
   So far, I have found this very gripping and suspenseful. The historical aspect was mindblowing and gruesome. However, the story takes you on the journey with Banning through some of the worst aspects of the war. Still fascinating. Could not put down. Thank you for the journey, as so hard to find a book that grabs you like this one did. You did well..

2. 

   Ronald H. Clark – July 23, 2024

   An Unfortunate Departure for John Grisham
   I have read every adult John Grisham novel since “A Time to Kill” and reviewed many on Amazon. I am at a loss to understand why Grisham published this book. My reaction is not due to the very minor amount of legal elements in the story, because Grisham has developed into a fine novelist over the last several decades. In addition to being gripping stories (or “page turners” as I call them), recently he has used them to educate his readers about different facets of the legal system, from mass tort lawyers to public interest lawyers to lawyers who oversee judges. And in fact each of the three capsules of the story is well written. What does bother me is the intense focus on violence and shocking human degradation, the absence of any page-turning suspense, and the fact that the three sections of the story don’t fit together smoothly.
   The first section of the story is set in Mississippi 1946 and focuses upon the central character in the novel, cotton farmer Peter Banning freshly returned from being a pow and guerilla fighter against the Japanese invaders of the Philippines. Many had thought him dead during the several years of his absence, so he returns a hero. A West Pointer and upstanding citizen of the cotton-growing community, Pete one day walks into the local church and pumps three bullets into a local minister. He does not deny his crime, or even authorize any defense in court, and most puzzling he does not offer any explanation for his bizarre act. As a result, in this capital murder case, he suffers the ultimate penalty, leaving behind his wife and two teen age children. I though this skillful section kicked off the book nicely.
   My problems began with the middle section, which actually takes place prior to the first section, after Pete has rejoined the army and been sent to fight in the Philippines in 1941. After some initial fighting with Japanese troops, Pete is captured and launched into the infamous Bataan Death March. True to history, the Japanese soldiers treat the Americans during the long march to a prison in the most cruel and inhumane ways one can imagine–for about 100 pages, over and over again. Why is it necessary to go into the most intimate gory details repeatedly?–it turns the reader’s stomach. Once again I do not criticize the author’s substantial skills in capturing these horrid details, I only wonder why about 1/3 of the novel has to be devoted to this inhuman spectacle. The section also recounts Pete joining up with a guerilla organization and killing many Japanese troops, while suffering severe injuries himself. Yet more violence.
   The final section jumps back to 1946-49 andcovers the mess for his family resulting from the murder. The victim’s family files a wrongful death action against Pete and his estate, and they seem determined to grab the family’s farm land, home and other assets if they are victorious. Here we have a bit of legal activities, and nobody can handle this kind of material like Grisham, but there is little suspense or excitement since the case is open and shut. What does emerge as the finest writing in the book is the turmoil undergone by Pete’s wife who is resident in an insane asylum, his sister who is in bad health, and the stress on his children trying to finish college without a mother or father. And in true Grisham fashion, we have a surprise ending and in fact do learn why he killed the minister.
   Grisham has already proved beyond refutation that he has become a fine novelist who can shape dialogue and plot skillfully to tell remarkable stories. He does not have to write about Bataan, bloody guerilla operations, a family’s sorrow, or other non-legal subjects to demonstrate his versatility. On the other hand, he has developed by facing new challenges and perhaps this book was undertaken in that spirit. In any regard, Grisham is always worth reading–even here.

3. 

   Kat – July 23, 2024

   Definitely a great read!
   The story is one that is as old as time! I did not know the ending until the very end! If you figure it out before than my hat is off to you!

4. 

   Amazon Customer – July 23, 2024

   Good plot
   Good read

5. 

   Kindle Customer – July 23, 2024

   Not usual Grisham
   This book left me unsatisfied with the ending. One lie affected so many people
   wanted a better ending where the kids were left with something other than both parents dead and losing everything to a shyster.

6. 

   James McCabe – July 23, 2024

   The Reckoning
   A very good story by John Grisham. Very entertaining and well written!

7. 

   Janet P Pedreira – July 23, 2024

   Great product. Delivered on time

8. 

   Egidio – July 23, 2024

   Uno dei migliori thriller che io abbia letto.

9. 

   Princess Remus – July 23, 2024

   Como todas las de John Grisham, muy buena novela, bien escrita, ágil y con situaciones que podrían ser reales. Muy buena!