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    The Reckoning: A Novel
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    The Reckoning: A Novel
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    The Reckoning: A Novel
    Audiobook (abridged)9 hours

    The Reckoning: A Novel

    Written by John Grisham

    Narrated by Michael Beck

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    #1 bestselling author John Grisham's The Reckoning is his most powerful, surprising, and suspenseful thriller yet.

    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, and committed a shocking crime. 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 in every minute.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateOct 23, 2018
    ISBN9780525639305
    Unavailable
    The Reckoning: A Novel

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    Reviews for The Reckoning

    3.5/5

    416 ratings53 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I loved this book, except for the ending which was a little abrupt (after 400 pages leading up to it) and a little disappointing. However, I enjoyed the rest of the story and consider it to be one of Grisham's best books. If only that ending had been handled better, I would have given it five stars.
    • 4/5
      The Reckoning, John Grisham, author, Michael Beck, narratorRead very well by a narrator who interpreted each character individually, with perfect tone and emotion so that each one was delineated and unique when they were presented, this is one of Grisham’s better novels. Happily, it does not feel as many of his novels lately have, as one written strictly for the screen, although it would certainly make an interesting and engaging movie. The history of the times, during the 1940’s, is presented accurately. The main theme of the novel seems to be about family secrets. Pete Banning is a farmer and land owner in Clanton, Mississippi. The Banning farm has been handed down to his family from generation to generation, and the name Banning is well respected in town. They are well-to-do, they treat their farmhands well, and they attend church with a well-respected minister, the Reverend Bell. They have a lovely family with two well-behaved children who are on their way to successful lives.Essentially, the novel is a murder mystery, but it is also partly the story of the romance between Pete and Liza Sweeney. It develops mightily, also, into a war story when Pete is called up to fight in World War II and sent to the Philippines. For a time he is presumed missing and killed in action. The brutal stories about WWII, are completely captivating and even shocking, in some cases. When the presumed dead Pete returns unexpectedly, to the the shock and joy of his family and friends, his life has been forever changed by his experiences, war injuries and memories. Everyone else, family and friends, have already mourned his loss, and they have attempted to move on. Now they have to welcome the decorated war hero back, after a lengthy hospital stay, and they seem overjoyed. When Pete suddenly murders the minister of the church, in cold blood, shock and disbelief is the first reaction. Why would Pete, suddenly, and without explanation, commit the murder and refuse to speak about it to anyone, not even his lawyer? The only glitch in the family picture of the Bannings is the fact that Liza had suffered an unexplained nervous breakdown and was recovering in a mental hospital. However, at the time of the murder, the children were being well educated, the farm had a good year, and they seemed to have hope for Liza’s eventual return.As the story develops, the novel reveals the racism of the past. The jails do not treat white and black prisoners in the same way. They are not housed or fed in the same way. The black prisoners sentences for crimes are more severe and often unjust. Blacks and whites may not fraternize openly. The inequality and injustice is highlighted, not with malice, but with honesty.The book then goes on to expose small town politics, the practices of some unethical lawyers and the level to which they will go in order to win. It exposes the politics that influence the ruling of some judges. It exposes the collateral damage of a crime to one’s family, even to those not directly involved. It reveals the greed and the vengeance that will overtake some people. It does not dwell on forgiveness or redemption, but rather, some times, on the letter of the law, when the letter of the law is without compassion. Mostly, however, it exposes the catastrophic harm that a lie, made up under intense circumstances, can eventually cause. I thought that the best part of the novel was the war story in the Phillippines. It covered Pete’s experiences. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Pete Banning knew he would be called up, and he was eager to serve his country. His wife Liza and his children, Stella and Joel who were teens, hoped for his safe return. When he was missing and presumed dead, they had to pick up the pieces of their lives and continue. How they did that, is the crux of the story, but it is not revealed until the very end. Unfortunately, it is that very ending, which the reader will wait patiently for, that is disappointing. For most of the story, it feels so authentic that the reader will wonder if it is based on a true story, but it is not. When the conclusion is revealed, the authenticity fades somewhat, and the story loses its greatness. Still, it is one of his better works, and I recommend it.
    • 4/5
      This book was a little long, I got kinda bored in the middle talking about the war stuff, but otherwise it was good.
    • 4/5
      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 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.
