The Reckoning

On the surface it doesn’t seem like there should be much mystery or suspense or action in The Reckoning. Pete Banning is a war hero, one day he shoots and kills the local pastor, he won’t speak in his own defense, so he is facing the death penalty. He placed his wife in an insane asylum, but he won’t talk about that, either. So it all seems pretty cut and dried. All the action has happened in the past or is a foregone conclusion, and although it might be very interesting, it probably won’t be very exciting.

Wrong. John Grisham is a master and this is another masterpiece. It is full of suspense and mystery and dread, first page to last. It was haunting. I couldn’t put it down. Even as I read about things that I knew for a fact show more had happened, I found myself hoping for another conclusion.

The Reckoning says a lot about the time it is set in, people’s place in society in that time, and their belief in the structure of that society. It also says a lot about how experiences change people, and even when they are loving and caring they can be hard. Very, very hard. And sometimes when forgiveness is needed, love is just not enough to make it happen. show less

Clanton, Mississippi’s favorite son, a decorated hero of the Second World War, is the patriarch of a prominent family. He’s a father, a brother, a neighbor, a farmer, a faithful member of the Methodist church. Yet, one October morning he walks into the church where he shoots and kills Reverend Dexter Bell, a man he claimed as both his friend and his pastor.

Pete Banning’s only response? “I have nothing to say.”

Separated into three sections, this compelling narrative offers readers, along with the legal intrigues, a family drama filled with mystery and anguish. Moving from the 1946 present of the story back to the Philippines and the Bataan Death March of the Second World War, it concludes with Pete’s family dealing with the show more aftermath of his actions and, in a twist that readers may not see coming, finally divulges the mysterious reason that Pete so steadfastly refused to reveal himself.

The narrative’s racist rhetoric and odious treatment of some townspeople would never be acceptable today but it is spot-on for 1946 Mississippi. The southern setting is a perfect fit for the unfolding of the tale; the characters are multifaceted and believable. The story itself is riveting and complex. As the suspense builds, readers will find it difficult to set this one aside before turning the final page. Don’t miss this one.

Highly recommended. show less

Many years ago I read my first Grisham, A time to kill and followed that with The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber and The Runaway Jury. I began to feel that later novels were losing the impact that those earlier thrillers so brilliantly portrayed. A Painted House proved somewhat of a disappointment and so my reading journey into the legal mind of John Grisham came to a close…...until now. By pure luck I picked up “The Reckoning” in a charity shop, liked the synopsis on the back cover and started reading, and could not stop! The Reckoning is nothing short of brilliant; it combines the qualities of a thriller with vivid courtroom scenes that Grisham is renowned for.
Pete Banning returns home to Clanton Mississippi, a show more war hero, a man respected and loved dearly in his community. One morning in October 1946 he rises early, drives into town, attends the local Methodist Church and shoots dead the popular Reverend Dexter Bell. He refuses to speak or comment on the killing and seems content to have a trial that will surely find him guilty and death by electrocution. The first part of the book deals with the murder followed by the trial and then the author tells the back story of Pete Manning his heroic war record, his capture, escape and fight back against the Japanese. In the final part we are observers to the repercussions that the murder has on Manning’s family; the children Joel and Stella and his wife Liza confined to a mental hospital. The writing is taut, the story brilliantly executed and I found it impossible to put down until completed, until the final question was answered….What happened on that October day that caused Pete Manning to act in the way he did and by doing so altered the lives and futures of so many. Welcome back Mr Grisham what a fantastic read...highly highly recommended. show less

It started out to be an interesting story...a murder that the killer, a decorated war hero, would give no reason for. At his trial he wouldn't show any reaction or help his lawyers even though he would get the death penalty. After the trial section there was an entire section devoted to the killers army career and his life as an escaped prisoner of war. Another entire section of the family history, It just became bogged down in background and lost the theme of the storyline. I really didn't think we were ever going to find out why he felt the man he killed deserved to die although the author did throw in enough hints that you pretty much could come to your own conclusion...seeing as it was the deep south in in the 1940's. Grisham fans show more will love it. show less

As always, I love Grisham's storytelling. There are so few that rival him in telling a story and keeping the pages turning.

Back in Clanton, Mississippi (A Time to Kill, Ford County) Grisham tells the story of a decorated WWII hero and faithful church member who kills his Methodist pastor, he turns himself in and refuses to say anything other than, "I have nothing to say"

Grisham delivers with another legal and family drama, but adds a war story, going back in time to the WWII battles in the Philippines.

I do feel Grisham missed the emotional mark he was going for. His stories are told clearly and simply that evoking emotion from the reader is not Grisham's strong suit. I also feel the ending is a bit extended.

Other than the two show more criticisms mentioned above, another great Grisham read. show less

I believe this is one of Grisham's best. The opening scene shows the murder of a local preacher by a noted and respected war hero recently returning from a horrible time in the Phillipines during WWII. Not a hint is given about the reasoning other than it was for "Liza" who is Pete's wife who is now in a mental institution. The story is told from the viewpoint of the two grown children of Pete and Liza: Jake and Stella who are in college.

The first third of the book is the murder, the trial and ultimate execution of Pete in the local courthouse. The second part of the book is a total change from a Grisham novel. Instead, this is set in the Philippines and is a war story telling of the horrors of the war especially of the guerrilla show more fighters. This reads as a war story. The third part goes back to Mississippi and the aftermath of the trial. The family of the slain preacher is suing backed by an unscrupulous attorney. The farm which has been in the family for generations is now close to being lost. The reason behind the shooting doesn't come out until the very last pages of the book. It is more lengthy than most Grisham books and I felt a good read. show less

Pete Banning, war hero, cotton farmer and respected member of the Mississippi community he loves, commits a premeditated murder, shooting his own Methodist minister. Banning refuses to talk about his crime and actively discourages his lawyer from mounting any kind of defence.

The book starts with the crime, the trial and the immediate aftermath. The tension mounts because we have no insight to the crime or the motivation of Banning. A picture is slowly built to show that all is not well in the Banning family. We then move on to a long section describing Banning’s war exploits in the Pacific. The final section of the book shows how Banning’s children, Stella and Joel, try to unravel the mystery behind their father’s crime and to show more build new lives for themselves.

Ultimately, all the characters we see as ‘worthy’ fail or lose and all those we deem ‘unworthy’ come out as winners. This book is about misplaced trust, the faults that come from ‘honour’, but is mainly about the transfer from the Great Generation to the Baby Boomers and the impacts of war on the minds of those who fought.

This is well written and readable, as all Grisham novels are, but is ultimately aimless and too down beat for my taste. show less