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The Reckoning

The unmissable crime thriller from the number 1 Sunday Times bestselling author

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The Reckoning

By: John Grisham
Narrated by: Michael Beck
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The electrifying new thriller from internationally bestselling author John Grisham.

John Grisham returns to Clanton, Mississippi, to tell the story of an unthinkable murder, the bizarre trial that followed it, and its profound and lasting effect on the people of Ford County.

Pete Banning was Clanton's favourite son, a returning war hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbour, and a faithful member of the Methodist Church. Then one cool October morning in 1946. he rose early, drove into town, walked into the church, and calmly shot and killed the Reverend Dexter Bell.

As if the murder wasn't shocking enough, it was even more baffling that Pete's only statement about it - to the sheriff, to his defense attorney, to the judge, to his family and friends, and to the people of Clanton - was 'I have nothing to say'.

And so the murder of the esteemed Reverend Bell became the most mysterious and unforgettable crime Ford County had ever known.

Praise for Grisham's latest book, The Rooster Bar

'Scintillating storytelling' - The Sunday Times

'A buoyant, mischievous thriller . . . This reliable best-selling author is feeling real pleasure, and not just obligation, in delivering his work' - New York Times


(P)2018 Random House Audio©2018 Belfry Holdings, Inc Crime Fiction Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Crime Fiction Murder Mississippi
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Critic reviews

I couldn't help thinking of Harper Lee's great American novel To Kill a Mockingbird while reading The Reckoning . . . [Grisham] knows how to spin a yarn
Beautifully constructed, [The Reckoning] captures the racial tensions of the Deep South and weaves a truly magical spell
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
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
When a master of storytelling and suspense takes on one of the most wrenching stories in history, the result is a book that will break your heart, set your blood pumping and your mind racing, and leave you gasping for breath by the final page. I'm still trying to recover from The Reckoning
A murder mystery, a courtroom drama, a family saga, a coming-of-age story, a war narrative, a period piece: The Reckoning is Grisham's argument that he's not just a boilerplate thriller writer. Most jurors will think he has made his case
All stars
Most relevant
One of his best could not stop listening. I did not see the ending at all

Brilliant

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I started this book with no idea of the depth of the story. Murder in a small town is never as easy as the murder and the murdered.

One of Grisham's Best

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I absolutely loved this. John Grisham at his absolute best, and excellently read. Fab recommended

Grisham at his best

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Long awaited and when it came I listened at every opportunity even into the early hours - a strange method of storytelling - the ending first, the lead up next suggesting the reasons for the ending and then finally the twist that is totally unexpected.

Grisham at his best

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As usual the story was a “page turner”. The portrait of the main character was at first intriguing then shocking. The story was split into 3 parts. The middle part tells the story of Pete as a soldier and prisoner of war in the Philippines. Some have questioned the inclusion of this, or at least the length of this part of the story. I found it incredibly powerful and it helped me to understand his stoicism. The characters of his children were less interesting and I didn’t feel much empathy for them. None of the other characters was given much of a profile apart from the lawyer, Willbanks - certainly not the black workers. But overall I enjoyed the story and would recommend it.

Intense story

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