    • 3/5
      This was my 18th Grisham, and most likely my last. A HUGE disappointment! It's been almost two years since I've last read a Grisham novel (The Confession) which I disliked almost as much for many of the same reasons. Where to start? To begin, it was way too long, desperately needed editing. Secondly, it was a complete downer with no redeeming values as far as I could see. No wait - unless you want to read more about the Bataan Death March than you ever wanted to know. A full quarter of the book! What was Grisham thinking? But even without the Bataan Death March nonsense, it was still way too long. To summarize, it was a very long, pitiful story of a pathetic southern family that began bad and only got worse.
    • 4/5
      I've read about 10 Grisham books over the years. Though I like him as a storyteller, Too much of him leads me to avoid books I really like. This, in my humble opinion, is one of his best. I thought I had the ending figured out....nope! A nice. easy-to-read story. Started the book the day before my sister passed away...which will be how I remember it....
    • 2/5
      Awful. Waste of time. Was so terribly disappointed at the end of this.
    • 5/5
      The story gets the reader/listener involved with residents of a small southern town on the world war two era. It probably tones down the racism of that era at that time but can't overlook it. A detour is taken through the life of an American prisoner of war who escapes and becomes a guerilla in the Philippines offering fascinating food for thought. It is clearly a time of different cultural norms. Grisham of course includes a spectrum of legal challenges that need to be dealt with. Not a story of dramatic courtroom reversals. I felt invested enough on the characters to care what happened. I was taken completely by surprise by the final explanations.I might have preferred a different ending but it is a story about life.
    • 4/5
      Though not like the John Grisham's of old this was a good story. THe descriptions of the Bataan Death March were very realistic. I enjoyed the book.
    • 5/5
      THE RECKONING by John GrishamGrisham is back to writing mysteries instead of “magical realism” and I am happy. When the town’s celebrated hero walks into church and kills his best friend, there has to be a story……and there is. Why did Pete kill Dexter? Why won’t he talk? How can he be defended?The court room drama takes us from the Jim Crow south to the jungles of WWII to an insane asylum and back to the court room. This is vintage Grisham and an exciting read.5 of 5 stars
    • 3/5
      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 will love it.
    • 3/5
      The first part set up the story of long time resident and war hero Pete Banning killing Methodist Pastor Dexter Bell in his office in Clanton Mississippi. A brief trial, and months later Banning is executed. The middle section deals with Bannings war exploits in WW2. It's not until the final pages that we learn why Banning killed Bell, but did he kill the right man?
    • 2/5
      A disappointment... Although some kind of suspense was maintained throughout the book, it was very weak, as was the plot. Flat, cynical tone as usual - except one doesn't expect it in that era. Very poor dialogue. Otherwise, the ambiance of the period was well portrayed. But that's about it. A huge chunk of the book (the whole mid section) was depiction of heroism of American military in Philippines in WWII - which could have been a separate story altogether, as it went too far from the actual plot. I miss Grisham's early novels... Honestly, I feel like I read him out of loyalty nowadays, still remembering his earlier hits and still expecting a come back.
    • 4/5
      Pete Banning was famous in Clanton, Mississippi. He was a World War II war hero who had endured torture as a combatant and prisoner of war in the Philippines. He participate in the Baatan March. He was a member of a prominent family, a good husband, father, neighbor, farmer, and member of the Methodist church. A few months after his hero’s welcome, his wife, whom he deeply loved, was institutionalized.A year after his return, Banning walked into the office of his minister and friend, Dexter Bell, and shot him to death. He was quickly apprehended and refused to let his lawyer offer any explanation or defense, even though his punishment would be death. Most of the book revolves around the murder.The middle third of the book deals with his experiences in World War II. It presents a lot of detail about the battles, life as a P.O.W., and repatriation. “They were dying of starvation even though food and water were plentiful in the Philippines....Everyman suffered from something, be it malaria, dengue fever, scurvy, beriberi, jaundice, , or diphtheria, pneumonia, or dysentery;, or a combination of these.”Eventually, we do learn why Banning murdered Bell and refused to say anything about it though there are several clues before that as to the probable reason. It is not what it seems to be.An interesting read though it was drawn out. . I noticed one error that should have been caught by the editor: On p.119, it states that Dexter was lying on the floor. On p. 120, it says he was in his chair.
    • 3/5
      slow start, great middle ection, disappointing ending - not very imaginiative
    • 4/5
      It's a great story. It is believable and engaging. The reason I can't give this book a higher rating is that it leaves you feeling vaguely sad and dissatisfied.
    • 5/5
