Book Review: “The Reckoning” by John Grisham
In 1946 Mississippi, war hero Pete Banning stuns the small town of Clanton by murdering the beloved Reverend Dexter Bell. Pete offers no explanation, leaving his family and community reeling. As Pete awaits execution, flashbacks reveal the horrors of his WWII experiences as a prisoner of war. Meanwhile, his adult children, Joel and Stella, grapple with the aftermath – caring for their mentally ill mother and facing the town’s scorn. A wrongful death lawsuit against the Banning estate adds another layer of complexity. The novel explores themes of war trauma, family bonds, and the pursuit of justice in a racially charged South. Will the truth behind Pete’s actions be revealed before it’s too late?
I asked Google Gemini AI to write a 150 word summary of this book.
“The Reckoning” is not John Grisham’s best.
I have read every novel (except the brand new ones) and…..
Where his writing sparkles (Part 1 and Part 3), he tends to, at times (oddly for him) drag, and there are 125 pages (Part 2) that seemed unnecessary to me (an old retired engineer, not an awesome author)…..so I just skimmed it.
Concerning Part 2…….in legal speak……I stipulated in Part 1 that Pete was a war hero. 🙂
That said…..the story is still pretty damn interesting!
Next up will be “The Guardians” as soon as it pops up in the TBR shelf.
