Grisham’s skills at their best
The Reckoning By John Grisham, Hachette, $37.99 .. .. .. .. .. ..
John Grisham never fails to deliver and The Reckoning is a safe buy for yours or a friend’s summer holiday reading. This isn’t a typical Grisham legal based thriller as such, but it’s a riveting read based in small-town Clanton, Mississippi.
Pete Banning had been Clanton’s favourite son, until now. His history includes a homecoming after a war hero experience, he’s now the patriarch of a prominent and long serving local family, a farmer, father, neighbour, and a faithful member of the Methodist church.
But, one morning in October 1946 Pete rises early and drives to town. He then walks to his local church and executes the Reverend Dexter Bell. What follows is equally challenging as Pete refuses to discuss his crime, repeatedly saying “I have nothing to say”.
The impact on the Clanton community is immense. His children return home from college to see what they can do to help. His friends counsel Pete to explain why he did what he did.
It’s a vexing situation for all concerned. Ford County has never known such a crime, and Pete Banning’s trial is likely to result in a date with the electric chair. I found The Reckoning a very satisfying read, with John Grisham one again raising his storytelling skills to a new level.
— Tony Nielsen