      The Reckoning by John GrishamStory starts out with a man who's preparing to execute his plan. Once you find out what it is it's rather haunting. Very detailed description of what's going on but we don't know why.As time goes on, after the trial and execution the book goes back in time to when he was in his 20's and what happened in his life. His story is detailed of his war years and experiences among falling in love and having kids.You understand what happens as the light bulb goes on and realize just who is who and why and how they are related. Rather abrupt ending I felt.Love reading this man's detailed books, I can picture them in my mind.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
    • 4/5
      Pete Banning was Clinton, Mississippi’s golden boy-plantation owner, war hero, faithful member of the Methodist Church. One morning he gets into his car, drives to the church, and shoots the minister in cold blood. Afterwards, he refuses to comment at all and refuses to help in his defense. In typical Grisham style, there’s a court trial and then the ordered process of uncovering what possibly could have led this man to do such a thing.
    • 3/5
      This is the most surprising twist in a story I’ve seen from John Grisham. My husband liked it better than I did. I enjoyed it as I do all Grisham’s books, but that’s because he wrote an entirely different book about the law and it intrigued me.
    • 3/5
      Not one of Grisham's better works. Shifting timeline was a bit off putting.
    • 5/5
      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 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.
    • 3/5
      Described as not a typical John Grisham legal thriller, The Reckoning takes us back to Ford County, Mississippi, immediately after the Second World War. In the first pages of the novel, Pete Banning, cotton farmer, West Point graduate, favorite son of Clanton, and war hero back from the presumed dead, drives into town and murders the pastor of the local Methodist church in his office. Pete refuses to mount a defense, saying only ‘I have nothing to say.’
      The middle section of the novel describe Pete’s experiences in the war. He survives the harrowing Bataan death march and Japanese prisoner of war camps, and becomes a guerilla fighting the Japanese in the jungles of the Philippines. Those scenes are graphic and horrifying. Back in Clanton, the Methodist pastor comforts the bereaved widow, perhaps too much.
      And adding to the mystery, Pete’s wife has been committed to a mental hospital, and no one in the family other than Pete is allowed to see her.
      The courtroom drama here is about the slow process of surrendering all of the Banning family property to the widow of the slain pastor. Pete’s children, in college and law school, must reckon with a future that looks very different than the one they expected.
      Grisham covers a lot of ground and explores a lot of themes in The Reckoning, and I did not find the ending particularly satisfying, but the novel was entertaining and readable.
    • 3/5
      The Reckoning is a mystery of what is the motive. The reader will believe it is a matter of betrayal but that is the twist. I would certainly recommend this book who likes a good mystery. If a reader looks out for the Easter eggs that the author one may even figure out why.
    • 3/5
      In part 1, Grisham manages to take his somewhat remote narrative in a way that makes me care about the Banning family and wonder what was behind Pete's killing of the preacher. I will say I suspected the same thing that the family did, though in the end, there was a twist to the story that made the outcome different than what I had expected.In part 2, we go back in time to Pete's war years, and I almost felt like the author made me suffer for the research he had to do . There were many details about the Philippines and the Bataan Death March. Some parts did pertain to Pete's story but there were many other details that could probably have been left out without harming the story.In part 3, we return to the time frame we left at the end of part 1 and go through the legal part of the widow being advised to file a wrongful death lawsuit and whether Pete's quit claim deed was done with the intent of protecting assets. I understand wanting to keep the house for their mother--but then after she passed away, neither child seemed to want to live there. I can understand that and also understand not wanting the widow there either (given what they thought had happened) but I don't understand why they were so reluctant to give up the property and be able to just go away from all the sad memories.We're not told all the answers. I wondered if the Willbanks in this novel were ancestors to the Lucien Willbanks who appears in the Jake Brigance novels Grisham also writes. I suspect they are. We aren't told what happens to Nineva and Amos after they're evicted. We aren't told what happens to the farm and the farmhands after the McLeishes take it over--do they make it a success? do the farmhands leave their shacks? I wondered why Joel didn't broach to let them stay on Florry's land to his aunt since she didn't seem interested in staying on in her pink house--or ask the relative they'd planned to approach about leasing Florry's land about hiring the hands or letting people stay on her land. Given how often they say farmhands are hard to find, you'd think the relative would be interested in finding experienced ones who'd be grateful to be treated fairly. I wonder if the McLeishes's marriage makes it. I strongly suspect that he married her because of the settlement and not because he loved her. It's too bad she didn't heed her father's advice to see a different lawyer prior to the marriage or to not get married at all. I wonder if he dumped her once he was able to get the property into his name or if he was abusive to her. I wonder what happened to Florry's land after her death. It didn't sound like either Joel or Stella wanted it or wanted to live in Clanton again. Who did she leave it to in her will? Was it sold to the relative? or to the McLeishes? Or passed down to Joel or Stella who just leased it to the relative? I wonder if Joel ever got married to the girl in this novel. Maybe he's shown up in another novel of Grisham's that I haven't read or don't recall. I wonder how Joel and Stella weather the rest of their lives.
