The Reckoning

A Novel

By: John Grisham

Narrated by: Michael Beck

Number-one best-selling author John Grisham's The Reckoning is his most powerful, surprising, and suspenseful thriller yet.

"A murder mystery, a courtroom drama, a family saga…The Reckoning is Grisham's argument that he's not just a boilerplate thriller writer. Most jurors will think the counselor has made his case." (USA Today)

October 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, walked into the church, and calmly shot and killed his pastor and friend, the Reverend Dexter Bell. As if the murder weren’t shocking enough, it was even more baffling that 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 every minute.

©2018 John Grisham (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“In this saga of love and war, John Grisham has given us a sprawling and engrossing story about a Southern family, a global conflict, and the kinds of secrets that can shape all of us. From the courtrooms and jails of rural Mississippi to the war-torn Pacific, Grisham spins a tale that is at once entertaining and illuminating.” (Jon Meacham, New York Times best-selling author of The Soul of America)

“John Grisham is not only the master of suspense but also an acute observer of the human condition. And these remarkable skills converge in The Reckoning - an original, gripping, penetrating novel that may be his greatest work yet.” (David Grann, New York Times best-selling author of Killers of the Flower Moon)

“John Grisham is the master of legal fiction, and his latest starts with a literal bang - and then travels backward through the horrors of war to explore what makes a hero, what makes a villain, and how thin the line between the two might be.” (Jodi Picoult, number-one New York Times best-selling author of A Spark of Light and Small Great Things)

“The quest for justice is only the beginning in this Southern-family saga.... Grisham does so much more this time around.” (Associated Press)

I Can't Believe All The Negative Reviews!

I read and loved Grisham's books for years; waiting eagerly for a new one to be published. But I had not bought any of his books the last few years because the reviews on Audible have been so bad. Despite the soso reviews, I had to read "A Time for Mercy", Grisham's newest book because I love the main character, Jake Brigance. The book was a great continuation of that character's story! Don't understand the supposed Grisham fans that gave such lukewarm reviews.
Anyways.... after that I decided to seriously rethink the other books I'd passed on. I took a chance on "The Reckoning" despite the bad reviews. I'm so glad I did! This was a great story!
This is an incredible, intricate story. The WWII story line that everybody seems hung up on was very interesting to me. Like others who enjoyed this part of the story, I spent time looking up and reading more on that part of our history; much of it new to me. I will never think of General Douglas MacArthur in the same way as I did before reading this book! The many detractors of this part of the storyline don't seem to understand how it connects to the rest of the story. Well, it seems simple to me. If like Pete, you suffered all those atrocities, went through hell and only survived because by sheer will you were determined to return to the woman and family you adored; you can to some degree understand his actions when he returned home from the war. (Though it bothers me that he didn't think more of the impact on his children.)
I also don't understand all the reviewers who complained about the character developments in the story. In all his stories that I can remember, Grisham has always written details about main and secondary characters that make his stories interesting, humorous and relatable. I'm almost always left wanting to know more not less about a character! I wanted to know more about Ninevah and Amos! And I LOVED seeing Lucien Wilbanks' father and uncle in this book!! Just imagine young Lucien running around Clanton in this story!!
I don't believe all those people who say they figured out the ending early on. The story makes you think you might know what really happened but Grisham doesn't tell you till the last few minutes of the story. I do wish as some others said that we got a little more story about Joel and Stella.
Yes, this is a sad story. So what?!! Do people only read happy stories?!! This is a story of war history, Southern family history, love, betrayal, sin and consequences; consequences that will reverberate through generations. Don't pass this book by because others didn't understand the story.

Stunning! Few Authors Can Do This.

The twists left me agape. The story's like one of those tunes that worm into your mind and keep coming back. Pete is an amazing character, ditto his wife and family. The ending is simultaneously disconcerting yet absolutely perfect. The cast is tune perfect... Grisham has an ear for dialogue that transcends genre writing. No Grisham novel is better than The Reckoning. Read it for the historical insight alone, then for the conundrum of a plot engine.

The Reckoning

This book had too many chapters devoted to very graphic descriptions of being a POW during WWII. I wasn't expecting this. Good history and the author clearly knew a lot about such an experience but I fe!t the heroism of the character could have been established without a full section of the book being devoted to it with such detail.

Kept my interest

A good depiction of the culture in rural Missippi during the first half of the 20th century. Had an unexpected ending. I really enjoyed this book!

Good story

Good story , but dragged on a bit long . good performance, just too long

Riveting

A family story that was a page Turner for me. Family dynamics, life of WWII POW & life in a small Mississippi farming g town in the 1940s. secrets. & lies; this story has it all.

Really Good Grisham

I've listen to most all of JGs books. Some were FANTASTIC (especially back when Frank Muller was narrating) some were not so good. As for "new" JG this isn't Sycamore Row GREAT but it's still a really good listen. Michael Beck does justice, as always, to the southern accents in most JG novels.

Long drawn out story.

The basis of this story starts out interesting. The characters are well developed. In the middle of the book it drags to a slow pace and repeats itself. The ending is a surprise.

could have skipped part 2

was ok. surprise ending, but then it ended. should have tied loose ends, kids turn out ok or are they screwed up because of parents?

Cannot recommend this highly enough....

I'm a huge fan of John G so I'll just say this novel is an incredible example of his craft. It taught me a lot about the ear in the Phillipines... amazing characters as always. Narrator is fantastic