    • 4/5
      The Reckoning ByJohn GrishamWhat it's all about...Pete Banning walks into his minister’s study, takes out a gun and shoots him. No one knows why and Pete refuses to talk about it. There is a trial and Pete is found guilty. Why I wanted to read it...I have not read a John Grisham book in ages but this hefty book caught my attention. It takes place in the rural south just after WWII...Pete Banning was a war prisoner who was presumed dead. The middle section of this book speaks graphically about what it was like to be captured by the Japanese during this time. It is amazing that Pete survived. What made me truly enjoy this book...The last part of this book finally speaks of the why...why this happened. It’s sad...very sad and riveting. Why you should read it, too...Readers who love this author should find this book deeply moving. I know I did. It also brings up the racial issues of that time. This book was totally fascinating. I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and Amazon. It was my choice to read it and review it.
    • 4/5
      While an excellent read with an intriguing plot and characters the book was depressing and sad. There was an almost total lack of optimism and hope.Grisham is an accomplished author and this will be yet another best seller, but ...
    • 1/5
      A Grisham legal thriller? Not really. A murder which the murderer pleads not guilty but refuses to defend or explain. Nearly 200 pages of the most boring crime and courtroom drama ever. A Grisham war story?? Quite possibly. The entire book seemed to be an excuse to write about WWII in the Philippines, which had no bearing at all on the rest of the story. Another 125 pages that accomplished no more than to give me nightmares about the atrocities of war. I purposely don't read books or watch movies about the war. Would have thought I was safe with a Grisham novel. Next time maybe I'll just pick up a little light reading from the Military Fiction genre. A Grisham ending??? pretty much. Another 100 pages of mindless lawyer maneuvering to get to a completely unsatisfying conclusion. Leading me to ask myself: What in the hell did I just read and why?
    • 5/5
      4+. It has been a while since I have read a Grisham. Not sure why, but I can say I'm glad this is one I read. It combined my many book loves, a legal story, a mystery, which is really at the heart of this book, and a look back to a terrible time in history. It is the 1940' in the Jim Crow south, a farmer whose large farm has been passed down through generations, Pete Banning does what he needs to do for the immediate future. He then walks over to the Methodist Church and shoots the Pastor three times. Why? He has no intention of saying, no explanation, no excuses. His wife had been committed to a mental institution the year before, his two grown children away at their respective schools.So that is the mystery, and of course the court case. We then follow him back to the war, and the Bataan death March in the Philippines. Hard to read, but well researched, well written, the merciless Japanese and Bannings time in the military. To many he became a hero. There is one part near the beginning that was very emotional, he was loved by many. This was a book I couldn't put down, it just pulled me into the story of this family, and of course I needed to know the why. So,even though I don't always fsvor narratives that go back and forth, here I can't see this story working any other way. It truly has a little of everything, plus a family that one can't help but embrace, and a man who makes a decision feeling he has no other choice. In this book I feel as though Grisham has out done himself. ARC from Doubleday.
    • 3/5
      The Bannings have always been a prominent family in their small Mississippi town, and Pete Banning has done his family proud, making a success of their farm, marrying a beautiful woman, and becoming a hero during World War II. However, when the novel opens it becomes clear that he is going to commit a cold-blooded murder of the town's Methodist minister. Not only does he do it, but he absolutely refuses to tell anyone why, and he has resigned himself to be convicted and put to death without defending himself. His family and friends are completely in the dark, and so too is the reader. The first third or so of the book describes his actions before and after the murder and his subsequent trial, as well as the effect on his family. The second third of the book describes in detail his horrific war experience in the Philippines, his torture and hell of a POW camp, and then his heroism as a guerrilla fighter, and his eventual return home to his family who had thought him dead. The final section of the novel relates the painful aftereffects of Pete Banning's actions on his children, wife, and sister. Until the very end, none of us know the secret that motivated Banning. I was saved from throwing the book across the room by the final revelation. Nonetheless, this was a frustrating book to read because the characters seemed paralyzed. The middle portion about the war in the Philippines seemed belabored and overlong, probably in order to help us understand Banning's rationale. Although the term hadn't yet been invented at the time, this book could serve as a PTSD cautionary tale.
    • 5/5
      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 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.